Secondhand Smoke - Sean McConnell
LCM #SongOfTheDay: ‘Secondhand Smoke’ - Sean McConnell
With a high anticipated forthcoming 13th album set for release in early February our next LCM featured artist is the very talented Tennessee based singer-songwriter Sean McConnell. One of the highlight of the new album and the first single is the beautiful title track ‘Secondhand Smoke’. It was also recently included in a weekly top list of Rolling Stone’s Best new Country/Americana Songs.
'Secondhand Smoke' is a 13-song cohesive collection of modern folk music asking provocative questions about how we become who we are, what and whom we love, and the growth, pain, and freedom that come with accepting that some answers might elude us forever. “The older I get, the more I find that is what it’s all about––that there is no way to answer it all,” Sean comments. “Being comfortable with mystery is a positive thing in all aspects of our lives. I definitely explore that in these songs.”
Produced, recorded and written by Sean McConnell in his Nashville home studio, 'Secondhand Smoke' is a striking intimate portrait of life’s intricacies. “These are stories that people are familiar with,” adds Sean, “and they steer the ship in a certain direction, then leave you off at this ocean of possibilities that we didn’t plan on the story taking us to.”
A long renowned wordsmith, hundreds of thousands have turned to Sean McConnell for that kind of musical exploration for almost 20 years. Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Meat Loaf, David Nail, Brothers Osborne, Buddy Miller, Plain White T’s and many more have all recorded his songs––a dizzying list that spans not just styles, but generations. Recently, he earned his first #1 single on country charts with breakout artist Brett Young’s delivery of “Mercy,” which the two co-wrote. As a performer, Sean has the keen ability of drawing in his audience. His sound––a stunning warm tenor painting vivid stories over acoustic guitar often cushioned by keys or other strings––has prompted a diverse range of music scenes from the storied Boston folk community to Texas’s defiantly self-sovereign camp to warmly claim Sean as one of their own.
Photo Credit: AQPhotos