Sean Patrick Doherty
New York City, New York, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
On Many Things, Sean Doherty gives us six songs that deal with his personal issues of disappointment, frustration and love. Doherty is a singer-songwriter-guitarist who plays acoustic based rock and pop. Backed by a full band that really fleshes out his material, the overall results of Many Things are good, if not at times cryptic. An example is the opening track, Jimmy Lovell. He sings "Do you think I could be just like Jack Swigert, flipping a switch at the wrong time? Or maybe it's all about parachutes and Elvis Presley." Huh? Even after an explanation of what the song is about, I'm still not sure about those lines. That aside, in the song Doherty equates the almost moonwalk of Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell to his uncompleted stint at the United States Naval Academy. He wrote the song in frustration after being kicked out of the Academy and uses the Armstrong connection for, as he recounts on soundclick.com/Sean Doherty "… of coming so close to something, then not making it, kind of like Jim Lovell on Apollo 13. He was so close to walking on the moon and then got gypped by a faulty wire. I can relate to Jim Lovell". It's a song of shattered dreams and expectations, as well as dealing with the little cruelties in life that you have no control over. Its space references may be a little obscure to some, but I read it as, you can't always get what you want, so make the best of what you have. Dream World is... "About a girl who went to my school. She was an amazing girl, but she made stupid choices, and the song is about how we became distant from each other, due to her drug use." It reminded me a little of R.E.M. Its melancholy pop sound is reminiscent of some of the current work of that band. On the heavier front there's the studio version of Don't Ask Why, a grungy sounding tune that gets its momentum from drummer Noel White. The heavy-handed style that he employs on this track perfectly complements the droning guitar and sullen quality of Doherty's vocals. The studio version of Blue is a nice piece of pop. It has a breezy style and a melodic hook in the chorus that makes it one of the more memorable cuts on the album. There are actually eight cuts on the disc; two are repeated as live tracks. Blue and Don't Ask Why were recorded from a radio broadcast and present different takes on those songs.
Produced by Noel White, the studio recordings have a warm tone that works well with both the acoustic-based material and the harder songs. There's a spatial quality to the recording that gives it a nice full sound. The radio material sounds compressed, but considering the source, it's not bad.
I thoroughly enjoyed Many Things from Sean Doherty. Its mostly upbeat sound is an easy listen. Influenced by people like Guster, Matt Nathanson, Dave Mathews and Ryan Adams, he draws from those artists, rather than imitating them. Doherty offers a glimpse of those roots, while maintaining his own identity. It's a combination that works well.
-Michael Macey
- Chesapeake Music Guide
On Many Things, Sean Doherty gives us six songs that deal with his personal issues of disappointment, frustration and love. Doherty is a singer-songwriter-guitarist who plays acoustic based rock and pop. Backed by a full band that really fleshes out his material, the overall results of Many Things are good, if not at times cryptic. An example is the opening track, Jimmy Lovell. He sings "Do you think I could be just like Jack Swigert, flipping a switch at the wrong time? Or maybe it's all about parachutes and Elvis Presley." Huh? Even after an explanation of what the song is about, I'm still not sure about those lines. That aside, in the song Doherty equates the almost moonwalk of Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell to his uncompleted stint at the United States Naval Academy. He wrote the song in frustration after being kicked out of the Academy and uses the Armstrong connection for, as he recounts on soundclick.com/Sean Doherty "… of coming so close to something, then not making it, kind of like Jim Lovell on Apollo 13. He was so close to walking on the moon and then got gypped by a faulty wire. I can relate to Jim Lovell". It's a song of shattered dreams and expectations, as well as dealing with the little cruelties in life that you have no control over. Its space references may be a little obscure to some, but I read it as, you can't always get what you want, so make the best of what you have. Dream World is... "About a girl who went to my school. She was an amazing girl, but she made stupid choices, and the song is about how we became distant from each other, due to her drug use." It reminded me a little of R.E.M. Its melancholy pop sound is reminiscent of some of the current work of that band. On the heavier front there's the studio version of Don't Ask Why, a grungy sounding tune that gets its momentum from drummer Noel White. The heavy-handed style that he employs on this track perfectly complements the droning guitar and sullen quality of Doherty's vocals. The studio version of Blue is a nice piece of pop. It has a breezy style and a melodic hook in the chorus that makes it one of the more memorable cuts on the album. There are actually eight cuts on the disc; two are repeated as live tracks. Blue and Don't Ask Why were recorded from a radio broadcast and present different takes on those songs.
Produced by Noel White, the studio recordings have a warm tone that works well with both the acoustic-based material and the harder songs. There's a spatial quality to the recording that gives it a nice full sound. The radio material sounds compressed, but considering the source, it's not bad.
I thoroughly enjoyed Many Things from Sean Doherty. Its mostly upbeat sound is an easy listen. Influenced by people like Guster, Matt Nathanson, Dave Mathews and Ryan Adams, he draws from those artists, rather than imitating them. Doherty offers a glimpse of those roots, while maintaining his own identity. It's a combination that works well.
-Michael Macey
- Chesapeake Music Guide
"Give Sean a couple of years and he'll surprise you. This kid is going places."
-Pete Yorn
"Fantastic Tunes."
-Damian Einstein DJ 103.1 WRNR
"He speaks from his experiences, which is pretty crazy considering he's 22. Awesome energy."
- Terry Clark of Carbon Leaf - Quotes
"Give Sean a couple of years and he'll surprise you. This kid is going places."
