About Seamus Fennessy

by Jacob Michael

With a growling voice and witty lyrics in tow, Seamus Fennessy, lead vocalist/guitarist of Lo Beggar, has always brought a curiously welcomed grit to the Nashville quintet. Though he is known among his friends as lighthearted and goofy, Fennessy also expresses insights that define the tone of Lo Beggar’s songs, drawing from influences such as songwriter Kevin Devine and alternative rock mainstay Brand New, his favorite band. “A lot of my songs are about maturing and realizing how much control I don’t have over my emotions or beliefs,” he confessed.

Early Days

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Seamus Fennessy grew up in a devout, Irish Catholic household with a sister, a father in sales and a homemaking mother. Though he had always enjoyed music, he didn’t start playing any instruments until a classical guitar class during his sophomore year. As he dedicated more time to his craft, Fennessy discovered a new passion in playing guitar. He also found inspiration in Brand New’s honest songwriting and gritty music . He attended a local tech college in South Carolina before enrolling at Middle Tennessee State University as an audio production major.

College Years and Beyond

Up until college, Fennessy dabbled in songwriting, having only two finished works to his name. However, neither of the songs had been produced until an opportunity came along to record one of his songs, “Teeth,” as part of a group project. While he was diligent in the project, his work ethic didn’t carry over into his other classes, resulting in multiple failed applications for candidacy in MTSU’s Recording Industry program. At year’s end, Fennessy dropped out and worked in food service while writing music on the side.

Earlier in college, Fennessy met Chad King, a fellow audio production major/guitarist who quickly became a dear friend. The two remained close throughout college and reconnected to play together in 2014. After presenting two songs he wrote to King, Fennessy partnered with King to form Lo Beggar in early 2015. Fennessy is quick to credit his bandmates with bringing new life to his songs and giving him confidence as a musician.

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