Seann Medicina is a singer-songwriter from Ottawa, Canada. He envelopes listeners with a distinctive blend of Folk, Rock and indie influences drawing from his life experiences and world travels. Weaving lyrics with elegant simplicity and robust honesty, he journeys through feelings of connection, vulnerability and empowerment with his dynamic guitar and versatile voice.
His 2023 debut EP, As within So Without, embraces the joy of connecting with nature, love and divinity, inspired from his adventures in South America.
With As within So Without out now, we took some time to hear from Seann Medicina. Read below to learn more about Seann Medicina, the story behind As within So Without, and what’s to come.
Hi Seann Medicina! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Much of my personal healing and transformation was the result of travels in South America at plant medicine ceremonies. Seann is actually a play on words in Spanish, and it means ‘Be medicine.’ That is to say, be the catalyst for healing yourself and others.
What city are you from and where are you based now?
I currently live in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. But, my heart is not bound to any geographical place. I am a child of the Earth! Haha.
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
Doing retreats in Peru planted the seeds of my musical development. It is where I began singing and playing songs. Composition came naturally. But, really it was only a hobby until this year (2025). Once I saw that my music could give people respite from their stresses, I started to believe in my own value.
Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?
In my youth, I was influenced by hard rock and metal from the 80s! Yes, I am old! Surprisingly though, when you step through the intensity of that music, it can be quite harmonious. Many of those guys were seasoned, even classically influenced musicians.
So those were my foundations, but the soul of my songs comes from a different place, where I found spirit and peace in the jungle. Once I started to really listen, I found my own voice inside.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
This release is a blend of medicine music and folk rock. Some of my friends call in transcendental folk, but that’s a bit oversold, haha.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Connecting with nature is vital for me, to stay grounded, to remind myself that I am not my mind, that the worries of life are invented and often a mere decision away from being released.
I love connecting with people too, with total strangers, because they always have something new to share, a new perspective, a different story.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
As mentioned earlier, rock and metal had a big impact on my youth. Where things shift though is later in life, where I was so enamored with film composers, such as Hans Zimmer, Basil Poledouris, John Williams, etc. I developed an appreciation for the unspoken, less intense world of emoting with sound. Then, in recent years, the simple melodies of ikaros and tribal chants somehow grounded me again.
Who would be a dream to collaborate with?
Performing an original symphonic score with a modern symphony combined with Shipibo elders singing ikaros, weaving a hypnotic tapestry of sonic bliss!
What are some of your future music career goals?
To create is the purest of joys, but also the meanest of frustrations. But, if I create something that I feel good about, then I have some fulfillment. The true goal though is to connect with others, so that we can all resonate on the same musing, the same experience together authentically.
What’s one of the proudest moments of your music career so far?
There was a lady who was in deep struggle in her personal life, with depression and grief, and she said the song, ‘Hey-O,’ took her away to a place in heart where she could witness herself and heal. To me, it was the most touching thing anyone has told me. It has value beyond measure to know I helped in such a way.
What would you say are the greatest lessons that you’ve learned so far?
Perfect does not exist. Failure does exist. These are mental inventions. There is only the truth of the moment, when you receive, when you express, when you perform. If you are 100 percent present, then that is the best you can do.
Now onto your release, As within So Without. What inspired this project?
The cover of the album is a painting from a friend in Peru, Paolo del Aguila. When I saw it, I saw how it represented a view of the external as somehow being a projection of our inner landscape, and then the echo and paradoxical relationship it has with how we experience life subjectively. So, when connecting with nature, dissolving the notions of separation and self, we find our own connection and individuated self within the infinite. I know it sounds heady, so the vibe is conveyed as simple listening and connection, without intellectual inquiry. If you feel gratitude after listening to it, then that would joyous victory for me!
What is the overall theme of As within So Without?
The overall theme is connection with nature and letting that heal and align us with our true nature, which is divine. I know it can sound corny, but when we step away from our worries and thoughts and listen to the song of life, our hearts sing back to it because we are part of it.
Is there a specific song on As within So Without that speaks to you the most? If so, what is it called, and what is it about?
I think ‘Iki i Shamanquin’ best captures the whole message or intention at hand. Even though the title is a Shipibo phrase, the language of gratitude goes beyond linguistic barriers. It means to sing with all your heart, which is how the Shipibo measure excellence! So, when we connect and feel gratitude, our hearts sing!
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from As within So Without?
My sincerest hope is that they feel that they belong here and now on this Earth in this life, no matter what their circumstance, that their hearts know they are loved and witnessed and understood, and that they can choose to be more, to be happy, to feel loved, and that when they shine, the divine everywhere shines with them.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects, or do you have any upcoming shows that we should be on the lookout for?
I am currently working on another EP titled, Bad Selfie, which should be released this summer. It’s bigger budget, bigger sound, broader themes. Expect freshness, but also light and dark!
Until then, I will be doing occasional performances in Ottawa. I am trying to form a more permanent band rather than just studio collaborators. Once this is set, I can engage the public with greater scope.
Where can we follow you on social media?
For now, I am only available on a few selected platforms with minimal content, but more is coming:
https://www.instagram.com/seann.medicina/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6KIndGFpzZ6mzXSpuAhYJf
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nBO9IhYEbLsVxjXdr_TAF8OWaV_0b0XrI
https://www.youtube.com/@SeannMedicina11-11
Before you go, let’s ask you something random. What is the best food experience that you’ve had?
One of the best food experiences that I ever had was picking fresh mangos, then wading out into the surf, eating them with bare hands, with juice all over my hands and face, and not caring because I could just dive into the water and wash it off!
Thank you for the great interview; wish you much continued success!
