Sean Hayes and Esme Patterson

Sean Hayes is a Bay Area singer-songwriter who makes music to dance to or cry to, or maybe both at the same time. He was born in New York City, raised in North Carolina, and honed his earliest musical chops in a band playing Irish and old-time tunes — but his unique style of deeply felt, R&B-inflected folk really matured during his two decades singing and playing in cafes, bars, and night clubs of San Francisco.

His voice layers wonder and heartache upon grit and gravel, sex and soul. His lyrics carry an unpretentious wisdom. He’s dueted with Aimee Mann; been covered by the Be Good Tanyas; and toured with Anais Mitchell (performing songs from Hadestown, before it was an award-winning Broadway show). His songs have appeared on NPR, NBC and HBO.

Esmé Patterson releases her long-awaited 5th full-length album, Notes from Nowhere, early this October, creating a genre-avoidant musical realm that blooms with honesty and magic. Ever provocative, poignant, polymorphic, and prescient (her apocalypse-themed There Will Come Soft Rains, was released on the first day of Covid19 lockdowns in March 2020), Patterson’s latest release returns to the (super)natural world, evoking the chill of dead winter, parched-forest lightning, midday moons, and the cicada hum of summer swamps. Esmé’s intense performances arrest her audience in ears-open shared contemplation. Her music churns and crackles until you find yourself frozen, staring into the fire.