INTERVIEW: Alternative Pop from Seth Schaeffer

Colorado-born and Nashville-based, Seth Schaeffer is a filmmaker and composer whose artistic journey tracks across more than two decades. Known for his visual storytelling, he’s long been creating scores for the very films he directs, but recently, he’s turned his attention inward, toward music that’s entirely his own. After years of composing for others, building a home studio and wrestling with self-doubt, he’s now stepping into the light as a solo artist.

His debut single titled “I Found A Monster” marks the beginning of that next chapter, presenting a powerful first step into a sound shaped as much by emotional lucidity as it is by creative experimentation. The track was born not just from inspiration but from necessity, arriving as the result of stripping back the layers of self-protection that had built up over years. He’s candid about the masks he used to wear to fit in, the self-judgment he once mistook for external criticism and the creative inertia that followed.

“I Found A Monster” is his response to all of it, a call to arms for personal realisation and purpose, delivered with pure artistic conviction. The song began with an old, broken acoustic bass, barely playable and missing a string, which became the unlikely spark for something far more layered and immersive. That spark soon ignited into a full arrangement thanks to a handful of key collaborators; vocal work from Emily Hatch, textural contributions from Judah Schaeffer, string arrangements by Marco Pescosolido and Nikos Mavridis and trumpet lines courtesy of Vigilance Brandon.

With mixing and production handled by Seth himself and final mastering from Sam Moses, the track takes influence from sonic innovators like Hans Zimmer, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS. Thematically, the song distils the context of waking up to one’s true self while the lyrics are as much a confession as they are a celebration. Opened by the plucks of bass and hushed vocalisations, a moody atmosphere descends wrapped in ominous textures and quivering string tones.

Gradually building with brooding bass timbres and Seth’s quiet yet dark vocal lines, the track flows with the gentle march of shaker rhythms and melancholic string melodies, forming an enveloping soundscape that erupts with the punch of drums and surge of cinematic instrumentation. Casting an all-consuming slice of absorbing alternative pop, Seth’s voice peppers the arrangement with subtly theatrical performance of overlapping vocals tinged with processing.

Swelling to an epic finale before floating back down to the intricate, stripped back aesthetic that started the song, “I Found A Monster” sees Seth Schaeffer make a sensational entrance with a stellar first outing. Now sharing a sonic vision that’s been a lifetime in the making, Seth Schaeffer arrives as a must watch artist with a fiercely original and utterly captivating musical output.

We caught up with Seth Schaeffer to find out more about his musical journey so far, his debut single “I Found A Monster” and what he’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Seth Schaeffer below.

Hey Seth, how’s things?

I’m variably fantastic! I’m continually learning how to balance the thing I’m supposed to work on against the pile of all other unbalanceables. Music production and songwriting are daily parts of my life now, and that’s gold to me. There’s so much music I’m proud of I’ll be releasing soon. For now… I Found a Monster.

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

I almost literally came into this world playing piano, so my earliest memories are likely fabricated from stories family and friends have shared during the holidays. Rumour has it I would stand tip-toed, reaching up to the real ivory keys that I couldn’t see on our enormously tall upright grand piano and find familiar melodies. Rumor has it I could play seven songs before I said my first words.

To be clear, I probably do not actually remember this. 🙂

However, I do remember holding my forehead against the piano, holding the sustain pedal down, and hitting a few notes while a world of sound and story unfolded in front of me as the notes rang out, almost playing games or fighting with each other. Music and sound are my access to myself in this often confusing world: like a first language shaping how you view and understand the world.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

My musical influences and inspiration include (but are very much not limited to): Miles Davis, Sting, Hans Zimmer, MuteMath, Billy Joel, Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross, Daft Punk, and LCD Soundsystem. I’m inspired by rule breakers who carry the torch farther into the unexpected than feels “appropriate” without losing sight of where we came from. They revere the importance of “simple” while unapologetically summoning my attention when it’s time.

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

I try to do things that get me out of my head and into a place of truly listening.

I like to break whatever rules I find I’ve created for myself, and I surround myself with tons of little sound-maker things. If I’m feeling remotely uninspired, I try to add variance and “chaos” to see what happens. I give each potential melody and collection of sounds the credence they deserve, knowing nothing’s technically wrong in music.

For example, if I’ve been playing my real piano, I’ll jump on the synth and turn a bunch of knobs I don’t understand. I’ll close my eyes and hit random notes on little kid’s piano. Sometimes I’ll do this from the other side of the piano or while laying down.

