Sean Chapin Of Podium Butterfly
BIOGRAPHY
Podium Butterfly is a passion project of creating uplifting songs that empower and celebrate queer authenticity.
The project was born in 2023, when longtime songwriter and producer Sean Chapin returned to his hobby after a prolonged break, energized to embark on a deeper musical purpose. After experiencing homophobia as an out gay person, while watching different folks face many kinds of marginalization, he recognized the need for songs that gives hope for a more inclusive future for everyone, including queer folk, and songs that helps foster understanding across our differences. Adopting a new artist name that signals his oath to overcome fear and embrace wonder, Podium Butterfly is also inspired by his husband, Matthew Schweitzer, whose lifelong mission is to leave the world better than they found it.
Podium Butterfly’s debut album, called And Here We Are, is a love letter about his queer experiences and his desire for queer empowerment. The music explores many flavors of pop with electro rock sensibilities and fun vibes. The album’s message across its nine songs is that the good in this world is worth the risk we face to become better versions of ourselves, especially for those of us who are queer. The album was released on National Coming Out Day, October 11, 2024, to highlight the ongoing struggle that many queer people continue to face in showing our authenticity and realizing our empowerment.
The album features four singles:
“We Got This - a breezy love song and true story about becoming boyfriends while showing the world “just who we are”
“Inaccessible” - a groovy and infectious bop about claiming our seat at the table and yearning to thrive
“End Of The Rainbow” - an uplifting anthem about connecting the queer community across generations and being difference makers beyond our sight
“Sing Our Humanity” - a pulsing and joyous rallying call to empower our authenticity with gaiety and delight
Podium Butterfly uses an AI voice to reflect his authentic lived experience, including his queer identity, and help raise awareness about how marginalized folks sometimes feel invisible, misunderstood or unsafe to show their full selves. The lyrics, melodies and harmonies are all original, while the AI voice, which is ethically based on a real human voice through Synthesizer V software, helps shape the singing in a way that best represents Podium Butterfly’s songwriting and performing vision and overall authenticity of the songs.
