We’re delighted to premiere the video for ‘The 13th Apostle’, recorded live at Silent Desert Studio by the talented Sean McConnell. This performance places all the emphasis on McConnell’s characterful vocal and bright guitar sound. The rhythmic strum and delightfully melodic chord sequence grab the listener’s attention but the most satisfying and effective moment is when the guitar is silenced leaving just McConnell’s expressive voice.
McConnell explains the song’s theme: “‘The 13th Apostle’, to me, represents anyone who feels like a black sheep. He/she is only the ‘outcast’ because they can’t or won’t fall in line with something they don’t believe, yet they still love the baby despite the bath water.” Lyrically brilliant, the song explores the idea of being an outsider, living on the periphery, with great wit. The heart of the song is in these lines: “Well I’m a first hand witness of the Trinity // I’ve seen a dead man rise and a blind man see // Yeah but that ain’t the reason I’m a devotee // No I believe in him ’cause he believes in me.” Like all of us, McConnell is simply looking for someone who places belief and trust in him. Their love will be returned in kind.
‘The 13th Apostle’ is taken from the upcoming new album ‘A Horrible Beautiful Dream’, which is due for release on 6th August 2021. The album version of the single features The Wood Brothers and Oliver Wood explains: “I’ve always known Sean to be an incredibly smart and soulful songwriter, but he’s really taken it up a notch and his voice is stronger than ever. Excited about this record and honored to be included.” The record is an attempt to blend a timeless sound with an appraisal of the here and now. The songs, their themes and the process of how they came to be are all products of this strange period in which they have been created. The traumatic events of 2020, including the sense of isolation and the pausing of time, of work and of relationships, has resulted in a beautiful and powerful album from McConnell. He says: “Time seems to breed creativity, especially when there’s very little else going on. This period has forced everybody, internally and externally, globally and socially, to take a good look at our lives and examine it. Everything from our marriages to our workout routines, social injustice to planet politics and religion, spirituality and our internal environment… everything has come to the surface. It’s been the tipping point of so many things right now, so obviously that bleeds over into art and music. You can look at the suffering of the world and you can look at the beauty of the world and you can hold them in your hands and just be present with that and not have to even understand it.”
As we begin to emerge from the pandemic and the social upheaval of recent times, this sense of renewal is important. And works of art, such as McConnell’s ‘A Horrible Beautiful Dream’ will mark the moment and last beyond it. Enjoy.
