Sean Hayes
Courtesy Photo

San Francisco troubadour Sean Hayes can be earmarked with plenty of adjectives: He’s passionate, he’s soulful, and he’s kind hearted. He’s also one of the most adored singer/songwriters on the Left Coast. Ask any Hayes fan, and you’ll likely get an earful about his warm voice, unabashedly romantic lyrics, and strict DIY career moves. This Saturday, Hayes returns to SOhO as part of a brief West Coast touring stint in support of his recently released sixth album, Run Wolves Run.

Like previous Hayes efforts (including last year’s Honeybees Falling EP), Wolves was made and brought to the masses on Hayes’s terms—and his dime.

“We recorded this in the same studio I did Flowering Spade … but this time we were able to spend more time on things. This is probably the most time and energy that I’ve been able to put into a record, so hopefully it’s us taking it up another notch,” Hayes explained.

The result is an album that no doubt reflects Hayes’s acoustic singer/songwriter roots, but also branches out in a few newer (and louder) directions. “It’s a little bit more rock ’n’ roll, and I think part of that just has to do with being more comfortable in the studio and learning about production and stuff,” he said. “Most of it’s really live, and it’s got a bit of electric guitar in it, but there’s no horns or anything—just a trio of drums, bass, and guitars.”

Sticking to his do-it-yourself roots, Hayes has also spent the past five months gearing up for Wolves’ release with a series of live dates—including bouts on New Belgium’s Tour de Fat festival—and a whole slew of industry-free press.

“I’m trying to do more each time. Three releases ago, I just put the record out,” Hayes laughed. “I made the record, I had them returned to me, and I started waving ’em around in the air to see if anybody cared. Now people are coming out of the woodwork more just to give a hand. But when you do it yourself, you can only do so much.”

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Sean Hayes plays SOhO (1221 State St.) this Saturday, April 3, at 8 p.m. Call 962-7776 or visit clubmercy.com for tickets.

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