'Some people keep diaries, I make albums'. John Martyn.  

This makes perfect sense.   

I write, record, tour, and repeat.  

‘The End of the rainbow’ is an album of hope and despair. We are surrounded by war and deprivation. Fear and famine. Terror is the daily reality for so many of us. Never have we been so divided, desperate, and alone. At the same time, there will always be hope. Resistance through solidarity, our collective experience, and the power of our shared humanity.

The triumph of tenderness over cruelty.  

The album begins with 'Berlin', a song about a week I spent in one of the most vibrant and inspirational cities in the world.

'Eternal Damnation', '2024' and 'The End' are songs about the darkness of the world, but it’s not as though we have a choice. Life doesn't come with an alternative. No matter - 'we have to carry on' and we should 'always ask for more' ...  

‘Invitation’ explores the challenging nature of relationships and loving, despite our imperfections.  

'Mary Jane' is London-town Americana, a celebration with mandolins and banjos.  

'DWP' is my own experience of trying to get help as a self-employed musician. The humiliation of being treated like dirt has pushed so many vulnerable people over the edge. This song is dedicated to those damaged and destroyed by a deliberately broken system. We are all Daniel Blake.

'Searching For Skip James' is the 1964 wonderfully true story of rediscovering blues legend Skip James in Mississippi.  The song was inspired by the film 'Two Trains Running' which blends the civil rights murders with the search for Skip James and Son House.  

'Way Down In Enniscorthy' is the boogie-woogie take on the amazing (and crazy) Wexford town. Home to blues festivals and the Slaney River. 

‘Only Beauty Can Save The World’ is the call for universal human rights. Unless rights are universal, they are meaningless.

The album concludes with the hopeful hippie call of 'Gaia'. An embrace of our connections, and the belief that Mother Earth will always repair itself. 

The album title ‘The End of the Rainbow’ is lifted from the lyrics to ‘Eternal Damnation’. All songs are written by Sean Taylor, except ‘DWP’ which was written by Sean Taylor and Mike Seal.  

‘The End of the rainbow’ is the second collaboration between Sean Taylor and Brighton-based producer Ben Walker.  

Album Credits

Sean Taylor – Vocals, Guitars, Piano & Harmonica  
Ben Walker – Guitars, Banjo, Mandolin & Keyboards  
Mike Seal – Double Bass & Electric Bass  
Paulina Szczepaniak – Percussion & Drums 
Errol Linton – Harmonica on ‘2024’  
Justin Carroll – Hammond Organ on ‘2024’ 
Brian Standefer – Cello on ‘Invitation’  
Basia Bartz – Violin on ‘Only Beauty Can Save The World’Donna Edmead – Backing Vocals on ‘2024’ , ‘Way Down In Enniscorthy’ & ‘Gaia’   

Album recorded, produced & mixed by Ben Walker  
Mastered by Mark Hallman
Photography by Nick Barber
Design by Niall McCormack