San Francisco based six-piece, the Seshen’s enticing electronic soul sound combines synths, drum machines, live percussion and the remarkable harmonies of lead singer, Lalin St. Juste, to create a magical forward-thinking concoction of influences from r’n’b, pop and electronic music. Glorious textures and heavenly grooves are the staple in their newest album Flames & Figures (released on Tru Thoughts Records, October 2016), superbly and effortlessly swelling from mesmerizing throbbing basslines to glistening pop harmonics. Ahead of The Seshen’s UK tour, stopping for what is sure to be a mesmerizing set at The Green Door Store on 12th March, we put some questions to Lalin St. Juste to find out more about the band.
San Francisco based six-piece, the Seshen’s enticing electronic soul sound combines synths, drum machines, live percussion and the remarkable harmonies of lead singer, Lalin St. Juste, to create a magical forward-thinking concoction of influences from r’n’b, pop and electronic music. Glorious textures and heavenly grooves are the staple in their newest album Flames & Figures (released on Tru Thoughts Records, October 2016), superbly and effortlessly swelling from mesmerizing throbbing basslines to glistening pop harmonics. Ahead of The Seshen’s UK tour, stopping for what is sure to be a mesmerizing set at The Green Door Store on 12th March, we put some questions to Lalin St. Juste to find out more about the band.
What kind of music were you brought up on?
I grew up on 90s r’n’b, a little bit of reggae, jazz singers, and some hip-hop.
Can you remember the first album you bought?
The first album I ever bought was TLC’s Crazy Sexy Cool. Ugh, so good! I played it nonstop. Before that, I’d just record songs from the radio onto tape.
Do you have a favourite instrument?
I love the piano. At a young age, I taught myself to play simple renditions of songs by ear but I didn't take it further. I still hope that one day I’ll be able to rock out on it but for now, I do what I can to get my ideas across.
What drives you to write music?
Music feels completely natural. After all, it’s all around us. It gives me chills when I think about how music is utilized throughout time and circumstance, to celebrate, to endure, to protest, to work, to love and so on. At a young age I knew that music had a home for me…within its creation is where I could feel the most alive. So making music is like stating my identity, it is a language that is spoken far and wide and it nourishes you in ways it only knows how.
How did The Seshen form?
I had decided to throw a fundraiser at my house for Haiti a few years ago so Aki and I got a few friends together to play a few songs. That led to us continuing to get together and jam out. It was fun. I think a lot of us were ready to get into music in a new way. The beginning was very loose and exploratory until we solidified band members and a new sonic direction to go in.
Is there a story behind the name?
We struggled with a name for a while. Then "seshen" came along. “Seshen” means blue lotus. In ancient Egypt, the blue lotus was used in religious ceremony. It represents recreation and rebirth because it had emerged from the primordial waters to give birth to a god. That drew me in because I feel a strong connection to the idea of beginning again – emerging into light time and time again, to reveal something powerful you didn’t know was there. It also allows me to take something from the past, that is connected to my ancestry, and recreate it into my own interpretation for this place and time.
What inspires your lyrics?
I think I’m just always searching for a way to understand the world that I live in and to reflect and heal and expand through this expression and these ideas.
How do you approach the writing/recording process?
I’m a bit of a homebody so I revel in time alone to write and record. Aki and I will make ourselves some whiskey drinks and settle in for a late night. That usually ends with us turning off the lights and listening to what we’re working on in the dark. And if it really strikes a chord, I’m dancing as well. So those are precious moments that we share. With the rest of the band, we’ll get together in little groups. Chris will come over and add his own flavour on the drums or Mirza will come in with some percussion parts he’s thought of on his own, and so on.
Do you prefer writing music or performing live?
Writing and performing are two different beasts so I can’t say that I have a preference. Performing live allows for a certain connection and energy to be experienced. Nothing compares to the feeling of locking eyes with another individual within a shared experience. In that moment, you are connected by something that is beyond you. I love the exchange of energy and spirit during a live show…and giving loving hugs afterwards. The songs, too, begin to shift and you develop a new relationship with it over time. Writing is its own spiritual experience – it’s compulsive. I can’t help but to do it. So it’s more natural in the aspect and will always be the foundation.
Tell us a bit about Flames & Figures?
I often think about the layers within the world we live in and the realities we create for ourselves or have been created for us. On this album, I find myself on a journey through illusory spaces in hopes of finding what’s on the other side of it all. So it’s moving from silence to sound, the unseen to sight. I’m digging and looking for truth, looking for where my power lies, and I’m engaged in the continual unlearning of all the crap our society has created within me.
Who would be in your ultimate supergroup and what would be their name?
This is so hard. Of course, I’d have to have multiple supergroups. But off the top of my head, I’d say Bjork, Santigold and Erykah Badu. They’d be called HDK.
Any gigs that have stood out recently?
I loved seeing Julia Holter a few months ago in San Francisco.
What are your future plans?
We want to keep spreading the music! More shows and also writing sessions.
Website: theseshen.com
Facebook: facebook.com/theseshen
Twitter: twitter.com/theseshen