Sean Kershaw

Bio:

"Sean Kershaw slinks his strings and vocal chords in such a way that "ladies" in New York clubs go crazy!" - Metromix NY
“Love the great honky tonk swing of this cd. It really swings. Yet the title track Coney Island Cowboy is kinda modern even punk outlaw sounding, great stuff. Love the Trucker and the Tranny and Woke up Dead.” -BRCFP (UK internet radio)


Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers, purveyors of hi-octane honky tonk and long recognized as the hardest working band in Brooklyn, have just released their long-awaited debut CD “Coney Island Cowboy” and are ready to take on the world.
Sean Kershaw, an "army brat" was born in Baltimore MD and lived all over the USA and overseas, from Maryland and Louisiana to Heidelberg, Germany. After some continued travels as a young adult he settled in the Borough of Kings, Brooklyn NY, where in the '90s until recently he fronted a raveup rockabilly band called the Blind Pharaohs.
Started in late 2001, on a whim and as a side project, Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers honed their craft playing primarily covers at a weekly residency at Hank’s Saloon (Brooklyn, NY) and at underground loft parties. They continued to perform in and around Brooklyn for the first few years of the bands existence. As recognition of their dedication, musicianship and entertaining live performances spread, the band branched out to other venues in New York City and beyond, with the occasional foray down South or up to New England.
By early 2007 the New Jack Ramblers were Mr. Kershaw’s main band and he had begun writing more original material specifically for the Ramblers. It was during this period also that the press began to take notice, with favorable reviews in TimeOut NY, the NY Times, NY Post, and, yes, Playgirl Magazine. Playgirl chose the original Sean Kershaw composition “Moonlight Eyes” as its Pick of the Month - July 2005 even though it had not been officially released. Sean Kershaw was also invited to Gracie Mansion to meet Mayor Bloomberg when the CMA Awards came to New York City in November 2006. More recently the Village Voice featured Mr. Kershaw on the cover of an issue devoted to Brooklyn Country music and it’s resurgence in popularity.
The CD “Coney Island Cowboy” started as a gleam in Sean’s eye just a couple years ago. After a four year hiatus Sean had begun writing original music again. The means to make the CD also came together around the same time. With the assistance of friends offering investment backing and professional contacts providing their services at or below cost, Sean was able record “Coney Island Cowboy” in August 2008. Longtime friend Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids had offered to record Sean’s music at his Kudzu Ranch Studio in Mebane, NC and contributed a guitar solo on the trucker classic “Six Days on the Road”, the only cover on the CD. All 14 tracks were recorded in three days and mixed in two, what with the New Jack Ramblers being a well-oiled machine due to their constant live performing and Rick’s expert ear and no-nonsense approach at the mixing board. The result is a juggernaught of a CD that has all the punch and swagger of well-produced (but not overproduced) rock’n’roll and the loose, easy feel of western swing and honkytonk. Not to mention the adrenaline and excitement of a live show.
The CD was released with much fanfare on August 26, 2009 at Sideshows by the Seashore in Coney Island, with Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers headlining. Sean was also supported that evening by such acts as sideshow performers Insectavora, Donny Vomit and Serpentina and local bands Uncle Leon and the Alibis and Julia Haltigan and the Hooligans.
The video for the title track, Coney Island Cowboy, has been recently released.

Member Since:

March 17, 2005

Members:

Sean Kershaw, lead vox, rhythm git; Dave Phelps- Lead git & backing vox; Greg "G Elroy" McMullen-Pedal steel; Jason "The Hog" Hogue- Upright Bass; Andrew Borger -drums;;; Honorable Mention, ex-members, occasional fill-ins: Bob Hoffnar- Pedal Steel; Homeboy Steve Antonakos -Lead git; James "Muskrat" Musty-drums; Jimmy Nations, lead git, vox;Charles "Charlie Chedda"Aceto, lead git;Konrad Meissner- Drums; Jon Light- Pedal Steel Guitar; Matt Hughes- bass; Skip ward, dubble bass; Mike Swinarski, bass & tic-tac bass; Mike "LaRocka" Sapienza, drums; Pat "po'popnitz" Wood: drums; Jack Ward, banjo; Seth Kessel, git & backing vox; Daria Grace, vox; Katy Cox, fiddle; Gerald Menke, pedal steel, bass, lead git; Steve Antonakos- lead git; "Pops" Novic -bass; "Chops" LaConte - upright bass; John Greg- pedal steel; Dave Yanuzzi-pedal steel; Robert Segal -pedal steel; Boo Reiners - lead git; Johnny Katonah - bass; Simon Chardiet - upright bass; Andy Cotton - bass; Michael Daves - lead guitar; Eugene Chrysler- dubble bass; Phil Weinrobe-dubble bass; Preston Rumbaugh-dubble bass; Mike Penque-dubble bass; Greg "Schatzy" Schatz - dubble bass; Alan Lee Backer- lead guitar & tic-tac bass; Hilary Hawke - banjo; Greg McMullen- Pedal steel; Fred Epstein -dubble bass; Melody Berger - fiddle; Skip Krevens -pedal steel, lead git; Warren Shaw - drums; Gasper Bertoncelj -drums; Pete Margolis - guitar; Drew Glackin - lead git & lap steel; Jordan Young - drums; Matt Kepler - drums; George Rush -dubble Bass; Nick Cudahy - dubble Bass; Andrew Frawley-drums; Jeff Somerstein-drums; Mark Greenberg - drums; Nick Marden -da man; Gasper "the Beast from the East" Bertoncelj -drums; Kenny Soule -drums; Rich Hinman - pedal steel

Influences:

Hank Williams I & III; Hank Snow, Hank Thompson, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Jimmie Rogers, George Jones, Carl Perkins, Bill Monroe, Kitty Wells, Bob Wills, u get the picture...

Sounds Like:

THE FUTURE OF HONKYTONK! http://www.badongo.com/audio/18079888

Record Label:

Cash-Davidson Ventures