Get To Know... Sean Solomon • Neu • DIY Magazine

Hello and welcome back to DIY’s introducing feature, Get To Know… which aims to get you a little bit closer to the buzziest acts that have been catching our eye as of late, and working out what makes them tick.

From where we’re standing, ‘The World Is Not Good Enough’ is as empathetic an album title as you’re likely to come across; in a time when the news cycle is increasingly bleak and individualism reigns supreme, it’s hard not to feel as if you’ve been somehow tricked by the wide-eyed optimism of your younger self. Evidently, musician, animator, and former Moaning member Sean Solomon agrees. Across eight arresting tracks, the LA native’s debut LP bridges the gap between childhood naivety and adult disillusionment, candidly exploring their unsettling disconnect and finding meaning via folky, finger-picked guitar, swelling brass flourishes, and wound-raw lyricism.

To mark its arrival, we catch up with Sean to learn more about solo freedom, approaching art in a holistic way, and the power of cartoons…

If Sean Solomon was a TV ad, what would your tagline be?
Maybe he’s born with it. Maybe he should get it checked out.

Growing up, what was your musical/artistic education like? Give us an insight into those formative years.
My parents bought me a guitar when I was really young. I took two lessons, then quit because it was too hard and my fingers hurt. I picked it up again as a teenager and learned a few chords, just enough to start writing songs and form a band. I was really lucky to be part of the local music scene and started playing shows when I was 15. I started making zines and exploring visual art too. When I was 16, I went to a summer program at CalArts for high school students, where I learned how to animate.

You were a member of a few different bands before starting to release music as a solo artist; how has working on your own changed your approach to writing/creating?
Going solo just means you have no one else to blame if a show sucks. But I actually like it, because when I write music on my own, I don’t have to think about genre. Whatever comes out tends to feel cohesive as long as it’s authentically me.

“I like to tackle heavy topics without making them feel pretentious. I try to make work that’s inviting and accessible, even when it deals with something serious.”

You hand animate each of your music videos, and also drew your album cover yourself; can you tell us a bit about the contrast between these quite childlike illustrations and the complex, often darker themes you explore lyrically? Why (and how) did you land on this style as the best way of visually representing ‘The World Is Not Good Enough’?
I like to tackle heavy topics without making them feel pretentious. I try to make work that’s inviting and accessible, even when it deals with something serious. I’ve always been both an animator and a musician, but combining the two helped me find a balance, something that can carry a lot of emotional weight while still feeling approachable. In many ways, the animation softens the intensity. I want the work to be for everyone, and cartoons can draw in people who might not normally engage with something a little sad.

Live, too, you travel with your trusty VHS monitor in tow to screen the videos as you perform each song - why is it so important to you that the audience experiences your work via both mediums?
I don’t really think of this project as a band; it might sound pretentious, but I see it more as an art project. I studied experimental animation in school, and to me the videos are just as much a part of the performance as the music.

If you could time travel back to one decade in history, which would you choose (and why)?
I’d probably go back to the ’90s. There’d be no cellphones or social media. You could leave the house and no one would bother you. It sounds great. Plus, a lot of my family would still be around, and so would a lot of my favorite music.

Finally, DIY are coming round for dinner - what are you making?
I’m a terrible cook. Let’s just order take out.

‘The World Is Not Good Enough’ is out now via ANTI-.

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