Sean Tobin & the Boardwalk Fire

Born and raised on the New Jersey shore, Sean Tobin was influenced by folk-singing troubadours and high-energy rockers alike. His high-energy performances and rock n’ roll-tinged releases are mostly due to his upbringing in the Jersey Shore bar scene. Tobin honed his craft playing countless shows in dives, clubs, and basements and during his time busking on the streets of Galway, Ireland, throughout 2015 and 2017.  He has performed at such festivals as SXSW, Americanafest, North2Shore, and Frank Turner’s Lost Evenings, and has opened for the likes of Jason Isbell, Rhett Miller, and many more.

With four full-length albums, three EPs and hundreds of shows under his belt, Sean Tobin released his fifth album, Seasick, in 2025. After leaving his home state of NJ for Nashville in 2023, Tobin yearned for the ocean that once graced his backyard. The move to Nashville was a rite of passage in Tobin’s eyes, one that was necessary for his career if he ever wanted to make it beyond the northeastern dives he had become so accustomed to playing. But at what cost? 

Seasick, Tobin’s forthcoming album, navigates the uncomfortability of change in an effort to grow. With lyrics reminiscent of folk troubadours and alternative poets alike, Tobin creates a soundscape all his own, blending the sounds of middle America with those of his home state in a genre he has dubbed “Shorebreak.”

“Every time I think I’ve gone as far as I can go, I push a little further,” says Tobin. “Seasick is the record I’ve been trying to make since I started out in 2018. Horns, pedal steel, live tracking… I’m prouder than ever.”

Seasick, Tobin’s fifth LP, will be released on October 24, 2025. New singles from the record will be released between now and then.