For better or for worse: Partners in music
Going places: Sean (left) and Jonathan
Sean Sansoni and Jonathan George, the duo better known as “Street Light Mist” have been making considerable waves in the local music scene since they first came out with their single “Every Time I Close My Eyes” in 2013. Three singles, two years and one lyric video later, they are finally about to release their first compilation.
“This has been…” Sean begins, looking for the word, “a lifelong dream.”
“A dream as well as a nightmare,” Jonathan adds.
The EP, titled “THE PROJECT”, is simply the project of their life right now. It features seven numbers including two familiar tracks “Every Time I Close My Eyes” and “The Last Goodbye”, both of which made it to the number one spot on the Yes FM HomeGrown chart in 2014. The new tracks on the EP are an unlikely mix of genres, testifying to the rich musical background the two boys-at-heart come from, and their shared versatility and skill.
“I Do,” featuring crystal clear vocals by Rushani Soysa, is the most predictable yet heart-swelling wedding song which was written for a friend – because he believed Street Light Mist (SLM) would make it big. “Smile of an Angel” is a more old school live band sound on a simple love song with easy harmonies and a touch of the feel-good – the kind of number that if you take a liking to, you will listen to into your old-age. The duo also take the (wait for it, yes,) country road on the contemplative “Demon Inside” with just Sean’s voice and Jonathan’s guitar before they let out their hip-hop-happy crazy on “You and Me” and “All Over My Mind,” shot with some serious ripping of steel.
Jonathan “Skinny J” George, the guitarist-drummer-keyboardist-producer (let’s just say stuntman), is very aware that the album seems a little “haphazard,” but is very cool with that. “We’ve been long-distancing from day one,” he says, grinning (while Sean flutters his lashes) because he intended the pun. Kandy-born Sean “Seany C” Sansoni,(son of Michael Sansoni of Hezonite fame) the lyricist (most of the time) and melody man for SLM, is a pre-press manager working out of Melbourne. He’s lived there since 2006, while Jonathan has continued to be based in Kandy, working as an Administrative Assistant slash IT Lecturer. So, on top of the stress of regular 9-5s, the two artists also had to coordinate their every move across “the whole Indian Ocean” and the five-and-a-half-hour time difference (and daylight savings!) as Sean points out.
“It was really frustrating at times,” Jonathan explains, “because you can’t talk when an idea hits you.” Sometimes he’s up until 4 a.m., working on an edit, he says, so that Sean can have a listen before he checks in to work, five hours ahead. Sometimes Sean’s snatched sleep is pierced by Jonathan’s “urgent” calls and texts about girl (read “software”) problems five hours behind. “It has not been easy,” Sean nods in agreement, “but we knew we were in this for the long haul.”
And are they aware that they are starting to sound like this is a marriage in the making? “Oh yeah!” Sean laughs, wiggling his eyebrows comically at Jonathan “it’s you and me.”
Jokes aside, the two do have a fantastic partnership going for them. They first started talking about making music together back in 2005. Sean had already written and recorded a few songs on his own by this time, so when at a choir practice he overheard Jonathan talking about music production, he suggested collaboration. And in the last nearly ten years, over Skype calls into the wee hours of the morning, arguments over how a track should sound, fears of failing, the occasional period of silence, and the sheer exhilaration of creating some well-loved and applauded music, the two have grown to be good buddies.
Both Sean and Jonathan have been steeped in music from their childhood, the Sansonis and Georges all being heavily involved in the music scene in Kandy where they grew up. So they have a healthy and diverse range of musical interests, but Jonathan is still the more hip-hop loving, steel-ripping, energetic of the two, while Sean is more the ballad-singing and milder one. In their approach to their music though, the two switch roles.
“I have a LOT of hope for this [EP],” Sean fairly bubbles.
“I’m the wet blanket,” Jonathan grins.
Neither of them knows where they’re headed, ultimately, but both are determined to give the music all they have. Both have dreamt for years of producing an album, and both are determined not to settle for mediocrity.
“If you’re doing something, you have to do it right,” Jonathan says, firm.
“I wouldn’t think we’ve made it until we’ve got a Grammy,” Sean smiles. He’s not joking.
The EP launch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on January 3 at Castelo, Kandy. Street Light Mist will play live together for the first time ever, alongside some of their musical friends and family, including Ryan de Silva and the Adagio Chorale. Be there to grab the first copies of “The Project” and other surprises!
Both Sean and Jonathan have been steeped in music from their childhood, the Sansonis and Georges all being heavily involved in the music scene in Kandy where they grew up. So they have a healthy and diverse range of musical interests, but Jonathan is still the more hip-hop loving, steel-ripping, energetic of the two, while Sean is more the ballad-singing milder one. In their approach to their music though, the two switch roles.