Under the Radar: Sean By Mercy
Sean Lionadh’s brooding yet beautiful songs look set to win him an even bigger following in 2026, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon
Sean By Mercy is the music project of multi-award-winning poet, filmmaker and artist Sean Lionadh, whose haunting, powerhouse vocal sits at the centre of dark, poetic pop-rock epics. His songs are brooding yet beautiful, tortured yet hopeful.
Lionadh first rose to prominence when his film/poem Time for Love, confronting homophobia in modern society, was published with BBC The Social. It went viral, with over 16 million views, won a Royal Television Society Award, led to a TED Talk and best-selling poetry book. Additionally, his lyrics are carved into a statue in Glasgow Central Station for COP26 Hope Sculpture project.
Live, Sean By Mercy are a powerful six-piece featuring collaborator and co-producer Kyle Stewart, Ewan Laing, Dorian Cloudsley, Rachel Wilson, Dylan Kilgour and Dean Cargill. They’ve been championed by The Glasgow Guardian and Amazing Radio, been featured across BBC Radio, and performed at LGBTQ+ night Queer Theory and Sofar Sounds.
New single Death by Love is released on 16 January, with videos, gigs and more music due throughout 2026 https://www.instagram.com/seanbymercy/
Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, see www.borntobewide.co.uk
Off Axis Tours CIC is a radical, musician-led social enterprise offering the fairest financial model on the market. Artists retain 100% of ticket profits, tour the UK, via a unique gig-swap system, and perform at festivals. Since launching, Off Axis has delivered over 300 gigs, paid £50,000 directly to artists, boosted venue attendance by up to 40%, and reached nearly 30,000 music fans. Visit https://offaxisgigs.com
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