Seth Power hones in on his artistic mastery as he showcases his latest single, "I Do," a tender-hearted love song that melts our insides with a warming embrace.
Seth Powers is a contemporary artist with a soulful spark that posts up in a bracket familiarized by an amalgamation of John Mayer and Ed Sheeren reflecting vibes. Here, the Jackson, Mississipi native settles on a tastefully spacious mix with warm acoustic guitars, a crisp drum character, and a softly saturated bass, devising an opening for admiration over the silky smooth croons of Seth's healthy tenor.
"I Do," feels like a swaying embrace into the modern musical enterprises of Seth Power; anchored with deep roots in soul and by a timeless intimately dazzling vocal display. Tastefully imagined melodies, a luscious saturation (as if recorded off a tape machine), and a joyous display of articulation are featured here, as Seth tantalizes modish vocal tones with violin accompaniment—instilling them with a dreamy afterglow.
The mix elevates this track's delicacy even further, making great work of the dynamics as the energy seems to mature and simmer in the right moments. As we near the end of the intrinsically sung masterful performance on "I Do," Seth chants with a vocal hymn that stews into an increasing crawl before the music fades completely. It's an evocative ballad that provokes a powerful mirror into his passion when his partner inevitably says the anticipating words, "I Do."
We're moved by your latest single, "I Do."! This thing is spilling with class and has such a pulling vibe. What inspired the topic of this single for you?
So glad to hear that you like the song! I actually wrote this one the week before my wedding! We got married last summer (June 15th), and the weekend before, I drove to Muscle Shoals to write with Walt Aldridge. Walt was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2015, so he’s the real deal. Anyway, we spent the weekend working on a few of my songs, and about 15 minutes before I left his place, I played him the melody for “I Do.” I told him that I’d had the guitar melody in my back pocket for a while but was still trying to figure out what to do with it. He said that it felt like a wedding song to him, and considering it was six days before my wedding, I thought that was a great idea! I spent the whole drive home working on lyrics and I ended up finishing the song the night before our ceremony. Then, after our first dance, I surprised my wife by playing it for her :)
What has had the most notable impact on your life musically thus far? Can you describe how it helped develop your character artistically?
I would say that the most impactful phase of my music journey occurred while I was in college at Mississippi State University. I walked onto the football team during my freshman year but was unable to continue playing after a severe concussion in the Spring of 2012. In the Fall of that same year, I started gigging A LOT in Starkville and the surrounding area. At the time, I was doing it because it was fun and the money was great, but I had no idea that I was putting in a lot of the preliminary work needed to become a professional performer. There were a lot of nerves that I had to work out of my system, but after a few years of playing gigs almost every weekend, I became very comfortable in that setting. During those years, I mostly played covers with a few originals mixed into the show, but the more I played the more I wanted to share my original music with people. Soon enough, it became a lot more rewarding to hear people cheering after I finished a song of my own, as opposed to a popular cover. This pattern led me to start writing a lot more often and testing my songs on people. It was through this process that I started to figure out what made me unique as a musician and a songwriter. Looking back, it was definitely one of the most important phases of my development as an artist and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.
What is your main goal through the creation of each piece of music you put out? What do you hope to convey?
Great question. At this point in my journey, I have found that the most important thing one can convey in a song is true. Truth is what resonates with people the most, regardless of the subject material of the song. I always start with music when I write. I always look for truth in the music first. For me, this typically manifests in the form of chill bumps. If I start playing a new melody and it gives me goosebumps then I know I’m on the right track. From there, I play and play until the melody works its way deeper into my mind and starts eliciting memories. I use those memories to mold and form the identity of the song, and all the while, I try to make sure that what I’m talking about is TRUE and that it resonates with ME first. That’s my aim when I write and that is what I hope to convey in my music.
It was excellent having you here on BuzzMusic! We can't hold down our excitement for what you have in store for the rest of the year. Can you give us any words on some of the things you have in the works?
Thank you so much for the kind words. One of the things I’m really looking forward to this year is a documentary we’re currently making for the album! It’s a deep dive into what “Souvenir” means and the events in my life that inspired it. I teamed up with a really incredible videographer and director and I think it’s going to be a great body of work. Other than that, I was supposed to be touring college campuses this Fall and playing as a solo act, but because of COVID, those plans are currently on hold. I’ve already started writing and pre-producing my next body of work though and it’s sounding so good! With each new iteration, I get more and more excited about sharing these new songs with people, but I don’t want Souvenir to get left behind. It’s definitely my best body of work so far and I’m really proud of it. I really appreciate you guys for covering it too.