Catchy songs. Classic Power Pop. Some of the songs on ‘BS Stands For’ sound like The Beat or The Nerves. BAM. Yes, Brent Seavers, from The Decibels, has made a wonderful solo album.

And he explains to Sweet Sweet Music how it came about.

How did this record come together? 

My band (The Decibels from Sacramento, CA) was about halfway through recording a new album when the pandemic started. Like many of us, I had a lot of time on my hands while practicing social distancing. Just for fun, I started recording covers of different songs and filmed the process – uploading my music videos to social media. After recording about 20 cover tunes, I figured I should record some of my original songs. They were received pretty well, so I kept going. Before I knew it, I had an album’s worth of songs recorded. These tunes were a mix of songs I had written over my entire time with The Decibels, ranging from a few songs I had written in my early teens (like Me and My Melancholy Face and All the Better) to newer songs (like Flatline and Play) that were contenders for the latest Decibels’ album. Mostly out of pandemic-fueled necessity, I played and sang everything on this album – except for a few handclaps reluctantly contributed by my children whom I’d occasionally recruit to help out. The digital release of “BS Stands For” in March generated enough interest that we’ll be releasing the LP on Screaming Apple Records in Germany – hopefully by summer.

How great is the urge to stay creative?  To keep writing songs and lyrics?

This may sound odd, but for me, the desire or urge to be creative isn’t something I can shut off. It’s so deeply a part of me that it feels more like instinct. My brain is always playing music if the turntable isn’t. Like the artist that doodles on everything, I have to keep a digital recorder with me always as the songs and lyrics always flow. Some of them are laughably horrible, but you keep moving forward and hope for the best. As long as I continue to write music that’s honest and is something I want to listen to, I’m content.

As an artist, you chose to show your emotions to the world. Is it always comfortable to do so?

It’s a very vulnerable process to put yourself out there for the world to peek into your soul. It’s raw, honest, sophomoric at times, and full of flaws. When I sing, “every bruise is black and my heart is blue” in Flatline – I’m sharing with the whole world a deep personal failure and what it’s like to live, love, and come out with some scars. At the same time, you’ll hear the awkward innocence of new-found hope in Play – “So I take a chance and play this game, embracing the uncertainly of letting go of my defenses.” I am also a weird kid who daydreams about having superpowers and writes songs about writing songs. Silly humor is how I cope with just about everything life throws my way. To not include my humor seemed dishonest. Whichever bit of my mind someone hears, I just hope that some part of it is relatable and the music resonates.

Is recording a record easier than getting it heard nowadays?

There is so much good music out there in the world. There’s a fair amount of garbage as well. We don’t have a system where the best music floats to the top and is easy to find – and since what makes music “good” is subjective, we never will. It takes a responsible listener a fair amount of effort to go find the music that they personally enjoy. Sometimes that effort burns me out. It’s why I appreciate and rely on blogs and social media to offer suggestions. Recording a record is easy. Recording a good record is tough. Getting heard, when you’re competing with so much noise, can be difficult. If you’re a musician, just do what makes you happy. Be honest with your work. If you enjoy the process, chances are someone else will as well.  

Recording music. What’s all the fun about?

I finally get to hear the song that’s been playing nonstop in my head! I like music. Very much. It’s my favorite thing to put in my ears! When I get to record something I wrote, it’s fun because I get to share the music that I’ve only ever heard in my mind – for better or for worse. Either way, I get a kick out of it.