Sean Kershaw lives in Brooklyn, NY where he fronts two bands: The Blind Pharaohs, a rockabilly band and The New Jack Ramblers, a more traditional country outfit. He can also be found around town or up and down the Eastern seaboard playing solo, backing up the occasional songstress, cobbling together yet another side project or hamming it up in a theater performance.

The road that took him this far is a convoluted one. An “army brat”, he has lived in places as diverse as Louisiana and Germany, picking up influences as he went. He developed a taste for punk rock in high school, in large part out of rebellion against the “Stairway to Freebird” mentality that prevailed where he was at that time, in rural Maryland.

On his own he headed to New York City, where he first started singing in bands, and then to New Orleans (“for inspiration”), where he picked up the guitar. From New Orleans to Austin to Chicago to Seattle and Portland, Oregon he then played on streets and subways for years, honing his skills as a performer and songwriter.

Returning to New York in ’96, he turned his attention to more involved musical projects, especially the Blind Pharaohs, whose reputation as a live band has made them legendary as far away as Europe. They have appeared on bills with such acts as Cracker, Southern Culture on the Skids, the Rockats, Link Wray and Hank Williams III.

The New Jack Ramblers, meanwhile, have evolved from a side project into something of a honky-tonk juggernaught, and have been garnering press attention from New York to Miami. They recently played a show with none other than Norah Jones, but continue to show up every Sunday at little ol’ Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn to whip the faithful crowd into a frenzy.

Sean continues to crank out songs at an astounding rate, heading into the studio when time and money permit to record a new batch. The tunes range from pure country to rock’n’roll , although any number of influences can surface. These include Hank Williams Sr (natch), Merle Travis, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins and everything from old soul to bluegrass to Motorhead.

Still free from the perils of marriage and a steady job, Sean is determined to be recognized by just a few more folks as a major-league performer and songwriter, and to make his fortune (and spread it around) playing music.
When the train rolls in, he’ll be ready.