Sean De Tore is Jesus!!! Now that I have your attention, Sean De Tore is not Jesus, but he is a shepherd of sorts these days, hosting a podcast called the mixtape, in which Sean guides listeners through the jungle of local Seattle bands with interviews and in-studio performances, along with an occasional on-air game of Battleship. His interviews are informed and hilarious, the bands are always great, and Sean’s shining personality makes the show a spotlight for anyone looking for something fresh. Turning a new chapter perhaps, Sean is now taking his show from the studio and out into the open with the mixtape Presents: The Aural Pleasure Tour – a concert extravaganza slated for this Saturday, featuring three bands and what promises to be an electrifying MC performance by the man himself.

I got to chat with Sean a little about his past, the future, and the musical present. Here’s how it went:

Dominic Cortese: What is your background in the entertainment world and how did you come to be such a music fan?

Sean De Tore: Great question! I guess my background with entertainment could go all the way back to my high school and college days when I took part in drama, acting and film classes. In college, I made short films and wrote scripts, which sometimes became films. I always enjoyed acting but I never thought I was very good at it. That’s what they all say, right? After college I got a job at a local TV station in Spokane, WA, which opened my eyes to a whole new world of entertainment possibilities. I worked there for two years then a bit of life happened: I moved back home to Seattle, then to England, then back to Seattle where I found a job in radio. I worked at 107.7 the end for a while as a street team member. Shortly after getting that job I got another job at KIRO radio. I hustled them both for as long as I could until one of the stations changed parent companies and that’s when I had to choose between music and news.

Because I could make more money and have a better shift, I chose news. I worked weekends for a while, then weekdays. It wasn’t until the nighttime sports show on the verge of cancelation that I caught a break. I had been pulled on air by various hosts over the years but nothing as substantial as when Too Beautiful to Live (TBTL) became the nighttime resident. That’s when things sort of changed and I slowly became someone that people knew and recognized. That show ran for two years on the air and when it got canceled, Luke Burbank – the host of the show – turned it into a podcast, which is still in existence today.

Shortly after TBTL went off the air, that’s when I decided to create a podcast of my own. I’ve been hosting and producing the mixtape for almost 4 years now and it’s still growing and changing with every episode that I produce. What started off as just me talking about music and playing music a la some DJ on some radio station has now become more interview-driven with different bands and prominent people in the music industry dropping by to chat and listen to me make dumb jokes. I’ve always been a fan of music. I don’t remember when it really hit but I know that in high school I would always escape to my room and listen to music. I loved putting on a CD and reading the liner notes and lyrics as it would play. Shit, I still do that.

DC: The Barboza “Aural Pleasure” show seems to be a celebration of the podcast and its guests as well as a step in a new direction for the mixtape – in your wildest dreams, where would you like the mixtape to go?

SD: You’re absolutely correct. This mixtape event is a celebration of both the podcast and the various guests that have been cool enough to drop by to chat about music. I would love to see the mixtape picked up by some other stations – that would be really cool. Being able to spread the word about all of the awesome bands coming from Seattle right now would be great. I would definitely love to host more concert events in the future. We’ll see how this one goes. It’s been a learning process for sure. All in all though, this experience has been really fun!

DC:  You consistently have amazing bands on your show, some real local super stars. What is your process in picking bands to interview and how does the mixtape try to approach interviews?

SD: I don’t necessarily have a process… After I hear a band that I like, I reach out to see if there’s any interest in chatting. If the band says yes, then that’s a win!

The vibe I go for is that of friends hanging out. I like to hopefully have the chat be very natural and chill. Throw in a few bad jokes (from yours truly) and some basic knowledge about the subject of the interview and BOOM, success 101.

DC: Alright, last question – it’s a is two-parter! As a frequent show-goer, what are your top 5 favorite places to see a band? ANNND what are you listening to right now in the local scene?

SD: In no particular order: The Sunset Tavern, The Crocodile, The Gorge, The Neptune, Chop Suey – and Barboza of course! (shameless plug). And right now, I’m listening to Gold Wolf Galaxy, Goodbye Heart, English Gardens and The Jesus Rehab *wink*.

DC: I love it dude! You’re amazing, the mixtape is amazing, and the Barboza show is going to be equally amazing! Thank you so much for your time, you the man!!!!

SD: Thanks so much for the interview, Dom!

Sean’s “Aural Pleasure” show will be Saturday, June 29th at Barboza in Capitol Hill and features Natalie Quist, Jeremy Burk, and The Glass Notes. Festivities, which will include a raffle, band interviews and a free acoustic CD give-away begin at 7PM.

(It is also worth noting that Sean is one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met, and we here at The Monarch think he and the mixtape are destined for greatness.)

—Dominic Cortese, music writer, The Monarch Review