Projects
Sorted by most recent.
Sean Atkinson - Morningstar
The follow-up single to my debut release, “Morningstar” is a Nick Drake-inspired folk tune about packing up, and heading out west. This song is my sophomore self-produced effort which adheres to the Americana/Folk genre combined with Chamber Pop. This track features a quartet of cellos as well as layered acoustic guitars and spaced-out vocals. Upon its release, the song was called a tender and engrossing folk track and a success. You can stream or read more about "Morningstar” below:
Spotify / Lyric Video / Soundcloud / Review from Obscure Sound
Note: “Morningstar” was originally released under the moniker Sean James and still appears under this artist name on some sources.
Sean ATKINSON - Comete
My first release under my own name, “Comete” is an acoustic ballad in four movements featuring traditional baroque instrumentation: soprano and alto recorders played by Andrei Oltean, and viola da gamba, a more ancient relative of the cello, played by Dorothy Richter.
The acoustic guitar’s suspended chordal intro comes from the song’s inspiration: an obscure Baroque-era piece written by French lutenist and composer, Jacques Gallot aptly titled “La Comete”. The track received praise on its lush acoustics, chamber pop fervor, ethereal vocals and dreamy production. You can stream or read more about “Comete” below:
Spotify / Lyric Video / Review from Obscure Sound / Review from Hot Lunch Music
Note: “Comete” was originally released under the moniker Sean James and still appears under this artist name on some sources.
King Jane - Live at the Safehouse
In February of 2020, King Jane returned to the world-renowned recording studio, The Power Station to record two new live singles with accompanying live music videos. These two new tracks were recorded and filmed at The Safehouse, an isolated rehearsal studio space connected to the Power Station’s main offices. Both videos feature the original King Jane lineup, with me on lead guitar and backup vocals. The session was engineered and produced by Neal Shaw, shot by John Stallings, and edited by Michael Sanders. You can watch the videos below:
LIttle devil
Angels
_______________
Both videos are available on Youtube, and “Little Devil” is available via Bandcamp here, or anywhere else you stream music.
There, There - Daydreaming
Since moving to New York City in late 2017, I have been a member of There, There: the NYC Radiohead Tribute. We have performed at large venues such as The Bowery Ballroom and Gramercy Theater in Manhattan, World Cafe Life in Philadelphia, and The Queen in Wilmington, Delaware. In the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic, the group had to cancel a few engagements in the books for 2020, and in their place, we decided to recreate Radiohead’s 2016 single “Daydreaming” via virtual means.
I sang lead vocals and played piano and synthesizer. The track was produced by Ben Ross, who also performed the bass and added sound design elements in the intro and outro. The accompanying video was edited and produced by Ben Shin, who performed all the string parts on his electric five-string violin. The performance also features There, There members Colin Mahoney on glockenspiel and Matt Lynch on electric guitar.
You can view the full video via Youtube here.
King Jane - Deep in the Garden
In August 2019, after nearly two years of rehearsals, performances and long hours at the esteemed Power Station Recording Studio in Manhattan, King Jane released its debut four-track EP: Deep in the Garden. This release marked the by far highest quality production I had at that point been a part of. Upon release the album received praise on all four tracks for defying genres, as well as featuring three unique vocalists and songwriting styles.
The album featured songs co-written by all four members of the band, featuring Kenny Florence on guitars, lap steel and vocals, Michael Sanders on bass guitar and vocals, Lex Nordlinger on drums and auxiliary percussion, and myself on guitars, Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ, and grand piano.
While each song was in total a collaborative effort, the songs also marked the individual compositional style and genre-based influence of each initial songwriter. My track, “Sympathetic” was a reimagined song originally intended to be featured on a third, never released Kingboy album.
Deep in the Garden was produced by Neal Shaw, Kenny Florence, Michael Sanders and myself, mastered by Dan Millice featuring original artwork is by Cam Floyd.
You can stream the EP in full on Bandcamp here, on Soundcloud here, or anywhere else you listen to music.
Music For TV
In August of 2018, I became a staff composer for Music for TV, an organization based out of Nashville that works with major networks such as VH1, MTV, and Lifetime to provide music for reality television shows. My works have been featured on major programming in the US as well as in the UK.
