Sean Conrad - The Inner Islands Interview
Based In Oakland, CA, Conrad is an explosive, prolific force of creative freedom and meditation. Helping to fuel the ever glowing church of texture, Inner Islands, Conrad has released many titles over the years under projects such as Channelers, Ashan and his duo project with partner Rosa Beach Mason. In this interview we talk about Conrad’s youth as he grew with influences such as Nirvana, Beck, Moby, Saturday Night Fever - Soundtrack, creating music for the label and what he's been currently working on.
Originally based out of Northern Utah, you guys relocated the label to Oakland, CA, Correct?
My friend Braden conceived of the label out in Utah and then moved out to Portland, OR when the first releases were coming out back in 2010. I met Braden that year right when he got the test pressings for the first release, the “Antelope Island” 7”. I really loved it. I slowly got more involved with the label over the first few years. I was putting out most of my music on Inner Islands and handling the production/manufacturing of most of my projects and I was helping with the website. So, when at the end of 2013 Braden wanted to stop running the label, he passed the torch on to me out in Oakland. I’ve still continued to release his music: fantastic albums as both braeyden jae and softest.
What was your childhood like growing up? I'm curious to know what the Shadow Spell of Antelope Island is!
I’ve been out to Antelope Island on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, which is quite beautiful, but I think Braden would be better fit to explain its significance to the label. I grew up in the hills in Los Angeles near Laurel Canyon. My parents are still together and give a lot of love and support. I went to a private high school on the west side. I’m super fortunate for all of that. The more challenging side of things was that I was pretty isolated – no siblings, no kids in the neighborhood, any cultural establishment was a few miles down a mountain. For a while, starting when I was 10, or so, I wasn’t allowed to watch TV on weekdays and I think that helped get me more in touch with my creativity. I would use this bungee cord attached to a rope to pull down tree branches from pine trees and I would use a pocket knife to whittle them into arrows and things. I also didn’t have great models for expressing, or processing my emotions, so that all got very bottled up, and music would be a way for me to tap into those feelings – both by listening and by making.
When did you first begin to fall in love with music? Do you play any instrument, or participate in any bands yourself? What was it that initially fascinated you about music? Was music relevant around your household growing up?
My dad would play music really loud in the car while we would be driving around and for me hearing certain things at volume was pretty exciting: Queen, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Madonna, Chumbawamba, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are memorable standouts. The energy of the music was just so thrilling and intoxicating. I could just get swept up in these songs and feel emotions that I didn’t normally feel. My dad also plays the piano and that also got me curious and inspired to try playing myself. I took piano lessons for a year when I was 8-9 and played keyboard in a band with my friends. We played a school function or two. Then when I was 10 one of the friends from the first band and another friend wanted to start a different band, but wanted me to play bass instead of keys, so I took that up and stopped taking piano lessons. We played together through 6th grade. I loved rocking out with them and the brotherhood aspect of being in a band. I was also obsessed with hearing what was on the radio. I would have a cassette ready to tape my favorite songs, so that I could hear them anytime (Beck, Moby, Fastball, Smash Mouth, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Blur, Rage Against The Machine, Nirvana, etc.). In addition to all that, my dad had quite a large collection of Windham Hill records and those were often playing in the background. Their Celtic Christmas comps were staples around the holidays. Yes, I still play. I dabble on a bunch of different instruments. I release music as Channelers, Ashan, and under my given name. I play in the duo Skyminds with Michael Henning. I released an album with my partner last year (on Inner Islands) as Rosa Beach Mason & Sean Conrad and we’re currently working on another one.
What would you and your friends do for fun growing up? When and where did you see your first concert and what kind of impact did that leave on you? Who were some of your earliest Influences? What ultimately led to the decision to launch the Inner Island? When was this exactly and what inspired the name?
Growing up, my friends and I would make music, play Magic: The Gather, Dungeons & Dragons, and Warhammer, go for lots of walks, skateboard, get stoned at the park, etc. I think my first concert may have been the Gypsy Kings? I can barely remember it, so I think the impact may have been minimal. I saw some other concerts in high school too, but the shows that first really spoke to me were in the more DIY vein like some of the artists revolving around Not Not Fun circa 2008-10: Pocahaunted, Robedoor, Black Black, and Sun Araw. Totally mind blowing. The first artists that I got really into and did deep dives on their discographies and read biographies and learned how to play their songs were Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and Jimi Hendrix. My cousin and I would jam out on Zeppelin songs for hours with him on drums and me on guitar when we were 15 or so. From what I’ve read, Zeppelin were probably total assholes, but their songs and arrangements are absolutely incredible. The production on those tracks still sounds amazing to me. Jimmy Page turned me on to open tunings. And I really appreciated Neil’s intuition and Jimi’s imagination. Braden would be better suited to talk about the decision to start Inner Islands and the name.
When first deciding to start the label, what was the overall vision and approach? Did this simply start with supporting and standing behind bands and musicians you loved and admired?
Again, Braden could better speak to the initial vision and approach. Throughout the label’s history there’s been an emphasis on organic relationships and I wanted to keep that going when I started running it. I like connecting with artists and trying to get our visions to align and part of that is being able to connect on a personal level. A lot of the artists I work with are friends or friends of friends (both online and irl). I think I’ve only ever worked with two artists who sent cold emails and I was totally unfamiliar with their work, but loved their submissions (Kenji Kihara and Dylan Henner). I would say, in terms of approach, that the label has always leaned towards a certain type of introspective and grounding music. I know that’s vague, but the music probably speaks more clearly than I can on that.
You have released some truly wonderful work from artists such as the great Stag Hare, Softest, Golden Brown and The Channelers. What have been some of your personal favorites to work on and why? What inspires you most about artists such as these?
All of them are fun and exciting in different ways. Willow (Stag Hare) and Braden (softest) are two of my best friends and their music is always illuminating and inspiring. Stag Hare is one of the first DIY artists that I completely lost my mind over. It’s not an understatement to say that hearing Black Medicine Music totally changed my life and my idea of what music could be. I love working with the same artists over long periods of time and watching their work grow. Golden Brown is probably the most recent repeat artist and it’s been a blast working with him over the last couple years and hearing his work change and grow. I’ve gotta say that it’s also very satisfying to release my own music because I can be kind of a control freak, and I really enjoy getting into the nitty gritty of every aspect of a release.
What have you been up to more recently? What is new in the Inner Islands universe for the Spring and Summer? Is there anything else you would like to further share with readers?
I’ve been working on a new Channelers album and a new album with Rosa (both of which will probably be released on Inner Islands) as well as more song-oriented music (which will not be released on Inner Islands). In addition to those there will be an album from Sawyer Gebauer, who is pivoting away from his band Catch Pritchard with an album of his first instrumental music. There will also be a new Golden Brown vinyl LP later this year. It’s already off to the presses! And Michael and I are trying to get a Skyminds release together for the label as well. To the readers out there: do your best to feel your feelings when you can, find joy where you can, and trust your intuition.
