Overview

Hello world! My name is Sean Martin, and I'm a singer-songwriter here in the beautiful city of Denver, CO.

I’ve performed in local choirs in my hometown of Fort Bragg, CA since age 4 and writing my own music since I was 12. In 2009 I dedicated my GI Bill to pay for Musician’s Institute, where I studied Guitar Performance, Music Business, Audio Engineering, songwriting, and so much more to learn all I could of the music industry and where my place in it could be. Soon after, I played live all around the country, gotten radio plays in 13 countries, a Pure M Magazine (Ireland) nomination for Best International Artist in 2014, nominated for an Independent Music Award (USA) in 2016, and have released 2 EP’s,  and one (Antiquate Hate) with George ‘G1’ Archie (Death Row records, Capitol, Arista). I also made one self titled EP entirely on my own where I recorded, co-mixed, and mastered everything over the course of two and a half years. 

When I dedicated my life to music over war in 2009, I knew that what I had to give back to the world was more than just songs. They were derived from the pain, heartache, community, sense of belonging, and hard truths that helped me survive a war zone as an Airborne Infantryman in Iraq at only 20 years old. The songs were describing my process of reintegration into our society. In 2012, the first ep of the Quarantined debuted. Only 1% of the US population personally knew what I was going through, and even fewer of that small percentage were asking for help. I was alone in LA, a city of 7 million people. 

But combined with the determination to never give up on my dreams and the hard work ethic that is demanded of being an eternal student of music and life, I knew that my unique place was to create music and content that never shied away from the dirty, ugly parts of our existence -- to never fear the impossible and the unknown, as that is where innovation waits to be discovered by the motivated.

And that is why I wrote a song, tailored to be on rock and pop radio, about the recent crisis of social media’s effect on humanity- the dystopia brought by putting profits over lives. The material is ready, the musicians are waiting--this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my fourth professionally produced studio album.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded album with Mike Davidson, a Boston-based producer and engineer working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Mike and I are digging into my original material, writing arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life.

I’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Instagram Hell,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Instagram Hell" on my own, to create an album of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Mike and I will start crafting the arrangements for each of the songs that will go on the album. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music. It’s where the songs become what you'll hear on this album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every musician.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture, and color that make up a track. As a final step, the album will be mastered from beginning to end so the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

We are so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, we’ve put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

It's hard to express how much this project would change my life.

Music has an incredible way of altering our ideas, conceptions, and feelings about anything in this world. Music, “the Great Universal Communicator”, can bring us together, tear us apart, or help us know more about what we as a collective of individuals are feeling through commiseration. All of these things can be leveraged against you if you are so bold as to scrutinize an established order with an art medium.

However, one can not kill an idea that works. Whereas once I was alone, now I have an international community dying for the wisdom I learned over the last 15 years but drowning in the information age of today. I intend to share my music and ideas with them, and with everyone who will listen because the music starts a conversation that grows people into the best version of themselves. That is the love that I can share- the self care and healing I never knew I had until it was almost too late- the secret to a sustainable community which we all crave as a species, and not just a tribe to adhere to.

Music creation is like any good team sport- all the individual practice only gets you so far until you have a team around you to overcome the real adversity faced when the other team wants to win more than you do. I’ve studied with some of the best Hollywood had to offer and learned the hard way from some of the worst Hollywood had to offer. I’ve met incredible people that have become friends, mentors, colleagues, educators, band members, and been in a unique collegiate environment that not many who try can finish. And when they do graduate, even fewer are able to find their voice and niche in this volatile industry to make an impact on society at large.

My friends: we have a unique chance, in a unique time, with unique sets of skills and knowledge, to foster the rise of music that is not deliberately superficial in order to distract, but purposefully deep from the start and made to be engaged. Not a light toss, but a 110mph heater right down the plate that challenges the best hitters to think differently about everything they thought they knew; that can grab the attention of people immediately, and open up a new world of opportunity that I can take you with me on, all in the form of a recorded 2 minutes and 40 seconds. And, you can enjoy yourself while all that goes down.

I’ve faced the worst of humanity in war, stared into the abyss of my own demise and felt it stare into me. I faced my fears of failure and success, and got my priorities focused on helping the greater good through my actions, words, and intention. And most importantly, above all else, first to thyself be true. 

Friends have told me in just the last year alone: 

“Your band name is perfect for these times.” 

“If you can’t make it in this industry with such an impressive background and knowledge base, no one can.” 

“You gotta capitalize on that name, bro.” 

“The world needs to hear this more than ever.” 

“I wish music like yours WAS the mainstream.” 

“I can’t wait till you’re famous, don't forget me!”

Before the pandemic, most could barely spell the band name- let alone know the definition through experience or what I meant by the name. Soon, everyone on Earth had personal dire experiences with those words, the Quarantined, whereas before it was a description of this lonely, odd status of my relationship to the rest of the world.
 Finally, we could see each other.

And now, more than ever, you can have a say in what becomes mainstream, and contribute to the beginning of a true odyssey. Mike, the Plaid Dog team, and I are ready to bring the new music of our times- that which has a purpose beyond ego-driven superficiality, and can be honest, musically engaging, and universally understood, and never too shy to be critical when it’s necessary. 

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share with page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.