Seton Daunt

Seton Daunt
Origin UK
Genres Rock, alternative rock
Occupation(s) Guitarist, musician
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1998–present
Labels Roadrunner Records
Associated acts Fiction Plane
Website www.setondaunt.co.uk

Seton Daunt is a guitar player and songwriter, best known as lead guitarist for the British rock band Fiction Plane.

Early years

Daunt was born in Hastings in East Sussex, England. He grew up with a musical grandmother, who was a pianist. At fourteen, his mother gave him his first acoustic guitar, and he began learning to play from students at school. His mother had recommended that he stick with the acoustic for a few years before moving on to electric guitar.

Leaving school at 18, he found a job working for Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music guitarist). He performed as an assistant in Manzanera's studio – making tea, re-stringing guitars and cleaning tape machines. It was there Daunt met producer/mixer Ash Howes, who has since provided Daunt with several opportunities to play as a session guitarist on many successful records.

A year later, Daunt met Dan Brown, who introduced him to Santa's Boyfriend. The band was playing the club circuit in London, and he was invited to join them for a few songs. He played atmospherics, since he was unfamiliar with the band's chord structures. He did not join the band until several years later.

In 1998, he was a member of the London-based indie band Bok, which featured Matt Crutchlow (guitar, vocals), Andrew Holdsworth (bass, keyboards), and Richard Young (drums). The band released an EP called "Alarm in the Beehive", which received praise from BBC Radio jockey Steve Lamacq, as well as some positive reviews.[1]

Kerrang! gave the album three out of five stars, saying, "'Alarm in the Beehive' boasts the muscular exuberance of Ash with shed-loads of unconventional artistry, head-spinning high velocity twists and turns, and a gnashingly delivered lyric of utter lunacy. In short, this is a mind-warp of soul-stinging genius and definitely worth a look."[1]

Santa's Boyfriend and Fiction Plane

In the spring of 2000, Daunt was asked to join Santa's Boyfriend. Between playing club shows and demoing original material, the band self-produced one album, "Swings and Roundabouts". In 2001, the band played its first US tour with The Funky Meters from New Orleans. At the close of the tour, Santa's Boyfriend performed at the Mercury Lounge in New York, where they began to receive major label interest.

A few months later, the band, under new moniker Fiction Plane, was signed to MCA/Universal. In the summer of 2002, Fiction Plane recorded its debut album, Everything Will Never Be OK with producer David Kahne and engineer Joe Barresi in Los Angeles. Fiction Plane spent 2003 and 2004 touring and promoting the album in the US and Japan until MCA folded into Geffen Records.

During the band's downtime, Daunt began to engage in session work (see Discography below).

In 2005, Fiction Plane recorded and released the Bitter Forces and Lame Race Horses EP for the Geffen imprint, Everybody's Records. The EP was produced by Paul Corkett, with whom the band continues to record to this day. The band promoted the release with a short UK tour as well as opening for Sting in America and Europe as part of his Broken Music tour. Rob Mccarthy

In 2007, Fiction Plane recorded and released Left Side of the Brain for indie label Bieler Bros. Records. The band proceeded to tour the world as the opener for The Police's anniversary reunion tour. They followed that up with tours with The Feeling, The Bravery, and the 2008 Summer Unity Tour with 311 and Snoop Dogg.

In 2009, Fiction Plane released the live album, Paradiso, and plans to record a brand new studio album later in the year.

Solo work

Outside of Fiction Plane, Daunt works with The Daunting, a Desert Folk band, in which he collaborates with his wife, Halima. The band plays in and around London from time to time and plans to release an album later this year. The Daunting's acoustic-based sound has been compared to Mazzy Star and Isobel Campbell.[2]

Daunt has also recently produced a few tracks for his brother Will's band, The Molotovs. Songs produced included "City's Guest" and "In Conversation".[3]

On 16 January 2009, Daunt performed with Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini on the French television program Taratata, playing guitar on her single "Jungle Drum".[4]

Daunt most recently recorded guitars for the track "Hearts Collide" for UK artist Little Boots' debut album Hands, which was released in June 2009.

Equipment

Daunt uses the following equipment live and in the studio:
Guitars:

Amplification:

Effects:

Other:

Equipment used in recording 2010 album Sparks:

Selected discography

As session guitarist

References

  1. 1 2 Matthewcrutchlow.com
  2. ↑ Myspace.com
  3. ↑ Steondaunt.co.uk
  4. ↑ Steondaunt.co.uk
  5. ↑ 21 March 2015
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