Keeping things on a local tip, I’d like to introduce you to Sean Allen Fenn, the poet laureate of Williamsburg. His band, The Eidolons, have regaled us with their bittersweet tunes and earnest lyrics over the last couple of years. Coming off a brief hiatus, the band is back with a brand new edition and I had a few words with Sean about the band, his solo work and of course, the Digital Heroine empire!
BS - Introduce yourself to your audience, Mr. Fenn
SAF -My name is Sean Allen Fenn. I am an artist who wants to make this world a better place.
BS – As a fellow denizen of the ‘Burg, what is it about the place that attracts so many artists and musicians?
SAF -From my perception, it was around the turn of the millennium that this place started to become a mecca for musicians and artists. I heard about it because of the electroclash fad. Larry Tee was here developing that scene. I was living in San Francisco at the time. I became friends with Peaches’ manager which sort of made me more aware of that scene. I later became a huge fan of LCD Soundsystem and DFA. When I found out that James Murphy lives here, I decided to move here in 2005. So for me, I was attracted to this place because it is on the musical map that I cared about. Even today, I love being able to see a great band play any night and even to bump into James Murphy on the corner of my block.
BS – Who are your musical influences? If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?
SAF – One person I have already mentioned. Another person actually helped me record the Eidolons’ first demo. His name is Danny Taylor and he has this amazing band named ZAZA. I would love to work with him again. He really “gets it”. As for actual influences, it is Leonard Cohen, Michael Gira, and a myriad of others including the usual post-punk bands including Joy Division and Bauhaus.
BS – You recently released a charity single. Spill the beans!
SAF -I released “God Damn The Sun” this past January. I admit the sound is influenced by Leonard Cohen with the backing female vocals. At the end of the song it turns into the chorus of “Walkin’ With Jesus” by Spacemen 3. It’s available on
www.DGTLHRNE.com as a download. All of the proceeds go to fight cancer. So far we have raised $40 which is a lot for one song download from one truly independent artist from Williamsburg Brooklyn. I would like to reach the goal of $1000 by next January. That will be a miracle, but I believe in miracles.
How the idea came about is this: last Summer I faced the reality that I could die of melanoma. One morning I woke up and my girlfriends’ kitten was pawing at this ominous mole on my right shoulder. I went to my dermatologist right away and sure enough, it was about to kill me. I am fine, thank God, but it made me question what I was doing with my life even more than I already brood over that question. So I recorded this song just to have a springboard to launch myself into the world of philanthropy.
BS – What is Digital Heroine?
SAF -It is a music label. More than that, it is my largest art-piece to date. I have created a brand, DGTLHRNE, in which my designs can be made physical. The best artists understand what I am doing. It is my Campbell’s Soup Can.
SAF -Digital Heroine Inc. is my company. On the internets the main site is
www.dgtlhrne.com and the blog is at
digitalheroine.blogspot.com . On a tangible level, it is a D2F (direct-to-fan) company. We create unique apparel with music downloads attached that will be customized by the fan. The next release I am working on is by an electronic musician known as Nite Club. My friend Mike Dextro did this phenomenal remix of a Nite Club song,
Code Of The Streets. I’m wrapping up the artwork. The mp3 is free, but the release as a whole will be a canvas tote bag. I want to press up a vinyl to go in the bag. When you buy this release, you will see a download card on the bag so you can share the file (if you have not already). It is designed so that we can take the elements of my art design and make customized editions with a mobile silkscreen at a live show.
BS – After a brief hiatus, the Eidolons are back! What can we expect at the Delancey show Friday?
SAF -You can expect us to play our songs with all our heart. Not that many people even know The Eidolons, but for those who do it will be completely different. We sound more post-punk and darker. There will be no laptop on stage. It will be raw, experimental, and full of surprises.
BS – Who are your fave local bands currently?
SAF -Actually, a few of them are playing at the next couple of parties put on by Digital Heroine: Heroine Chic. May 18 we have a band named Ribbons with Infernal Devices and The Eidolons. June 22 we have Autodrone with The Mystic Underground and The Eidolons. Mike Dextro is DJing with the drummer of The Eidolons, Joe Livingston who goes by the DJ name “Starrhouse”. The venue is Rose Live Music, 345 Grand Street in Williamsburg Brooklyn!
I become enamored with a band every day. You can read about them on my blog.
Remember to catch The Eidolons tomorrow night at the Delancey. They deserve your support!
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