About Seánie
Seánie Bermingham is a Dublin-based folk artist, whose expressive lyrics and intricate musical arrangements cultivate unique soundscapes which speak to feelings of heartbreak, anxiety, and acceptance. With influences ranging from Sufjan Stevens to Adrianne Lenker, Seánie’s songwriting and performances are marked by an intimate sincerity which can be felt in the most elaborate swells and the sparsest whispers. This range of emotion is given its fullest expression as a live performance, with the show being described as being equal parts confessional, upbeat, moving, and tender.
Seánie will be releasing his debut album this year.
Seánie started songwriting and live performing in his early teens, performing with friends at home in Mullinahone and with Tipperary band We Looked Like Giants. Throughout these years, he continued to cultivate his playing technique, resulting in a musician who is able to captivate and draw in the listener on every song with interesting and engaging melodies on guitar, bouzouki, or whatever he happens to have to hand.
Seánie has been writing songs for the last 13 years and when talking of his influences, he says: “I was heavily influenced by the work of Sufjan Stevens and Fionn Regan, but none more so than Justin Vernon. His self titled second Bon Iver album opened the door to an entire new world of music for me. It completely changed my relationship with music and what the guitar was. I fell into a rabbit hole of alternate guitar tunings and have never looked back. The guitar for me is an ever changing instrument as I go through phases of various tunings, each one bringing with it an entirely different sound. The tuning dictates the type of song that is written, so I feel that if my songwriting becomes too one-dimensional, I move to a different tuning and enter an entirely new world of songwriting.” The Tipperary singer-songwriter spent his early years surrounded by great music which helped him find his sound and style, speaking about his youth in music Bermingham states: “I was very lucky to have found inspiration at my home-place in Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary. My parents renovated an old cow shed into an intimate concert venue when I was 12 called Crocanoir. Over the years, we have had renowned Irish and international folk artists performing on my doorstep. This total immersion in folk and traditional music from an early age has shaped and moulded my songwriting style. These concerts would always end with a music session in my living room so having the opportunity to play in such an intimate setting with these incredible artists was invaluable to my development as a musician. Their ability to put the outside world on hold and keep the audience in the palm of their hand through song and story is something I aspire to achieve in my songwriting and performing.”