Over the last 30 years, Sean Lennon has put together quite a musical résumé – a trio of adventurous and acclaimed solo albums, a number of film scores, and heaps of fascinating collaborations, the most prominent being the Claypool Lennon Delirium, his ongoing project with Primus bass wizard Les Claypool.
Sean has done more than enough to step out of the enormous shadow of his late father, John. Far from bristling at the famous parent subject, though – as can sometimes be the case with second- or third-generation stars in entertainment – Sean Lennon has no hesitation in acknowledging the role played by his father, who was murdered when he was barely five years old, in his decision to pursue music.
“It hasn’t just impacted me,” Sean said of his father’s influence in a new interview with Guitar World. “It’s more than that. It’s the only reason I play music.
“I always say that I don’t think I was especially gifted as a musician,” he explained. “I have talent, but there are a lot of people on Instagram, where, if you look, you realize there are prodigal geniuses out there.
“But I didn’t really like playing music because my band were successful, or because I’d get noticed as a guitar player. I just played because I missed my dad. That was it.”
To get into more technical territory, Sean does see his guitar style as distinct from his father's, which was shaped by the rough-'n'-ready simplicity of '50s rock 'n' roll.
“I think I’m always gonna be rooted in a British harmony kind of thing, but I don’t think we play exactly the same,” he told Guitar World. “I think his playing was a lot more raw, I guess. I probably spent a lot more time playing guitar and trying to learn certain things. I don’t think he ever cared to do that, so I do think we play differently. I probably have a little more facility with my fingers.
“But,” he added with a laugh, “I don’t think I’m as good a songwriter as him, so there’s that.”
Our full interview with Sean Lennon features an in-depth look at the new Claypool Lennon Delirium album, The Great Parrot-Ox and the Golden Egg of Empathy, discussion of the mysterious pedal that serves as the backbone for one of the record's key songs, and a whole lot more. Keep an eye out for it in the coming weeks.
