Exclusive: Sean Solomon Shares Debut Single “Car Crash”
The LA-based singer-songwriter also animated and directed the accompanying music video.
Photo by Marlon Lenoble
After two studio albums and years of touring with his band Moaning, singer and guitarist Sean Solomon has taken his first step into a promising solo career. This morning, he released his debut single “Car Crash,” an intimate and contemplative indie-folk track paired alongside a music video that’s both self-directed and self-animated.
Solomon seized the opportunity to step away from the bedlam of music industry ordeals once Moaning went on an indefinite hiatus, dedicating his time to the art of animation instead. He soon found himself collaborating with the likes of Run the Jewels, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Odd Future, developing their visuals while simultaneously earning himself a necessary respite from the broader music scene. Still a musician at heart, though, Solomon’s inevitable return to songwriting brought with it a fresh and boundless perspective—he was free from the heavy shackles of major label expectations and confident in creating songs just for himself. Solomon recalled this moment, saying, “That’s when it clicked, and I started making this kind of music where I didn’t give a shit what anyone thinks.”
While “Car Crash” is officially out today, Solomon posted an early version of the song three months ago that highlighted both his hand-drawn animations and subtle acoustic fingerpicking. Compared to the DIY clip, the formal debut for “Car Crash” is delicately embedded with harmonies by Sub Pop vet Shannon Lay, as well as muted live percussion sounds courtesy of producer Jarvis Taveniere (Whitney, Purple Mountains, Waxahatchee). Lay was the jolt of confidence Solomon needed to fully commit himself to his solo work, with Solomon celebrating their friendship in a recent press statement, saying that she “sings backup on the chorus and plays guitar. She was my roommate, our cats are siblings, and we have an unhealthy obsession with the Simpsons. She’s the first person I felt comfortable sharing my music with. I sent her my demos and she told me she had to pull off to the side of the road to cry while listening. Her reaction was what motivated me to finally start recording these songs and I immediately knew she had to sing them with me.”