Sean Waters & the Sunrise Genius

Raised by Colorado hippies in the 1980s, Sean Waters would get masters degrees in philosophy and education while performing in the jam-rock band Wasabi (‘Best Colorado Jamband’ in Denver’s Westword in 2007) and the indie-folk duo the Seers, one of the “hardest working bands in the region” (The Coloradoan in 2014.)

After more than 1000 shows over 18 years, Waters' demos intrigued L.A.-based producer Justin Andres, who was then the live music director for Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer Eric Burdon and the Animals.

Waters flew to L.A. to record "Easy Graces,"  his solo debut single, which would chart on Hype Machine's "Latest" , with national bloggers praising the production as “grounded, poetic, and striking” (Two Story Melody), and “ruminative Colorado Americana” (Indie is not a Genre).

In early 2020, Waters headlined a sold-out show at the Swing Station. Then the pandemic hit, and Waters dove deeper into his songwriting, studio work, and videography, while still teaching writing remotely as an instructor at Colorado State University. 

He's released 15 singles amassing over 150,000 streams and getting airplay on Locals Only 93.3 KTCL and 105.5 The Colorado Sound. In 2024, his single "Golden Days" caught the ears of an editor at Rolling Stone Espanol, who recommended Waters : “Emerging from the alternative scene in Colorado, Sean Waters & The Sunrise Genius premieres "Golden Days," a new single in their commendable folk-rock repertoire. Acoustic approach, soft voice, mid-tempo, but without necessarily falling into the Jack Johnson mold … subtle arrangements and unpredictable harmonic twists.”

Waters has appeared at the Colorado Showcase at SXSW, The Colorado Brewers' Festival, First Night Fest, Fortoberfest, and other festivals across the front range. In regional press, Sean has been called a "skillful, entertaining and soulful performer." (Coloradoan)