Sean Burford

For my second installment of local desert musicians/recording artists I’d like to present Palm Springs resident Sean Burford.  Burford is a multi-instrumentalist who brings a variety of influences and styles (industrial/electronic, psychedelic, progressive, classical, lounge blues/jazz, even a hint of bossa nova here and there) to his music, which he adeptly blends into something fresh and original.  His songs, like so much of the music that really grabs my attention and that I find comment-worthy, are both complex and accessible, full of irony and humor, yet also haunting and ethereal.    

Before my unfortunate pinched nerve incident while in Austin last month, Sean and I exchanged emails re: his musical approach.  Here’s how Sean describes his work:

“My music project, Hymnself, consists of a post-religious prophet who connects with the cosmos to deliver the message of the universe. Because of this connection, the one that communicates with the stars and all matter develops human emotions. As a result of this, our chosen voice begins to stretch the boundaries of egotism. Seeking inspiration from various mediums including nature itself, my hope is to create an experience that will develop into a harmonious and a heck of a good time. This will only be so if those that seek enlightenment do so with an open heart and open mind.”

According to his Reverb Nation bio, Sean has been writing and recording for over 15 years.  He used to build guitars from old car speakers, fishing line and 2x4s and recorded his music by overdubbing on multiple 2-track tape decks.  He was trained as a brass instrumentalist, but is pretty much an autodidact in terms of his multi-instrumental performance and recording skills.

From what I understand, Sean does not currently have any music available for sale, however he does provide free downloads at his Reverb Nation page.

S.