Overview

Hello world! We are The Emotional Support Seans and we’re a band from the beautiful city of Atlanta, Georgia.

Sometimes you meet people, and you just know that person belongs with you somehow. Back in 2019, (Shaun 2) was recovering from an abusive marriage, and working as a karaoke host, when we met at pub karaoke, and we knew…so when (Sean 1) started coming to (Shaun 2)’s hosting gig, (Shaun 2) broke a cardinal rule, and started harmonising from the booth…unbeknownst to (Shaun 2), (Sean 1) had retired from music following the housing crash, and had a strict rule about not singing with others…By the end of 2019, we had pulled (Sean 1) out of retirement, and were rehearsing for live gigs doing covers, and some of (Sean 1)’s originals. 

Friday, March 13th, 2020: our first live gig booked as The Emotional Support Seans…by the end of the gig, the world was shutting down. Every time we started to book again, another wave would hit…and it went on like that…Covid, venue closures, etc…seemed like every time we’d started to get traction, something new came along…but it meant we really learned to capitalise on our connection creatively…had intimately understood each other, and our process.

So in early summer 2024, (Sean 1) was experiencing a “minor” health issue that required a little time off from ESS duties, and (Shaun 2) was starting a new Phoenix phase — you know, when you're suddenly sitting in the ashes, and you’re choice is roll over & die, or rise up for one more round? 

Driving (Shaun 2) home one night, we were discussing depression — its nature and management, the philosophy and ethics of it…themes of lightness and darkness, and the people and things that help guide us through — like ya do. Once home, (Shaun 2) grabbed a mechanical pencil, and a decade old, mostly pristine graph journal (the true neurospicy ones know), and started scribbling out “One fragile light, soft flickering glow…” One tentative 4am voice memo, and an afternoon of (Sean 1) playing FAFO, and we had our first song start.

We believe that art saves lives…it’s certainly saved ours time and again. Over the next 18 months, we “finished” 23.5 songs about the human experience, being “different,” and healing…and started fighting the booking system here to get them heard. What we heard back from audiences was that our songs were connecting with people where they were, making them feel seen/known…giving them hope — (Shaun 2) started referring to them as “Songs that don’t suck, for people in a world that does,” — which meant, as the Emotional Support Seans, we needed to keep going…get our music out to more hurting people.

Fall 2025 (Sean 1) impulsively responded to an ad on IG from Plaid Dog, where we could get pro-recordings to disseminate, work with world-class studio musicians, and they were going to walk our broke, introvert selves through crowdfunding?!…seemed too good to be true, but…and then we met Ryan, and knew we were in the right hands. 

We have so much gratitude for the people that pre-pledged, and made pre-campaign contributions, so we can be here recording our first studio single, “Kintsugi” aka “The Anime Song!” From first pre-production — hearing the instrumentation add layers of ecstasy, one by one, until this song about the beauty of repair & healing came into joyous form, ‘til we can feel its celebration pulsing through every note — we have been impatient to share it with you!…and now you can hear it free on this campaign page! 

“Kintsugi” cost have been covered by our lovely pre-campaign donors, but the costs of this quality of recording & musicians add up quickly. Contributing now, during this crowdfunding campaign, will enable us to record the rest of this EP…help us get more healing art into the world.

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating our first ever, professionally produced studio album.

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

We’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 “Kintsugi,” and you can check it out below!

While we’ve been able to fund the recording process for Kintsugi on our own, creating an album of this quality means studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign gives us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will help cover the following costs of our project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. We begin crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the album. We 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 where the songs become what you’ll hear on the album. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances from every member of the band.

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

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

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I'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 put into words just how much this project means to me. 

Music has the power to heal, to connect, and to express emotions in ways that words alone can’t. For the first time in my life, I feel ready to share my music with the world—not just as something personal, but as something that can be part of a bigger story, a shared experience with my community.

Music has always been a collective journey for me. From my earliest performances in choir and musical theater to the incredible musicians I’ve collaborated with, every step has been shaped by the people around me. My family exposed me to so many different styles of music, and my time performing in Hawaii taught me how music can bring people together in the most unexpected ways. Now, I’m stepping into a new chapter—one where I hope to not only share my music but also find new collaborators and create something meaningful together.

While I’ve never recorded a project of this scale before, my whole life has been about bringing creative visions to life—whether in the kitchen as a chef, on stage as a performer, or through the connections I’ve built along the way. I’ve poured everything into this, practicing, refining, and pushing myself to grow. With your support, I can take this next step and create something beautiful—something that we’ve built together.

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 this page with them.

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