Singer-songwriter Seiichi Daimo has premiered his new track "In The Inbetween.," the title track for his upcoming EP, which is set to release on February 25, 2014.
Reminiscent of artists such as The Decemberists, City & Colour, and The Lumineers, Seiichi takes on an indie-folk style, with lyrics written in a pop mindset.
In The Inbetween, features four songs in a fleshed-out, full-band acoustic setting.
Taking cues from the likes of Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan, the opening title track shows Seiichi knows his way around writing a comforting melody. "I'm not the man that I wish that I was / But I do try / I'll sing my heart out tonight." Upon first listen, it's familiar, nostalgic and refreshingly new all the same.
Music as a mechanism for escape isn't a foreign concept. For people of all ages all across the globe, music has provided a haven where a person can be vulnerable, relate to another human in a universal sense and feel accepted. Seiichi has been one of those people for a long time. Coming from a family that immigrated to the United States, Seiichi's youth provided its fair share of obstacles. "There was a feeling of absence and abandonment from both of my parents growing up," he says. "I was angry. I couldn't relate to people." So he turned to music.
Listen to "In The Inbetween" here
Seiichi's Japanese-American culture turned him onto playing violin at a young age, and he became interested in learning to play the guitar for the sole purpose of writing his own music. Without many major musical influences in his youth, a middle school-aged Seiichi found his way into a local music scene in South Plainfield, N.J., after being born in Manhattan and growing up in San Diego.
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Brand New, Thrice, Taking Back Sunday, and Fall Out entered the fold as influences as Seiichi fronted his first band, playing music as a form of self-therapy. He explains: "It allowed me to take off the armor and the mask that I had on shielding me from the world."
Now a solo act, Seiichi continues to approach his music as an outlet. In The Inbetween is the product of a man who wants to make his life his art, a man who uses music both as an outlet and as a way to hopefully help others, a man who isn't afraid to confront the realities of life. "For me, music is a medium where you can be completely honest and vulnerable," Seiichi says. "We all have closets we hide in, but music can break down those walls and connect us. I want to share my heart with whoever wants to listen."
In The Inbetween will be independently released on February 25. It was recorded in Central Ave Studios in New Jersey and produced by Joseph Stasio, who is also the guitarist for fellow Jersey outfit, The Ugly Club.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
