Sean Hopkins loves music.
And he’s turned his passion into a career.
The Washington Crossing resident’s newest solo album, 'Shadows & Light,' was released Sept. 22.
The album is a deeply personal collection of songs that explores resilience, reflection, hope and the experiences that shape us. As an independent artist, he has spent years writing and performing music that connects with audiences through honest storytelling, and 'Shadows & Light' represents his most meaningful work to date.
Following 'Chasing Ghosts in the Dark' (2022) and 'Pictures of Nothing' (2024), 'Shadows & Light' marks Hopkins’ continued development as a songwriter with a gift for finding significance in ordinary experiences.
Hopkins grew up in Delaware County and earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s, entering a career in finance.
“My passion for music kept percolating,” he said. “When I was younger, I dabbled in some indie bands and one, Stranger to Stranger, had some success. We thought it was going somewhere, but that never materialized.”
He spent years away from his guitar, coaching soccer and baseball and working in finance, before he felt the pull of music once again.
“About 10 years ago, I started getting the itch to play again,” he said. “I’d lost dexterity and musical theory, so I started building myself back up and started writing again. Writing that first song put a very strong wind in my sails and gave me my confidence back, and I started to get out there and perform live.
“Then I wanted to go back into the studio to make it sound more professional.”
All of his albums were produced by Yardley’s Woody Jiang.
“When I picked up the guitar and I was trying to remember old materials, I thought what I really needed was help. I started looking for an instructor and I found Woody. He would come to my house and we’d work on stuff. He said the writing was very strong, so we worked on confidence skills and getting into music theory.
“I wanted to record and he had producing experience, so I enlisted him. He was about half my age when we started working together and his youthful exuberance helps keep me going.”
His wife, Desiree, sits in on piano and his older son, Blaise, plays electric guitar on two tracks. A former bandmate from his Stranger to Stranger days, Gary Eshbaugh, and his younger son, Evan, also sit in with him.
“I want to share the experience with as many people as I can,” he said.
Hopkins enjoys being a solo performer.
“When you’re in a band, there are people around you but as a solo artist, you just get up there, say ‘hello’ to the audience and that’s it. It’s just you and the guitar. You’re completely exposed. It can be very humbling, but it’s also very rewarding. I really enjoy the challenge and now that I’m a full-time singer-songwriter, I play live several times a month and it’s very fulfilling.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to pursue my passion. I could sit in a bar or club with a handful of musicians and songwriters and it’s captivating. The thing I love about the musical community is that everyone is cheering for each other. It’s a very collaborative environment.
“I really want people to hear it and hopefully tap into it. Everything is streaming now, so you’re really measured more in streams as opposed to record sales, so hopefully a lot of people will stream it.
“For me, the next step would be to play in Austin or Nashville and in larger venues in Philadelphia and New York. With my previous album, I got a couple of New York dates and that was really great.”
Hopkins says he really enjoys challenging himself.
“I was a distance runner when I was younger and the goal was to get better, and you get better by putting yourself in a bigger fish bowl and trying to swim with the bigger fish,” he said. “If you’re not moving forward, you’re going backwards and I don’t want to do that.”
Hopkins' albums can be found on all streaming platforms. He is on YouTube @seanhopkinsguitar and can be found online at seanhopkins.bandcamp.com.
Upcoming appearances include a special show at WDVR FM on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for an in-studio performance and interview.
He will also perform Friday, Oct. 9, at Starving Artist Café, in Stockton, New Jersey. On Thursday, Oct. 15, Hopkins will perform at Dharma Bums in New Hope, and on Sunday, Nov. 1, fans can catch him at Union Café in Lambertville, New Jersey.
On Friday, Nov. 13, he'll take the stage at Bellefonte Café, in Wilmington, Delaware.
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