“Encompassing heart-wrenching melodies, ethereal vocals and soaring string arrangements, Seelie – the new album by CLANN – is a breathtakingly beautiful accomplishment.”
Our buds over at House of Youth Records have recently released a new album Seelie, from CLANN — the music alias of producer, artist, filmmaker and self-taught composer Sebastian McKinnon. His latest album, which was released on December 1st last year, is part of the ongoing KIN Fables multimedia project. It’s such a dynamic project that we wanted to chat about what he’s got going on, along with sharing some of the new music.
]How and when did CLANN get started?
It started a few years ago when I got a copy of Logic and simply began experimenting with music production. It was about the time when Clams Casino released his Rainforest EP, and it inspired me to try things out for myself. Once I started making music, the songs inspired characters and images within my imagination, and so I decided to throw myself into filmmaking to make them real. The music and the film work is very closely linked together.
You work with Charlotte Oleena often, do you consider her and other collaborative aritsts part of the CLANN project or is CLANN solely Sebastian’s work?
They are definitely part of CLANN. Charlotte’s voice is the soul of the project.
I compose and produce. And lastly Chloe Picard is the violinist, bringing so much heart and deep emotion to everything.
Can you briefly describe what KIN Fables is and why you created it/its purpose?
KIN Fables is a cinematic universe, a grand-scale multimedia project, which is working its way to culminate into a feature film. So far we have an award winning short film trilogy, 2 music albums, original artwork and a graphic novel in development. It began as pure passion project, something I felt I just had to do.
My dream is to become a movie director – so reaching towards that through KIN Fables.
I see you’re a self-taught composer- tell us about that journey?
Pretty straightforward: took piano lessons in the 3rd grade and after that just doodled and started developing an ear for orchestral arrangements, lending a cinematic feel to the music. Composing music for my own films I knew nothing about. Just dove in!
Awesome … so, let’s talk about Seelie … what is your favorite and/or most rewarding track?
I have 2: I like Once Again for the journey it goes on.
And I Hold You, because it has personal emotional power and significance.
What would ‘making it’ look like to you?
Directing a hit feature film and composing the music for it.
What is the most rewarding thing about both CLANN and KIN Fables?
The act of creating itself. Creating the world, bringing something to life for others to experience. Also, the relationships I develop with the artists that contribute to its realization. Nothing beats the feeling of individuals getting together to make things that weren’t there before.
Any artist or group you’d love to play with?
I’d like to play with upcoming Montreal artist Sterling Grove.
Finally, what are you listening to right now?
Arvo Part and Henryk Gorecki.
Thanks to Sebastian for taking the time to chat with us! Listen to his track ‘Once Again’ below xx