Here you can find a portfolio of such instrumental works.
julia atkinson - if i fell
My youngest sister, Julia, is a prolific vocalist who came to me with an idea for a cover reimagining the Beatles’ standard “If I Fell.” The premise was simply to strip away the drums and harmonies and to focus on the lead melody and one accompanying guitar line, while adding atmospheric qualities through double and sometimes triple tracking vocals, layered guitars and artificially produced harmonies based on the original vocal line. The result is a beautiful take on a classic song, which I am very proud to say that I played all the instruments on, and co-produced.
You can stream If I Fell here, via Soundcloud.
Natalie Atkinson - Fangirl
In August of 2017, my sister, singer/songwriter Natalie Atkinson, released her first full length, four track EP called Fangirl. The EP featured three of her compositions and a cover of Cat Stevens’ “The Wind.” I co-produced the album with her, played acoustic and electric guitars, programmed drums and bass, and added synthesizers and other atmospheric additions.
You can stream the album in full through Soundcloud here, and through Spotify here.
Kingboy - Tell Me
In February 2017, I rerecorded and reimagined the second track from my second EP, Coasting. Where the original was based around a “beachy” aesthetic characterized by straightforward electric and acoustic guitars, and a simple drum machine patch, produced in a laid back fashion, this new iteration took a cleaner, sleeker, more “Pop” approach to its production. I teamed up with Loren James, the producer of the Nomaphobes’ tracks from early in my recording career to help engineer the vocals, drum sampling and acoustic guitar recording. “Tell Me” was featured on the Orange County Music League’s 2017 Sampler CD release, distributed throughout Orange County at concerts and festivals.
You can stream “Tell Me” on Soundcloud here, and on Bandcamp here.
KINGBOY - COASTING
In October 2016, I released my follow up EP as Kingboy titled Coasting. This four-track release featured four new songs and was less concerned with maintaining the “lofi” aesthetic and focused more on solidified songwriting and cleaner production. The second track “Tell Me” would later be re-recorded as a single and released the following year. All four tracks are available for free listening via Soundcloud and Youtube below:
Coasting ON
Tell Me (a story)
down again
the feels
____________________
You can stream the full album via Soundcloud here, through Bandcamp here, and through Youtube here.
Kingboy - solo
In August 2016, Frank Ocean released Blonde, an instant, timeless masterwork featuring countless new songs. Each track however presented a unique intricate musical language and took time to fully comprehend each one of these works. I set out to record a cover of one of these new songs as quickly as I could, and the result was my take on “Solo.” Originally an atmospheric Hammond organ and vocal track, I decided to reinterpret it as if it was performed by a rock ensemble.
You can stream my cover of Solo through Soundcloud here and through Youtube here.
KINGBOY - PEACE GHOST
In August of 2016, I released my first solo extended work, under the name Kingboy. This was a three track EP, containing two full-fledged “lofi” tinged songs based on the works of Mac Demarco and Tame Impala simultaneously, and one additional instrumental title track, which was later expanded upon. The second track, “The Future” would later be reimagined and performed by my band King Jane starting in early 2018. These songs are all available for free listening via Soundcloud, below.
EVERY SEVEN SATURDAYS
The Future
Peace Ghost
____________________
You can stream the full album through Soundcloud here, through Bandcamp here and through Youtube here.
NOMAPHOBES - DOCTOR MOON
In January 2016, I recorded my first well-produced single with my band Nomaphobes. This band had existed in multiple iterations since we were in high school, but this was the first and only produced track we ever released. Engineered and mixed by our friend and fellow singer/songwriter Loren James, “Doctor Moon” was tracked live in my garage with myself on electric piano, Dustin Holtz on drums, Eden Loi on synthesizer, Austin Sneller on lead guitar and James DeGraw on bass. The scratch vocals were removed and rerecorded along with additional synthesizer and sound effects, with the original backing track remaining from the live session. Although an entire album of Nomaphobes tracks were written and an additional two singles and a four-track EP had begun to be recorded, “Doctor Moon” is the only track that survives the band’s active years. Co-produced by Loren James and yours truly! Also - can’t believe you are all the way down here at the bottom of this site!
You can stream the “Doctor Moon” here via Soundcloud.