We were lucky to catch up with Seppo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Seppo, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Last year I found an old Gretsch guitar from the 1950s on Craigslist and was drawn to it. It was in poor condition. The body was in decent shape, but the neck was hanging on for dear life by some cracked glue that a luthier had applied some decades ago. If you tuned the guitar up to concert pitch, the tension from the strings would have snapped the neck right off, but it was able to support light strings tuned down a few notches. This made it sound like an empty shoebox with rubber bands tied around it (like the “guitars” you might make in a third grade arts and crafts class).

Anyway, I purchased the guitar at a massive discount due to the necessary repair work. I hired a proper luthier who specializes in archtop guitars from that era, and paid the man handsomely to restore it. After about 4 weeks he delivered to me an instrument of pure magic that would change the course of my music composition for the next year.

My whole career I’d been playing what comes naturally to me, upbeat funk. I always leaned into my strong sense of rhythm and I used as a crutch to avoid writing deep lyrics, strong melodies, and rich harmonies. But this Gretsch guitar is not a funk instrument. It begs to player to venture into their attic, dust off some old photographs from a sealed cardboard box and tell the story of their life. And that’s what I’ve started to do.

All of that said, “Two Songs” is probably the most meaningful work I’ve done. It’s a short EP I wrote and recorded over the past few months with that dusty old guitar. The recordings are about forgiveness… giving grace to the world around you, and forgiveness to yourself. It’s a trip into the attic. There are still some boxes up there I don’t feel like opening. But this is a start. I’m just scratching the surface of the music I was always meant to write, and I’m grateful to be on that path.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I guess you could call me a producer & recording artist. Each project is different, but typically clients will come to me with a song idea they want to bring to life. We’ll discuss the vibe they’re trying to achieve (i.e. “make it sound like we’re in a Tarantino movie”) and we’ll talk instrumentation. I’m very hands on with the actual tracking and music creation. I’ll record many of the instruments myself and try and paint the picture my client is looking for.

My background really helps with that process. I lived in New York City for about 15 years and produced music for television and advertising—you know, like jingles and background queues. I built a business called 2 Cent Bridge Music with a friend of mine, and we scored placements in a ton of reality TV shows, news and sports programs. I was simultaneously touring and recording with Black Taxi, an indie rock band under the No Shame record label. I eventually released my first solo album, too, under the name Seppo. The point is, I’ve been around this stuff for a long time so I have a grasp of what artists are going for (and going through). I’ve been in their shoes.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I learned a lot about the industry, and the craft of recording and writing music during my time in New York. But to be honest, it led to some serious burnout. I took some years off from making music, almost completely. And during that hiatus, the Covid pandemic happened. I moved out of New York in 2020, as did many of my friends and collaborators. As people moved away from that centralized creative space, many of us started to feel an emptiness. It wasn’t just moving away that caused it, it was also the isolation of the pandemic, the social and political tension all around us, and personal factors. There is a real loneliness crisis in America. I feel it, and I know others do too.

This leads me to my mission. I want to create connection. I don’t know if I can contribute much, but whatever connection I can provide by collaborating with other artists and friends— I will provide it. Making a gold record is not the mission. It’s just being in a room with others, making something together, and being in touch with the mystic.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The former version of myself was pretty rigid about the concept of being a full time artist. If I had to work side jobs, I wasn’t really making it. I have turned 180 degrees on that.

During my music hiatus a few years ago, I pivoted to a tech career. Learning a new skill and being introduced to software engineers who have a wholly different approach to life’s challenges has been invaluable for me. I still work in tech. I still work in music. I still ride a bike. I walk and chew gum at the same time. As I’m saying this, I actually think it’s critical NOT to be a full time artist. Artistic expression is just one facet of the human experience. I would not be whole if I just woke up every day as Seppo the Artist. I’m also the Solutions Engineer, the Cook, the Outdoorsman and I’m better for it.

Contact Info:

• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3fWyakIydPILlN5kQLnkzl
  https://substack.com/@seppo3

Image Credits

Tim Johnston