a quiet chat with sean about melody, nostalgia and the timeless pull of indie pop

‘cool charisma’ by irish artist sean macleod glows with the spirit of classic indie pop – bright, melodic, and effortlessly timeless. with glistening guitars and a steady beat, it carries shades of britpop and sixties warmth, echoing the melodic charm of the beatles and the carefree harmonies of the beach boys.

beneath the shimmer, there’s a quiet confidence – a songwriter fully in tune with the craft of melody and emotion. it’s a track that feels both nostalgic and new, like catching sunlight through vintage glass. so imagine how happy we were when sean agreed to answer a few of our questions about the release.

you’ve mentioned the influence of classic 60s sounds like the beatles and the beach boys – what draws you back to that era creatively, and how do you reinterpret it through a modern lens?

I don’t know to be honest. I don’t intentional go back to the 60s era. Its more so that was the music which really made me connect with music, at least pop music, on a deeper level. I always liked music as a child but when I heard the Beatles at the age of 11 I became kind of obsessed with music, particularly their music, and I wanted to write songs and play music like they did. When I write songs I don’t really want to go back to the 60s I actually try to find other music that I am interested in and want to explore but I think I am very much working in the realm of melody, harmony and rhythm which is what a lot of 60s music is. Some of my music, the less commercial music tries to seek out other musical forms and musical ideas but much of that might not have a very wide audience. I’ll send you some of that music and you can tell me what you think.

‘cool charisma’ feels both nostalgic and fresh – what was the first spark or moment that inspired this song?

Actually, that song was written quite a long time ago and I recorded it a few years ago but I’m releasing it now because very few people have heard it. The original impulse came from a piece of literature I was reading – James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. Joyce used the phrase “Oysterface, Oysterface” and it reminded me of Lewis Carroll’s ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’ poem where the two characters go off in search of oysters to eat them. Carroll was a big influence on John Lennon so I kind of mixed up “I am the Walrus” “Taxman” and  a song I had heard by a band called  Chumbawanba singing “Tubthumping “ (if anyone remembers that). So its kind of Joyce meets the Beatles meets 90s Britpop.

if you could bring one 60s legend into the studio to play on ‘cool charisma,’ who would it be and why?

I don’t like bringing people from the past into the present. I think the people of the past belonged there and its not a good idea to bring them into the future. We need to move on from the past always. Most successful pop artists are just talented people who work hard and get a lucky break. I think today there is a tendency to put normal people on a pedestal and its not good for them or for society. Everyone has the capacity to do what they want- to some extent. That’s certainly what is happening today with more and more people creating their own content and sharing it. However, if the question is more to do with which 60s artists I most respect or most influenced me I think it would be John Lennon from ‘62 to ’67 and Brian Wilson from about the same period.

great choice! you’ve been part of the music scene since your days with cisco – how has your approach to songwriting evolved from then to now?

It’s gotten easier in some ways but in other ways its gotten more difficult because I do everything myself more or less now and also I’m always trying to find new things to explore and that often makes you feel like your starting again. Recently I had been exploring a lot of different tunings and tuning systems and that was like learning a new language. I plan to release some of that music in 2026, so keep a listen out.

your music often carries a philosophical or spiritual layer – how do you balance introspection with creating something immediately melodic and catchy?

I read a lot of philosophy and poetry and I am very interested in religion and spiritual development and I study all types of music so I just try and make these things work. Like ‘Cool Charisma’ I tend to mix a lot of stuff together and I think I’m good at knowing what works. That’s probably the best talent I have. I know if something sounds right and if it doesn’t I throw it away or I keep working on it until I get it right or at least close to as good as I can get it. Sometimes it feels a little forced but most of the time it feels like it works.

as someone who’s produced multiple solo albums, what does creative freedom mean to you at this point in your career? 

I don’t have any one to answer to because I release all my own music. In the past, when I was with my band Cisco, we had to had over our music to a producer and while they would do a great job the final product was not always what we sounded like. It sounded good, as in polished but not necessarily what we would sound like before the producer got involved but that’s part of the collaborative process. If I use other musicians, sometimes now I use a drummer when I record the songs and they often have their own way of drumming and it isn’t always exactly what I would do if I was drumming on it. Sometimes it’s better sometimes maybe not exactly what I want but in those situations I need to compromise but generally I don’t need to compromise I just do what I want but sometimes I don’t have any ideas and I have to either get someone else or just leave it until I do have an idea. I usually leave the song until I have a solid idea. Luckily, inspiration usually strikes.

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huge thanks to sean for sharing, check out the latest release here.

https://seantmacleod.bandcamp.com/music