Seth Lael was one of those men that I wanted to get on the broadcast for some time, but the stars had yet to align. So when he came to my open mic in the outer Sunset, I told myself that I would ask him if he would hop on. Luckily, he had the same idea and approached me first. Timing is everything, right?
Seth is always this affable, super talented guy and I was honored to have him share his story and his songs this Thursday. So many wonderful humans in this world, you know? Another DJ left a sound machine in the studio, and I do a great job of hitting the wrong buttons (Fax Machine sounds should accent a joke, right?)
About Seth
SETH LAEL was the ninth of ten children to working-class musicians who met as piano students in college. The whole brood filled the cast of local musicals to last a generation, and Seth grew up turning pages beside his mom’s piano at churches and fairs countywide. He waved goodbye to Livermore, CA, after high school to work every odd job under the sun, and everywhere Seth went he wrote music on the side. One time he was a gas station attendant, and once he delivered newspapers and flowers. He was a waiter, a baker, a roofer, a banker. A bricklayer, a car washer, a leftie, and a cook.
Seth is self-taught in guitar, banjo, harmonica, and voice. In 2011, he self-recorded and produced his first album (“After the Hard Times”) which includes tracks now heard in film and video around the world. His new solo album “Bird Strings” features highly-developed acoustical instrumentation and plangent personal lyrics about his improbable life and relationships.
Seth Lael performs live with a band that includes his wife, singer/songwriter Shelley Leong, and drummer Fabio Reis of Afrolicious.
