Ocean Colour Scene/ Merrymouth - Dan Sealey

Songwriter, bass guitarist, vocalist, folk-rooted raconteur and indie-minded troubadour, Dan Sealey occupies a rare space in British music — where stadium-sized indie anthems, fireside folk storytelling, and lived-in humour meet with complete authenticity.

Born in Birmingham, Dan's musical journey is inseparable from the story of Ocean Colour Scene, one of the defining bands to emerge from the 1990s Britpop explosion. Ocean Colour Scene didn't just ride the wave — they outlasted it, building a fiercely loyal following through soul-soaked songwriting, Mod influences, and an uncompromising reputation as one of the great British live bands. Albums such as Moseley Shoals, Marchin' Already and One from the Modern became cultural touchstones, while the band's relentless touring schedule cemented their status on festival main stages and packed theatres across the world.

For over a decade, Dan was a central part of the Ocean Colour Scene touring and recording family, locking in the groove as bassist and backing vocalist while helping drive the band's powerful, communal live sound. Night after night, he stood at the engine room of songs that had already become modern classics, contributing to performances that felt as much like shared celebrations as concerts. Touring internationally, playing headline festival slots, and sharing stages with artists such as Paul Weller, Dan absorbed the DNA of British indie, soul and Mod culture at its highest level — lessons that continue to echo through his music today.

At the heart of this journey is Dan's enduring creative bond with Simon Fowler. Their partnership extended beyond the electric roar of Ocean Colour Scene into something more intimate and exploratory with the formation of Merrymouth. Where OCS delivered widescreen emotion, Merrymouth stripped things back — without losing any intensity. Rooted in folk tradition but filtered through an indie songwriter's sensibility, Merrymouth became a critically admired project that bridged generations and genres.

Merrymouth featured some of the most respected musicians on the UK folk circuit, including multiple BBC Folk Award winners John McCusker and Andy Cutting, and welcomed guest appearances from the late Chas Hodges — a nod to the band's deep affection for English music hall, pub culture and storytelling tradition. Merrymouth's records and live shows were praised for their warmth, melodic craft and emotional honesty, sitting comfortably between folk clubs, indie venues and festival stages.

This folk lineage runs even deeper through Dan's family roots. He re-energised the legendary music-hall-inspired duo Cosmotheka alongside his father Dave, reviving a project that had toured internationally, enjoyed its own BBC Radio 2 programmes, and become beloved for its wit, warmth and character-driven songs. Their return to the road saw headline appearances at major folk festivals including Whitby Folk Week and Sidmouth Folk Festival, proving that humour, heart and harmony never go out of style.

Today, Dan Sealey's solo shows bring all of these threads together. Indie anthems are reimagined with acoustic grace, folk songs carry the swagger of the road, and every performance is threaded with stories — hilarious, heartfelt and occasionally unbelievable — drawn from decades spent touring the world with Ocean Colour Scene, shaping songs with Simon Fowler, and exploring the rich seam of British folk music through Merrymouth and Cosmotheka.

It's a performance that feels handmade but road-hardened, intimate yet anthemic, rooted in tradition but alive with indie spirit. This is not nostalgia. This is a living, breathing body of work — told by a musician who has stood on the biggest stages, sung in the smallest rooms, and knows exactly how to make both feel like home.