Musical growth
Singer-songwriter S. Carey covers new ground with latest solo album
Sean Carey is driving through South Dakota on his way to the first destination on his tour.
He’s excited to be out on the road again — and he’s bringing some new music.
Carey, known by his stage name, S. Carey, recently released his third solo album, “Hundred Acres.”
The album finds him looking for a way to move forward.
“I spent a lot of time thinking about this album,” he says in a recent phone interview. “I tried to picture the end result before it started. I worked on it for quite a while. It was a long time. I went into the studio with a definite plan and focused on that aspect.”
Carey recorded, mixed and produced “Hundred Acres” at home and in various studios in rural Wisconsin with support from his longtime collaborators Zach Hanson, Ben Lester and Jeremy Boettcher, as well as new contributions from Rob Moose, Casey Foubert and Sophie Payten.
Carey’s always game for experimenting in music.
He’s trained in jazz and uses elements of that in his current music.
Carey is also the drummer for indie folk outfit Bon Iver.
Carey says he works with electronic and folk songs.
“I’m going to try that path for a little bit,” he says. “In the end, I think a good song is a good song. That’s what the goal is. Whatever musical palette is going on, it’s going to be received that way, and the message needs to be put out in a creative way.”
Carey considers himself a harsh critic of his own music.
“I’m tough,” he says. “I think lyrically, I’m always trying to find creative ways to say something, without being too cheesy or too abstract. It’s a meaningful process to me. I also have to have a little bit of mystery, I think. I really wanted to take the time to do things right.”
Carey will be on tour for close to six months of the year.
It is difficult to be away from his family, he says.
“It’s all good and fun,” he says of the situation. “I’m looking forward to this winter, so I can take a break from the road. I’m looking forward to getting back to Santa Fe, because it’s been about five years since I’ve performed there. It’s going to be an amazing tour, and I’m grateful that the music has been so well-received.”