A moment with singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony on the Winston Marshall Podcast recently struck a chord with me. Marshall, formerly a member of Mumford & Sons, gushes about how stunned and pleasantly surprised he was when Anthony (known for his tune “Rich Men North of Richmond”) started reading Bible verses between songs at his Shepherd’s Bush Empire set. It was “countercultural,” says Marshall, and he goes on to relate how he was told to hide his Christian faith in order to succeed in the music business.  The chord it struck with me was an F major, as in F “major fail” — because it just plummeted me into every claustrophobic memory of being told the same basic thing over the years: “Cut the Jesus crap or you’ll never make it in the music business.” Now, I don’t need to be told that there is a fully-fledged multi-billion dollar Christian music industry out there. I know that full well. It is dominated by music that is performed in evangelical churches and sounds a lot like whatever was popular on the radio 6 months before, with occasional bursts of brilliance. In that way, it is like a delayed mirror image of the secular music industry — so much so that one is tempted to think that it is a separate industry. It is and it isn’t. Most of these Christian acts start out in churches on Sunday rather than dive bars and dance clubs. On the other hand, they’re “discovered” by “the music industry” where most new artists are discovered today: social media. The same conglomerates ultimately distribute their music to the same platforms we all listen to, and with few exceptions, their fans are buying concert tickets through the same global entertainment group and going to shows controlled by the same. Which is all to say — how fascinating it is to one such as I that a “Christian music industry” is somehow maintained by, and functions within, “the music industry” as a separate entity, one where “Jesus crap” fuels the motor, so long as it mirrors (and therefore advertises to Christians) what’s happening in the broader “music industry” while keeping the latter insulated from said “Jesus crap” by staying firmly in its own lane. Curious, no?... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to Seán McMahon to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. A subscription gets you:
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Saturday, March 15, 2025
Song and Dance People
Friday, March 14, 2025
SOTW: All Hail
Happy Friday everyone! First off, the big news…my family welcomed our third child and first son, Angus, to the world this week! He came out happy and healthy, and mama is recovering well. Song of the Week: “All Hail”While I was searching my archives for a song to share with you this week (it wasn’t exactly easy to write a tune in the maternity ward!), I found this beautiful gem from 2019. It caught my attention for a few reasons. One, you can hear our eldest daughter as an infant squeaking quite prominently throughout the recording, which of course made me quite sentimental, given how she’s grown up to be such a mature big sister! But sometimes when you find an old tune, it’s like running into an old friend. Parts of yourself that you forgot about return in a rush; feelings and thoughts that used to be regular and habitual remind you that you’ve been elsewhere for quite some time. With this tune, which sits somewhere between hymn and secular song, I was clearly wrestling with some questions about how the story of God’s people unfolds in history; where it started, where it is, where it’s going; all the many solutions attempted and aborted by mankind, always repetitively vain in spite of the best intentions and illusion of novelty; and through all this, God is with us in His grace, making lemonade from lemons. Lyrics & Recording:...Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to Seán McMahon to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. A subscription gets you:
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Friday, March 7, 2025
Small Town Incorporated
Small Town Incorporated has all the threads of my favorite music — folk, outlaw country, electronic, jazz — but tied together tightly in the twine of a straight-ahead Americana rock aesthetic. A bit of wit (Lost Art of Gardening, Win When You’re Wise), a bit of soul (That’s How I Got to Memphis), some Elvis vibes (Everyone’s Gone). Waxes a bit more political at times (Small Town Incorporated, Honest Man, This Place Has Changed), with plenty of colorful moments, including some bossa nova vibes (If You Like Whiskey) and Irish jigs (Small Town Incorporated). Small Town Incorporated is pay-what-you-want today for Bandcamp Friday.
Upcoming Concerts:3/7. Live at Black Dog Tavern, Tisbury, MA. 6-8pm. 3/9. Music Ministry at Chilmark Community Church, Chilmark, MA. 9-10am. 3/12. Live at the Newes from America, Edgartown, MA. 5-8pm. 3/16. Music Ministry at Chilmark Community Church, Chilmark, MA. 9-10am. 3/17. St. Paddy’s Day with Seán McMahon & the Agreeable Men at Offshore Ale, Oak Bluffs, MA. 5-7pm. 3/17. St. Paddy’s Day Bash with Seán McMahon, Rose Guerin, & the Agreeable Men at the Ritz Cafe, Oak Bluffs, MA. 8-10pm. 3/19. Live at the Newes from America, Edgartown, MA. 5-8pm. 3/23. Music Ministry at Chilmark Community Church, Chilmark, MA. 9-10am. 3/26. Live at the Newes from America, Edgartown, MA. 5-8pm. 3/28. Live at Black Dog Tavern, Tisbury, MA. 6-8pm. 3/29. Live at Black Dog Cafe, Tisbury, MA. 6-8pm. 3/30. Music Ministry at Chilmark Community Church, Chilmark, MA. 9-10am. Check out my past releases:Lofi Beats for Study, Dishwashing, and Dance Amazing Grace: Traditional Hymns Vol. I Our Father: Original Christian Songs Vol. I Sean & Katie McMahon: Resonate Tidwell’s Treasure: Slow! Children Crossing You're currently a free subscriber to Seán McMahon. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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