Celebrated Canadian Folk/Roots Artist and Mental Health Advocate Séan McCann Announces First US Solo Tour

Acclaimed singer-songwriter, JUNO Award nominee, and mental health advocate, Séan McCann, has had quite a journey. As a founding member of multi-platinum internationally renowned folk group Great Big Sea, Séan chose to forge his own path five years ago and use his music to help him heal from an alcohol addiction that masked his secret of sexual abuse during his teens. He released his fifth solo album, "There's a Place", in 2017, which was described by David Reed of the "Belleville Intelligencer" as "...an almost prayer-like reflection on his journey. 'There's a Place' is hopeful and empowering...." Now Séan is taking his music and his message on the road and returning to his traditional music roots embarking on his first solo US tour dates in mid-May. "The US has always held a special place in my heart as a touring musician and the people were always very supportive of Great Big Sea", he says. "I even married an American! Heading back with my guitar for my first ever solo tour has been a long time coming and I am very excited to reconnect with all the friends I've made through the years and sing some songs with them."

You can see Séan McCann live here:

MAY 17 - SOUTH POMFRET, VT - ARTISTREE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER

MAY 18 - BROWNFIELD, ME - STONE MOUNTAIN ARTS

MAY 19 - PORTSMOUTH, NH - THE MUSIC HALL

MAY 20 - BOSTON, MA - CLUB PASSIM

MAY 31 - SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - CAFFE LENA

JUNE 1 - SELLERSVILLE, PA - SELLERSVILLE THEATRE

JUNE 2 - ANNAPOLIS, MD - RAMS HEAD ON STAGE

JUNE 3 - VIENNA, VA - JAMMIN JAVA

JUNE 4 - NEW YORK, NY - ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL

JUNE 6- NORTHHAMPTON, MA - THE IRON HORSE MUSIC HALL

JUNE 8 - STOWE, VT - SPRUCE PEAK ARTS CENTER

Tickets for the shows are available HERE.

Séan's musical message is now more than just notes and melodies. "There's a Place" is a cleansing of sorts. He brings together his roots and his message on eleven beautifully crafted tracks, sung by a man who knows his purpose, who embraces his past, but refuses to let it define him. "I believe that a secret can kill you but that a song can save your life," says McCann. "Music is my religion and it has helped me survive through some very hard times. Today I want to share my story and my songs to help others to 'help themselves'." He also worked with artist/designer Jenna Gregory on "There's a Place: A Colouring Book Companion", which accompanies the album as an interactive creative outlet for fans.

Celebrating six years of sobriety in November 2017, he says, "I carried my secret around for over 30 years and used alcohol to numb the pain. The only way to defeat a secret is to tell it. I have faced my truth and my past is no longer my prison. Today I am not a victim, but a survivor." He poignantly sheds light on the subject of child sexual abuse and assault in the video for the track "Take Off My Armour".

Séan bought his first guitar in 1989 that he affectionately calls "Old Brown". "Old Brown" was there for the first song Séan ever wrote. He was there as Séan founded the acclaimed and multi-million selling band that would change his life. He was there to hold Séan up as he struggled with alcohol addiction, and he has been there to help guide Séan out of the darkness with music as his medicine.

His last two solo albums, 2014's "Help Your Self" and "You Know I Love You", which was released in 2015, were a large musical departure from his Great Big Sea beginnings. "Help Your Self" was a battle cry; a line in the sand. It announced that he was ready to change and resonated with people in a way Séan could never have expected. It helped him understand that he wasn't alone and that telling his story could help others as much as it helped him. "You Know I Love You" was inspired by the love he found in sharing that story and an attempt to find a new and real connection in a world that had turned inward to its phones.

John Lennon once sang "You can live a lie until you die. One thing you can't hide is when you're crippled inside." After exiting Great Big Sea and publicly admitting a secret past in which he used alcohol to mask the pain of sexual abuse by a priest in his teens; Séan stopped lying to himself. With the release of "There's a Place", he continues his journey as a singer, songwriter, and now a sought after speaker and mental health advocate with 'Old Brown' by his side. As he told the Lynn Saxberg from the "Ottawa Citizen", "I really believe music can save your life. I was in real trouble, and I'm not now, so that's a huge change to go through. I bring that story on stage with me, and I bring those songs that help me through it."

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