Billy Bragg has been a fearless recording artist, tireless live performer and peerless political campaigner for over 30 years. Among the former Saturday boy’s albums are his punk-charged debut Life’s a Riot With Spy Vs Spy, the more love-infused Workers Playtime, pop classic Don’t Try This At Home, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee-timed treatise on national identity England, Half-English, and his stripped-down tenth, Tooth and Nail, his most successful since the early 90s. The intervening three decades have been marked by a number one hit single, having a street named after him, being the subject of a South Bank Show, appearing onstage at Wembley Stadium, curating Leftfield at Glastonbury, sharing spotted dick with a Cabinet minister in the House of Commons cafeteria, being mentioned in Bob Dylan’s memoir and meeting the Queen. At their best, Billy’s songs present ‘the perfect Venn diagram between the political and the personal’ (the Guardian).

Raised on a diet of The Clash, The Jam, Specials, Billy Bragg and other such politically-charged, punk-ignited British pop, 24 year old Southampton-born troubadour Seán McGowan has been playing up and down the UK for six years, and DIY released three EPs over that time (given away / sold on a “pay what you want” basis at shows) after catching the ears of the music industry at 2013’s Great Escape festival.

An appearance on Billy Bragg’s Left Field stage at Glastonbury that year saw Seán exposed to his biggest audience yet, and touring / playing shows with artists the likes of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, The Rifles, Beans On Toast and Frank Turner.

In early 2014, Seán started piecing together a new record with Sam ‘Get Cape’ Duckworth at the controls, at Sam’s own Amazing Grace studio in London. The first fruits of the sessions are two slices of teenage Southampton life entitled ‘Come Unstuck’ (featuring Frank Turner on backing vocals) and ‘Swings & Roundabouts’, and were released as a double a-side 7”. He spent the rest of the year on the road, touring with 'Get Cape' all over the UK and Rob Lynch all over mainland Europe.

2015 saw Seán on the road pretty solidly. Supporting Skinny Lister and then embarking on his first ever headline tour in December to packed rooms all over the UK. The release of 'Look Lively' EP set McGowan up nicely to build into 2016 which proved to be rather exciting; supporting Recreations and Grace Petrie in the first half of the year. The second half saw the release of his single 'No Show' and resulted in a small full band sold-out UK tour.

2017 has already been jam packed with touring for McGowan. Including his first ever main stage festival appearance at 'Common People'. He's now penned a record deal with Xtra Mile recordings, announced the release of his next EP “Graft & Grief”, his biggest ever full band tour and put out his new single 'Costa del Solution'. It's all coming together for the Southampton boy. He's got the ball and he's running with it.