Sean McPherson is an in-demand bassist, bandleader and songwriter from St. Paul, Minnesota. He plays bass with Heiruspecs, Dessa and his solo project, the Twinkie Jiggles Broken Orchestra. McPherson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007 with an Individualized Degree in Music, African-American Studies and Cultural Studies. Sean is an instructor at McNally Smith College of Music, teaching courses in Composition, Liberal Arts and Hip-Hop Studies. In addition to his performance and teaching career, McPherson is an active entrepreneur in the Twin Cities media community. He is the co-owner of Trivia Mafia, the largest trivia company in Minnesota. McPherson is also a freelance food writer for City Pages.
Watch Twin Shadow perform 'Saturdays,' a new song co-written by HAIM. 'It's no surprise that with Twin Shadow and HAIM sitting at the writer's table,' writes The Current's Sean McPherson. 'The tune is full of great details.'
This time on Music to Watch, The Current's Sean McPherson and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's music producer Kateri Palen discuss Death Cab for Cutie, Lykke Li, Florence + the Machine, and alt-J (along with collaborators Pusha T and Twin Shadow).
To honor Curtis Mayfield, we want to put together a playlist of his top ten songs and play them throughout the day on Sunday, June 3, the anniversary of his birthday.
Kamasi Washington's new album 'Heaven and Earth' drops on June 22nd and we're honored to premiere track 11 from the album -- Street Fighter Mas -- here on The Current.
This week, Mary Lucia is joined by Sean McPherson to share some fascinating details about musicians' other jobs and interests. Find out who was a teacher, who's a zoologist, a chemistry lab technician and more. Then share your own favorite stories about musician's other career pursuits.
After making a huge splash on Spotify, Los Angeles band Mt. Joy seamlessly made the leap from studio band to touring outfit. 'I think we just got really lucky to have a good group of people,' says Mt. Joy co-founder Matt Quinn. Mt. Joy recently visited The Current for a session hosted by Sean McPherson.
This time on Music to Watch, The Current's Sean McPherson and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's Kateri Palen talk about artists who have captivated them recently: Leon Bridges, Nathaniel Rateliff, Lake Street Dive, and Phoebe Bridgers.
This week on Music to Watch, Sean McPherson talks to 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' music segment producer Kateri Palen about Janelle Monae's new album, Run the Jewels, Jack White, Australian bands -- and how an artist obtains the Colbert moniker, 'friend of the show.'
When Lord Huron stopped at The Current, their latest album, 'Vide Noir', was but three days old. 'For once we timed it right where the record came out when we started touring,' laughs Lord Huron frontman Ben Schneider. 'It feels good, it feels like the stars are aligned.' Listen to Lord Huron's in-studio session, hosted by Sean McPherson.
This time on Music To Watch, Sean McPherson (The Current) talks to Brian Stack and Kateri Palen ('The Late Show with Stephen Colbert') about Coachella and SXSW discoveries, including Gang of Youths and Starcrawler, plus other new music, including releases from Neko Case and from John Prine.
'I think the whole point of our career was to bring a sense of hope and joy to the circumstances that are devoid of it,' says Gang of Youths frontman David Le'aupepe. 'I think every artist has their purpose, and I think in Gang of Youths, we've sort of found ours.' The Sydney-based band recently visited The Current, where they played their uplifting and empowering songs.
If there were a Mount Rushmore of Minnesota music, Prince and Dylan would be on it, without a doubt. But when you look at just the lyrics, how well can you tell them apart?
On Jan. 14, 2018, the rapper, actor, author and entrepreneur born James Todd Smith -- aka LL Cool J -- turns 50 years old. In honor of that milestone, The Current's Sean McPherson has chosen six landmark tracks from LL Cool J's catalogue, describing why each is essential.
Host Sean McPherson shares his top songs of 2017.
Hear Open Mike Eagle describe how he painted a mural of the community at the Robert Taylor Homes in his new album.
TIIIIIIIIIIP talks with Sean McPherson about the initiative to curb sexual assault at clubs and music events.
Following the release of Actual Wolf's 'Faded Days,' the lupine semi-local stopped by The Current to record a session with host Sean McPherson.
Sean McPherson talks with hip hop legend DJ Jazzy Jeff.
For any music fan it's exciting to see how the sausage gets made, and Dan Wilson has been making some of the most powerful and successful sausage for musicians across genres for the past 15 years.
When it comes to making music, Angelica Garcia describes herself as a bit of a recluse. Now touring in support of her album 'Medicine for Birds,' Garcia embraces the new experience of studio recording and of performing in front of people. 'It's been great, and it's really helped me grow as a person,' Garcia says. Listen to Angelica Garcia's recent in-studio session at The Current, hosted by Sean McPherson.