Meet Seanine Seven | Musician and Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Seanine Seven and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Seanine, what inspires you?
My artistry is mostly inspired by the feelings, moods and images of living in San Diego, but in a way that is a little more offbeat and unconventional than what is expected of SoCal type art. I am inspired by the more overcast days, stormier weather and quieter nightlife than the brighter, pastel-colored view of our region, which usually is recognized as being more quintessentially “Californian.” Me as a person cast against this backdrop is the other part of the work, and as a whole it seeks to reflect the discovery of your own personhood, with all your memories and baggage, and how you fit among the rest of the world. The ultimate tug and pull.

The two mediums I am most active in are music and filmmaking. Part of my whole philosophy is that I don’t see these artforms as islands unto themselves, but rather one is continually informing the other so that the films become musical and the music becomes cinematic. The consistency between both is that they include the same elements of existentialism, transience and as mentioned before, the feeling of living in San Diego in through its more low-key, off-beat pathways.

At the end of the day I just like the feeling of exploring, which is probably why I use different mediums in order to express myself.

And everything must feel like a beautiful dark blue!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My music is something I have called “Beat-Based Folk” before, and it seems like I’m going to stick with it. I usually write music that works well on acoustic guitar, and translate it by adding the electronic backing of beats, along with some further layering of synths and keys. I like to write songs that are topical, social and oftentimes lyrically dense. I am pretty verbose when it comes to writing lyrics.

Strangely it’s the opposite case when it comes to the type of films I like. I don’t like films that have too much dialogue; I most of the time just want to soak up the imagery and figure out the meaning through the pictures alone. In my own portfolio, I try to make films with a strong sense of sensory aesthetic that I think can invoke moods and ideas better than any plainly-stated dialogue could. I have made a music video for my song ‘Orbiter’ along with a couple other short pieces that are really just little collages of video. I like to use blending modes as part of my personal style. This is essentially a type of keying based on light, allowing me to layer several video clips on top of each other at the same time. The result creates a very exciting tapestry effect, and to me, the layered images kind of remind me of little flashes of memory coming in and out of someone’s mind.

I am excited to continue making music and short films, along with providing video production services for clients under ‘Jetty Creative,’ a company I co-founded with Quinn Miller and AJ Vansant. We have already completed a music video that the band Audio Perdisco has released called ‘You’re In My Veins’, which is now out on YouTube. We also have had several clients reach out to film live music gigs among other things through us. I am hoping I can make this a more consistent form of income.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like to travel around a lot, and so my recommendations are based on places that are good to traverse. The beaches first and foremost! One of the places I have been going to a lot recently are the cliffs in Carlsbad, where when the tide is low you can see the rock formations and tide pools exposed. One time I even saw giant sea slugs strewn out over the area! Other beaches I like include Swami’s in Encinitas, which is adjacent to the Self Realization Center: a beautiful garden area right on the edge of the coastal cliffs. Queen Califia’s Magical Circle in Escondido is a quirky and surreal sculpture installation by the late artist Niki De Saint Phalle, and is a great place to take pictures in and explore.

My hometown of Vista has some very underrated attractions, including the Guajome Adobe and some of the hill trails just northeast of main street. To eat I’d have to shout out Mom’s Kitchen, formerly known as Allen’s Alley Cafe for a good breakfast joint, as well as Mama Lita for their delicious pupusas.

For nightlife there are several good bar/music stages nearby like the Belly Up or Poorhouse, along with some underrated venues like BoozeBros or Roadies in Vista.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My partners in crime AJ Vansant and Quinn Miller. I’ve known AJ since 7th grade and have always admired his charisma, humor and ability to think outside the box. We’ve played music together since senior year of high school, and have become creative (friendly) rivals since. Quinn is constantly zapping with quirky ideas and can think down a million avenues at once. Filming stuff with him is always great because of his adaptability and spur-of-the-moment creativity. Also Ted Barber of the band ‘Evil Laugh’ is a dear friend of mine and someone who I really bonded over music with during college, along Marco Laguna and the rest of the Merced music scene.

Website: https://www.seanineseven.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanineseven/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seanineseven

Other: https://www.jettycreative.com/

Image Credits
Seanine Seven, Quinn Miller, Michele Lenz