Exclusive Interview: Sean Sobash Talks Getting Into The Music Industry, Managing Balance on the Road, Nostalgia For a Time That Never Existed Tour, and More
- Mikaila Storrs
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
Before hopping on a red-eye to his next show, touring bassist Sean Sobash took some time to chat with us over Zoom about his whirlwind journey in the music industry. He shared how he got his start in the world of touring in a pretty unexpected way—selling shoes for Blink-182. Now, he’s gone on to play bass on tour around the world with artists like Dominic Fike, Remi Wolf, lovelytheband, and Luke Hemmings. We talked about what he's learned about the ups and downs of life on the road, our favorite memories from Luke Hemmings’ Nostalgia for a Time That Never Existed tour, and how he manages to stay grounded despite the nonstop pace. Finding himself in a rare off-tour era, Sean also opened up about his plans to create solo music again, offered some honest advice for anyone chasing a career in music, and reflected on what it really means to make it in this industry.
Sean wasn’t always traveling the world with your favorite headline name musicians, so we started by going back to the beginning of his musical journey. He says, “I was actually more into sports as a kid. But my mom sang in church, and I didn't like sitting through church. So the best option for me was to play in the band.” He began on guitar, until his neighbor, who had a band, invited him over and said, “We need a bassist. Do you want to play bass?” And that was the start of what would ultimately turn into a career.
His first experience on tour, interestingly enough, didn't involve music at all. Growing up in San Diego, his mom went to church with the manager of Blink-182's Tom DeLonge, and at the time, DeLonge had just launched a shoe company. Sean started by helping out at the warehouse and eventually joined the team as a brand rep on tour with My Chemical Romance and Blink-182. Being out on the road sparked something in him.
“I thought about it when I was there every night watching Blink. I was like, 'This is so fun. I love this. I want to be on stage.'” - Sean Sobash
Eventually, he made the move to LA and started picking up gigs as a touring bassist. One of his first big breaks was hitting the road with a then-up-and-coming Dominic Fike, starting as a member of Dominic's trio band in club venues. He went on to tour the world with Remi Wolf, hit major festivals like Coachella, and even joined Derek Hough’s Las Vegas residency. With such a wide variety of artists on his roster, we had to ask how he manages to adapt his style to fit each one. He credits his diverse musical upbringing for that. “I was always kind of dragged in different genres because I was doing, you know, youth orchestra in a tuxedo. And then I'd go to play with my band and try to look cool, whatever the cool thing was back then.”
Along the way, he’s also performed with artists like lovelytheband, Rooney, Heather, and many more. He reflected on a particularly funny memory when playing with Heather, opening up for Dominic Fike in 2023, when it was so hot in Chicago that they actually ended up jumping in the lake. "I just remember it was like so hot out and we all just jumped in before and it felt so good."
The conversation then turned to how Abby and I first met, which naturally led us to talking about Sean’s time touring with Luke Hemmings. We had both attended multiple shows last summer on the Nostalgia for a Time That Never Existed Tour (where Sean, fun fact, actually gave Abby a guitar pick), so we were especially curious about how that opportunity came together. “That was a really fun time because of the drummer I play with all the time, Max, and then, I know Neara really well, the keyboardist that was doing it,” he shared.
He went on to explain, “I didn’t know Luke until that tour started. He’s a great guy. Such a cool guy. So detail-oriented, hardworking, like most people that are at his level.” When we asked about his favorite memories from the tour, one moment stood out in particular: “I would get really excited when we played Europe. That was really fun because we went to Poland, and I’d never been to Poland. And he is so popular in Poland. It was crazy. We played a hockey rink, 6,000 screaming Polish people."
Life as a touring musician offers a unique perspective on the world, and Sean reflected on just how eye-opening it can be. “It’s really cool to get out of your bubble, and you get to experience so many different cultures,” he shared. “You really get to see so much and realize, you know, how lucky we are sometimes in America.”
But of course, life on the road isn’t always glamorous. We talked about the challenge of staying grounded when touring becomes your version of normal. “It’s easy to get out of balance on the road. It’s sort of easy to always be partying, too. And I think as I get older, I’m luckily getting away from partying too much. And I’m trying to be more present.” To help maintain that sense of balance and separate his musical life from the real world, Sean makes a point of carving out time for other interests. “Getting out of the room and finding other activities—I like to golf, so I bring my golf clubs a lot. Or I go to a casino, play poker. For me now, I have to get away from music a little.”
When it comes to playing with other artists, Sean admits there isn’t always a lot of room for creative expression. But now that he’s spending less time on the road, he’s hoping to shift his focus back to making music of his own. “As a kid, all I did was write songs with my neighbor, and we had bands and stuff. I always try to remind myself, the reason why I started playing music was because of that. And it kind of gets lost over the years when you're like, 'I have to make money now.'” He compares the process of returning to songwriting to getting back into the gym after a long break—challenging at first, but worth the effort. Reconnecting with that early passion is a personal goal he’s setting for himself this year.
As our conversation came to a close, we asked Sean what advice he’d give to someone looking to break into the music industry. His answer was both practical and encouraging: “I think it’s important to put a lot of work in at first. But I guess for what I do, is really be aware of styles. The more you know about all different genres or the genre you want to specialize in, the better.”
At the heart of it, Sean believes success comes from dedication and creative resilience. “If you do it long enough, you’ll have mild success, no matter what—whether it’s superstardom or just mild success, some fans and some listeners—and it’ll be fulfilling.”
Watch All The Things Music: The Podcast x Sean Sobash here:
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