Christian Sean unveils his debut album Hallelujah Showers.

Montreal-based artist Christian Sean is stepping into the spotlight with his debut solo album, Hallelujah Showers, set for release on January 31st. Known for his work as a singer, producer, and collaborator across genres, Christian Sean has crafted an album that blends lush, intricate arrangements with raw, experimental textures. In this Q&A, he shares insights into the creative process behind Hallelujah Showers, the influence of his nomadic upbringing, and the surprising sources of inspiration that shaped his sound.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

Hello, I’m Christian Sean, a singer, producer, music maker from Montreal. I make all sorts of music with all sorts of people, but I’m putting out my first solo album called Hallelujah Showers on January 31st. I’m not sure I’m best suited to define the music I make, but if I had to, I would call it progressive pop music.

Your debut album, Hallelujah Showers, balances lush arrangements with raw, experimental sounds. How did you navigate blending these elements to create something that feels both innovative and pop-centric?

It takes a while to get the correct balance. It’s a really a matter of applying my own taste to whatever task is at hand, to achieve that satisfying blend of beauty, darkness, clarity, mystery, sweetness, abrasion. Swinging back and forth between those poles, until the song feels as correct as my talents can make it.

Growing up in a nomadic lifestyle and later settling in Montreal, how has your unique upbringing shaped your approach to music and storytelling?

It’s hard to tell. I may be a bit too young still to assess that. Ask me again in 10 years or so and maybe I’ll have some insight. It’s certainly influenced my character. Perhaps it created tendency to feel more at home within my own mind, which can be helpful as an artist.

You’ve described the album as a moment of catharsis and a reflection of your identity. What was the most challenging part of getting your soul down on record, and how did you overcome it?

I struggled for a while with the overall direction of the album. Things began to flow precisely when I stopped trying so hard to tie the songs together meaningfully at an early stage. I’ve come to realize that the process will always be a mystery. You just carry on, applying your artistic sense to the project, without trying to over-emote or say something too deliberate, because that tends to break the spell. Usually toward to end of the project, it all comes together and reveals its connection to what was going on in your psyche. It’s like performing a magic trick on yourself.

“Cold Water” became a keystone for the album’s direction. Can you elaborate on how this song influenced the rest of the project’s sound and themes?

I had been trying to crack that one for while without any success. I was going to throw it away, and pretty much give up on the project as a whole. When it finally did come together, it felt like I had surprised myself artistically for the first time in ages. Finishing it gave me validation that my experiments didn’t all lead to dead ends. That confidence kicked open the door for the rest of the songs on the album to come through.

Your track “Eventide” came together in just 30 minutes. Do you often rely on instinctual creativity, or is your process usually more deliberate?

Only some songs come that way, fully formed. Most of them come in pieces, and you have to hammer and nail them together, then smooth them out through sheer persistence. 

Environmental themes play a significant role in Hallelujah Showers, especially on “All In Your Hands.” How do you see music as a vehicle for addressing eco-crises and inspiring change?

The song is wide open. It could mean many things, and be directed at many targets. It’s not so much a call to arms, it’s more about an overwhelming feeling. That feeling of powerlessness of having our futures lay in the hands of ignorant men, but also knowing that wherever injustice is, karma is close behind. 

You’ve cited influences like Brian Wilson, Sufjan Stevens, and Panda Bear. How do these artists inform your sound, and are there any unexpected influences that played a role in this album?

Oh, definitely. The groove for my song All in your Hands was lifted from Santana’s Maria, Maria.

Eventide was modelled off of Baby One More Time. The idea for Cold Water came from an old Missy Elliott track. You would never know.

Montreal’s music scene has been a fertile ground for experimentation. How has the city and its creative community impacted your evolution as an artist?

Growing up here, underground venues were abundant, rehearsal spaces cheap, winters long and harsh. Those things are all conducive to unique art. People aren’t as high strung. Monetization isn’t our primary objective. Some of the biggest indie superstars have come out of Montreal, and conquered the world on their own terms. It gives you the sense that maybe you could do it too. The city has a mystery, a magic that needs protecting.

The pandemic gave you space to reset and find clarity in your music. How did that period influence your creative process and the themes you explored in Hallelujah Showers?

Hallelujah Showers is an inward looking album. It’s an album about one person looking back on events and observing emotional truths that couldn’t be processed during moments of crisis. To make that kind of record requires stillness, solitude. I couldn’t have made this album at any other time.

“Little Dove” transformed from a fingerpicked ballad into a grand sonic sculpture. Do you often allow songs to evolve radically during production, or is this a rare exception?

Yes, I do! Sometimes to a fault. All of my songs go through many iterations before settling into their final form. I keep tearing them down and building them up again, looking at them front different angles. You can usually find something worth keeping in each version, or at least some clarity into what the song shouldn’t be.

The title Hallelujah Showers is striking and evocative. What does the title represent to you, and how does it encapsulate the themes of the album?

In this religious organization my family was a part of, they would live communally, sometimes up to 50 or more people in the same household.  There would be no hot water, of course, so everyone had to take cold showers. They would call them Hallelujah showers. So it’s just another way of saying cold water. It’s not something I experienced firsthand, but the words always stuck with me. When it came time to name the album, I noticed that water kept recurring as a symbol in the lyrics for almost every song, which wasn’t at all intentional. Water symbolizes the unconscious, the emotional world, what binds people together invisibly. Looking at the work as a whole, It became obvious that this was my water album.

What do you love right now?

This Australian comedy sitcom from the early 2000s called Kath & Kim. I’m obsessed.

What do you hate right now?

Hate is a strong word. Maybe too much screen time?

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

Toxicity by System of a Down! The bridge to Prison Song, the opening track, goes : “All research and successful drug policy shows that treatment should be increased, and law enforcement decreased while abolishing mandatory minimum sentences.”

Those are actual lyrics. When I first heard that as an 8 year old, I didn’t have a clue what it meant. When I hear it today, it just hits like freight train. Keep in mind, this album came out the same week as 9/11. Two days after September 11th, Serj Tankian, the lead singer and lyricist, published this essay called “Understanding Oil” , an analysis of US foreign policy in the Middle East that feels hauntingly relevant today. The band was lambasted by the American press, threatened, and blacklisted, but ultimately stuck to their guns. And beyond that, the album is wildly creative, cathartic, exciting. It was produced by Rick Rubin and like all of his best work, has aged beautifully. I can’t think of another album this weird that hast sold 12 million copies. A stone cold classic.

Looking beyond this album, you’ve said it feels like your first step. Where do you see yourself heading creatively in the future, and are there any new directions you’re eager to explore?

It’s hard to tell, but I would like my next project to be more collaborative. Hallelujah Showers was really a solitary work, and I went about it like a lone painter, or a beat maker would. Next time, I would like to bring in more musicians, singers, producers. Capture performances rather than sculpt sound endlessly.