Interviewed by Karla Ash
Unlike most of his peers, New York-based R&B rising star
EJ Sebian isn't about glamour or the latest video vixen. Rather,
he is a man with a social conscience. Even his album cover will
remind you of Marvin Gaye's grand statement What's Going On.
If you think that pop music has lost its depth, Sebian will help
you change your mind. Never heard of him? You will soon.
Karla Ash: You once had a band called Cult of Soul. Talk
about how you became involved with that and the artistic growth
you experienced after the group split up.
Cult of soul was originally an acoustic group (guitars &
vocals) that my good friend and talented musician Rohan Sukhdeo
(http://www.rohanmusic.com)
and I started while he was attending Rutgers University in New
Jersey. We had a pretty cool thing going and a university campus
is a great place to be seen. Once we started getting a small
following we figured it was time to record some tracks and see
if anyone would be interested in hearing us (besides our families).
After putting together a demo we got interest pretty quickly.
We were offered a record deal with a small independent label.
Initially it seemed like a great opportunity but after speaking
with the producers we realized that they wanted to write our
songs for us. This was not so great. We didn't want to become
clones of whoever was the hottest thing out at the time and not
be able to say what we wanted to say. So we passed it up. We
questioned ourselves for a minute but then pressed on and landed
a deal with the artist/producer team Blaze. While they were mainly
dance, [they] really wanted to branch out and believed in us
enough to give us a shot. Though we put together a great band
for the CD and subsequent shows, it was hard to make everything
move as quickly as we would have liked. You see we were a cross
between so many different artists and styles, mainstream American
music wasn't able to place us in one particular category. We
were a tough fit. We went on for a bit gaining recognition locally,
but not enough to make everyone want to continue giving the 110%
needed to truly make it as a band. Besides, there was law school,
grad school, pending tours, and marriages to also contend with.
So with that we called it a day. Though I tried to continue on
my own, it was a tough sell without the original band. I probably
would have kept pushing the band's material if it weren't for
a really tough romantic breakup forced me to refocus my energy.
The breakup that I was going through was so immobilizing that
I couldn't think about music for a long time. I guess I blamed
my failed relationship on all of the time that I had spent trying
to make the music fly. But eventually I really needed to get
these feelings out the best way that I knew how. Writing on my
own gave me a sense of freedom as well as strength and while
working with the band was an amazing experience, having to come
to an artistic agreement with four to seven other members can
be tough.
Ash: What drove you to music?
Sebian: Music has always been a part of me. There was always
music on where I grew up. I was exposed to so many different
styles. I came from a pretty diverse environment so it wasn't
strange for me to go from hearing Elton John to the Isley Brothers
to the Police to Nina Simone all in an hour.
Ash: What kind of messages do you want to convey through
your songs?
Sebian: Sincerity in our commonality. That's the most important
thing. Letting listeners feel that we have more similarities
than differences. That an experience someone is feeling is not
something that they experience alone. Everything that I write
about can be communicated to and hopefully appreciated by everyone.
Not just a specific group.
Ash: What are the inspirations of the album?
Sebian: I think that the inspiration for the album was the
growth that I experienced through a relationship lasting four
years to its very difficult ending and everything that happened
in between. This was very cathartic work or me.
Ash: What do you feel is missing from pop music today and
how do you fill that void?
Sebian: Variety. So much of today's pop music is a formulaic
duplication of whoever is making the best sales. I know that
pop is suppose to appeal to the masses but I think that record
companies insult the intelligence of listeners by assuming that
they want to be fed the same crap from a different bowl. I don't
profess to be the next answer to all requests for good music,
but I do think that I might make you think a little more than
most of what's being played on the radio today.
Ash: What can people expect from seeing you in live performance?
Sebian: Great musicianship. Excellent vocals. And emotion.
I think people will love it.
Album Review:
EJ Sebian - 'Ontogeny'
Reviewed by Karla Ash
The debut album from EJ Sebian could've easily been called
Portrait of a Young Man instead. Ever since Marvin Gaye passed
away more than two decades ago, we really haven't seen a socially
conscious soul album. In fact, the genre seems to have lost its
mainstream potency over the years, overshadowed by R&B and
hip-hop. You could hear traces of both in Sebian's sound; the
songs have funky beats here and there and the production is as
polished as any R. Kelly record. The difference is in Sebian's
lyrics, which are never shallow; in fact, they're smart and brutally
frank.
There's too much superficial garbage on urban stations lately,
and every year seems to drop another pile of forgettable X-rated
thugs. Sebian's music, while equipped with the latest recording
techniques, is reminiscent of the LPs that Motown used to put
out. The Gaye comparison is inevitable, but Sebian has similarities
with Smokey Robinson as well. Like Robinson, Sebian can sing
words that carry political weight with hook-driven vocal harmonies.
You'll find yourself singing along to "SOS (Same Old Song),"
not realizing how depressing the lyrics are. That's the sign
of a good musician, one that can make you tap your feet while
subconsciously feeding your head.
Visit the website at: http://www.ejsebian.com