Ideas are truly endless if I don’t judge myself or the idea too quickly.

What’s been your highlight for the year so far?

“I Found a Monster” is my first release, but it represents so much more than a simple single to me. The song and the actual release of it represent overcoming a huge fear that I’m not good enough. I know I’m a capable musician, but it’s all the other things (recording, mixing, mastering, music business setups, etc.) I questioned myself about.

I’ve spent the last few years building a studio, my production chops, and (the hardest) an understanding of the music business. I finally and truly feel enabled to responsibly release new, quality content consistently. I’m so excited to share the next songs with you, too!

What do you love about the Nashville music scene?

I’ve only lived in Nashville for a few years, but I used to come visit relatively often. At the risk of sounding cliché, it was the people in Nashville that drew us to it. In my experience, people ask about your family, struggles, or dreams more than pumping their latest single or asking how you can help them. They’ll show up to help if you run out of gas. They’ll actually show up to collaborate. It has a very positive “let’s do it” vibe with the southern laid back feel, and I’m all for that.

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

As the artist, I love every tone and note, so I’d naturally say I think it’s perfect on amazing headphones in a meditative state.

But for the listener, it might be on a run, or while deep in thought on a drive.

It really is an anthem song for people to stand up. Maybe at a rally for the oppressed?

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

I’m constantly working on stripping out the expectations I’ve placed on myself or have perceived from others, ideally leaving me with just gosh darn good music. The more I mature in this art thing, the less I want to fit in a box. I love so many kinds of music, but for the moment, this daring cinematic vibe has got my attention.

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

I realise “artist” was singular, so here are three.
I think I’d stylistically complement and work well with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
I’d also love to bring some of my “weird” to the pop side of Billie Eilish and FINNEAS.
And from an experience of being part of the mastery of letting the music take you where it needs to go, Sting.

How did you find making your new single “I Found A Monster”?

When I started “I Found A Monster,” I had a pretty clear vision of what it needed to be but lacked many of the production skills to truly get it there quality-wise. I’ve been in music and production a long time, but I’ve always struggled getting the results I really wanted. I took my time on literally everything, not stopping until I was really happy with the results of each process. It was both painful and rejuvenating. I left this process feeling truly enabled and with systems to repeat the process (knowing I’ve appropriately overthought every step).

I’ve ended up with a song that carries a narrow snapshot of my style. I love welcoming people in to musical worlds that go on a journey to somewhere different than where we started.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

I want people to feel enabled to wake themselves up. The “monster,” to me, is the part of me that has been begging to live but caged in fear that it will be known. I had found myself in a world that I built around me where people liked a character I played: not an unfiltered me. The “monster” is the part of me waking up. I’m ready to share my music. I’m starting the daily practice of fully living this ever-evidently, limited gift we have called life.

In short, life’s worth living while we have it.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

I don’t really listen to one artist at a time, but I’d say Bon Iver if I had to pick one. I listen based on mood or exploration, and Bon Iver is likely carrying significant weight into my next release’s production. That said, I tend to go more aggressive than Bon Iver does.

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

I hope people feel encouraged to let the impact of music affect them honestly. My music takes hard turns, and I welcome people to go there with me and trust that we’re going somewhere that’s worth going. Restraint and payoff are so important to my musical listening experience. I hope more than anything, people discover new or reborn feelings when they listen to my music.

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

Oh gosh. Going back to a first. In 2001, some friends of mine dragged me to Folsom Field in Boulder, CO to watch some band I didn’t know about. I listened to their music ahead of time to get a grasp of what they were about, but what I experienced was explosive and euphoric. I’ve been a fan of Dave Matthews Band ever since. Unbeknownst to me, it was being recorded. Every time I hear it back, I get goosebumps and get a faint whiff of the weed-laced, dancing human infused air. It changed a lot for how I understand the impact a live show has on a collective audience.

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

A festival built for Seth Schaeffer would have Mutemath, Coldplay, and Teddy Swims backed by the Colorado Symphony in Aspen, Colorado. I love how symphonic adaptations of songs bring new life and spirit to already great music.

Also, the view’s ridiculous.

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Now, maybe more than ever, the world needs more humans making great art. Share your art. You’re the only one who will create your music, and if you don’t share it, the world will never have that gift (and it might burn a hole in you if you don’t create).

Also, be a student of the industry. Understanding how songwriting, publishing, masters, and their splits work can eliminate a bunch of headaches down the road.

Listen to I Found A Monster below