NOW ON SPOTIFY and APPLE
[Fort Collins, CO] – I’m happy to release “Vampire,” a spooky, swampy folk-punk song just in time for Halloween. It’s the fifteenth song we’ve released with the Sunrise Genius, a song I wrote circa 2013 and started recording in 2018. I dropped a demo version last summer, as part of the Demo As a Devotee of Shiva, and it’s great to hear this version brought to completion.
“Vampire” continues our psychedelic indie-folk venture — this time with a haunting pedal steel, subtle electric guitar, and some driving drums that create a live barn-burner of a feel. It’s different from anything we’ve done, which is kinda cool. Growth.
And of course, there’s some lyrical philosophy in there, a question about love and devotion and neurochemistry. The opening lyrics came first, and they set the tone and meter everything that came after:
“Had a girl tell me she loved me once
but what does that really mean
angel come down to swoop me up
or just some dopamine?”
For your Halloween listening pleasure, for now and evermore: “Vampire” is now live on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, + Soundcloud.
“Daddy,” my daughter asks, “How many people made this song?”
Dear one, eight people made this record:
Music and Lyrics by me, Sean Waters (c)(p) 2025. Produced by me, Sean Waters. Engineered by Tyler Lindgren, Darren Radach in 2018 and Sean Waters 2023-2025. Acoustic Guitars, Bass, SFX, Lead and Backing Vocals performed my me. Electric Guitars by Ehren Crumpler. Drums and Hammond Organ by Tyler Lindgren. Pedal Steel by Dan Kalisher, tracked in Los Angeles, CA. Special vocal appearance by an anonymous angel. Mixed and Mastered by Tyler Lindgren. Album Art and Photography by me, Sean Waters. Special thanks to Jon and Amber for bringing the full band festival vibes to your wedding this summer, and for the anonymous photographer who took photos.
Production Math
$550 on personnel costs: engineering, tracking, mixing and mastering
$267 on promotion costs: playlist submissions
$39 on distribution costs
====
$856 total.
To recoup these costs, we would need
285,000 Spotify streams, or
17 Substack subscribers.
Thank you, dear listener!
thank you for reading and being here. If you want get creative with your self, reimagined Writing the Good Life groups start Nov 4th. We would love to have you.
Happy Samhain Season,
Sean
Alternative Cover
👋 Hi! New here? Here’s a little bit about me, and here’s some press to give you an idea of what we’ve been up to in the musical realms. Now booking for the Spring/Summer of 2026.
Sean Waters and the Sunrise Genius Press
“Commendable folk-rock repertoire … subtle arrangements and unpredictable harmonic turns. It’s worth seeking out Sean Waters’ previous material on platforms, like “Easier”, “Easy Graces” (see video) and “Flexibility Blues” (Rolling Stone Español)
“Grounded, Poetic, Striking ... manages a transcendent balance between lyrical quality and expressive soundscape ... notable for its rich layering, aching vocals, and resolute storytelling.” (Two Story Melody).
“A skillful, entertaining, and soulful performer.” (Coloradoan)
“Multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer/songwriter, Sean Waters has performed over 1,000 shows across the Mountain West, including at a Colorado Musician Showcase at SXSW. Poudre High School Valedictorian, he earned master’s degrees in both philosophy (2008) and education (2012), while performing in the award-winning jam rock bands Wasabi and the Seers. He supports his family teaching composition at Colorado State University. He also writes daily and has started an online education company called the Wisdom Workshop. Waters makes “ruminative Colorado Americana” (Indie is not a Genre) with a process called the Sunrise Genius. “Life is music, and love is the only language,” he says, “seeing the possibilities for rebirth in every moment and every person he meets.” (Glide Mag).