-Pete Yorn
"Fantastic Tunes."
-Damian Einstein DJ 103.1 WRNR
"He speaks from his experiences, which is pretty crazy considering he's 22. Awesome energy."
- Terry Clark of Carbon Leaf - Quotes
Discography
LPs
Shamrocker (December 2006)
Many Things (December 2005)
EPs
Band in a Box (May 2002) with Red Cabbage
Acoustic Moon (July 2001) with Red Cabbage
Radio Play:
103.1 WRNR Annapolis MD
MIX 106.5 Baltimore MD
103.7 The Revolution Chambersburg PA
SIRIUS Coffeehouse Station
National Distribution:
CD Baby
Best Buy
Itunes
Real Rhapsody
MSNmusic
Photos
Bio
Walking out onto a dimly lit stage, Sean Doherty stands alone. Picking up his guitar he turns to the audience and says, “Hi guys, I’m Sean, I’m from Maryland, and I’ve never heard of me either.” This is how the 28 year old Doherty starts all of his performances and it seems to be catching on. Unique songs that tell his life story capture the audience’s attention for the hour long set. A natural story teller; Sean shares his travels, failures, triumphs, and investigations into the human experience. By the end of the night, the crowd at Denver’s Ogden Theatre has not only been introduced to new music, they have also met a new friend, and that has been Doherty’s goal all along.
Growing up in Annapolis Maryland exposed the young Doherty to a variety of different music styles that would later influence his own compositions. The shores of the Severn River serve as home to many of Doherty’s tunes, both during his time as a child and later as a midshipman at the US Naval Academy.
You wouldn’t know it upon seeing him in Birkenstocks, jeans, and a t-shirt, but Sean attended the Academy for three years. Leaving Annapolis for the University of Maryland, Sean worked hard to develop his craft and branch out into the college market. Many weekends were spent driving up and down the east coast playing colleges and coffee shops, which eventually led to opening gigs with Howie Day, Carbon Leaf, and Bens Bones.
2005 presented Sean with the opportunity to record for the first time on a professional level. That winter Many Things was recorded at Mill Creek Studio in Annapolis, Maryland. Under the watchful eye of producer Noel White (Dashboard Confessional, Art Garfunkle, Herbie Hancock), Sean was able to introduce himself to the world market with songs like Jimmy Lovell, Many Things, and Blue. The album also included two live radio tracks that gave the listener a better idea of Doherty’s performance style. Many Things was a catalyst that launched Sean into larger venues, and bigger crowds.
2006 saw the release of Shamrocker a collection of B sides and unreleased acoustic versions of several of Doherty's songs. The album lacked the polish of Many Things and that was the original intention. Most of the songs were one off live takes that were never intended to be released, but upon the urging of friends and fans Shamrocker came into being.
2007 found Doherty back on the road touring the east coast. In February Sean had the pleasure of being stuck on the runway in a plane for 6 hours while attempting to get to Portland Maine to play a show at Bates College. Sadly the plane never left the ground, but Sean did make CNN News as a disgruntled Jetblue Passenger.
In May of 2007 Sean relocated to Denver Colorado where he began work on a new material. Colorado presented Sean with a new challenge. No one west of the Mississippi had ever heard Fat Guy In a Little Coat, let alone heard of Sean Doherty. Always the optimist, Sean dove head first into the local music scene, opening for Pete Yorn, and appearing at several venues throughout the Denver/Boulder area.
August 2008 saw Doherty headed to the suburbs of Philadelphia's Main Line. Never happy with staying in one place for too long, Sean enjoyed being bakc to his familiar roots, playing the colleges and coffeehouses of the east coast.
In May 2010 Sean moved to a loft in an old corset factory in Bridgeport CT. Living in such a large space provded amazing acoutics for writing songs.
Currently Sean lives in New York City's East Village, where he is working on material for a new album. More word to follow on the recording process and expected release date.
Walking onstage at the World Café in Philadelphia Doherty says, “Hi guys, I’m Sean, I’m from Maryland, and I’ve never heard of me either.” Members of the audience shout song requests and Doherty smiles. Apparently the word is out.
Notable Performance Venues
Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA)
Bates College (Lewiston, ME)
Gettysburg College (Gettysburg PA)
Lafayette College (Easton PA)
United States Naval Academy (Annapolis MD)
Tufts University (Boston MA)
Princeton University (Princeton NJ)
University Of Maryland (College Park MD)
United States Military Academy (West Point NY)
Anne Arundel Community College (Arnold MD)
University of Denver (Denver CO)
Penn State University (State College PA)
The Mercersburg Academy (Mercersburg PA)
First Night Annapolis (Annapolis MD)
College Perk Coffee House (College Park MD)
Cafe Gurus (Annapolis MD)
Begley's College Hill Tavern (Easton PA)
49 West (Annapolis MD)
Castlebay Irish Pub (Annapolis MD)
Kelly's (Nags Head NC)
The Sheraton (Minneapolis MN)
The Toad Tavern (Littleton, CO)
The Ogden Theater (Denver, CO)
Martini Ranch (Denver, CO)
Rock N Soul Cafe (Boulder, CO)
Milkboy Coffee (Ardmore, PA)
Milkboy Coffee (Bryn Mawr, PA)
Fergie's Pub (Philadelphia, PA)
World Café (Philadelphia, PA)
High Street Grill (Mount Holly, NJ)
Aco
Links
