Draft:Seán Griffin (musician)
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This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion for music. The draft requires either:
Declined by Nil NZ 8 months ago.
or multiple published secondary sources that:
Please add references that meet these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia. It is often easier to prove the notability of an album or artist than an individual song or band member. If the subject is not yet notable, consider improving a relevant existing article instead. | |
Comment: Our eligibility criteria for musicians requires significant coverage in independent, reliable sources. As all the sources are either interviews with Griffin, or to his own website, none of them appear to be WP:Independent of Griffin. Nil🥝 05:45, 11 December 2025 (UTC)
Seán Griffin | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1974 Danbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Irish punk · folk punk · Americana · garage rock · alternative rock · alt-country |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instrument | Vocals · guitar · bodhrán |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Member of | The Ruffians |
| Formerly of | Svelte |
Spouse | Julie Griffin (m. April 2005)[1] |
| Website | |
Seán Griffin (born March 12, 1974)[2] is an American singer-songwriter from the New York Celtic-punk scene.[3] He is best known as the frontman and main songwriter of the long-running band The Ruffians[4] and since 2025 has been releasing solo records.[5]
Griffin grew up in Danbury, Connecticut and started playing in clubs while still in his teens. While a student at SUNY Purchase he established the alternative-rock group Svelte, active between 1994 and 1997. In the late 1990s he moved to New York City and co-founded The Ruffians with his brother Dan Griffin, mixing Irish traditional music with punk energy. The band became a regular act in the city's Irish pubs and rock venues, often opening for Shane MacGowan's Popes and Black 47.[6]
In 2023 Griffin released a remastered version of Svelte's old demo tape under the title Snack.[7]
His solo career began in earnest in 2025 with three singles — "People Are Mad," "Rocks Off," and the holiday song "I'm In Love for Christmas" (written December 2004 after meeting his future wife)[8] — all leading up to the album People Are Mad, due in April 2026 on Right Track Records. The recordings were produced by Kenny Siegal, engineered by Matthew Cullen, mixed by Paul Kolderie, and mastered by Greg Calbi.[9]
Griffin lives in Kingston, New York with his wife Julie and their six children.[10]
Early life
[edit]Seán Griffin was born into a large Irish-American family in Danbury, Connecticut, one of five children raised by teacher parents immersed in traditional music.[11]
His father sang in a barbershop quartet and shared 1950s–1960s tunes, while his mother played accordion and step-danced, fostering early exposure through church, school chorus, family car rides, and home performances.[12]
Griffin began writing songs and formed his first band in high school, initially studying voice at Purchase College, SUNY before switching to composition.[13]
Punk and alternative rock sparked his passion as a teenager, with influences like The Clash, Ramones, Pogues, and Oasis shifting him from Brit-pop band Svelte toward Celtic punk.[14]
Career
[edit]Griffin formed the alternative-rock band Svelte while studying at SUNY Purchase (1994–1997), releasing a demo later remastered as the 2023 EP Snack.[15][16]
He co-founded The Ruffians in the late 1990s, blending Irish traditional music with punk; the band became known for rowdy NYC gigs opening for acts like Black 47.[17] Their 2002 EP Together for Christmas earned a 3.5-star review from veteran music critic Jim DeRogatis in the Chicago Sun-Times, calling them "an American, Gen Y version of the Pogues," and praise as an "entertaining, hard-edged" release in the New York Daily News.[18][19]
Griffin's 2025 solo singles, including "People Are Mad" and the holiday track "I'm In Love for Christmas," drew reviews highlighting his punk-folk satire, production by Kenny Siegal, and personal storytelling. Griffin's holiday single 'I'm In Love for Christmas' received airplay on WFUV's Ceol na nGael program in December 2025."[20][21][22][23][24][25]
Discography
[edit]Solo / archival
[edit]- Snack (remastered Svelte demo) (2023) Snack – EP (Spotify)
- People Are Mad (2026)
Singles
[edit]- "People Are Mad" (2025) "People Are Mad" (Spotify)
- "Rocks Off" (2025) "Rocks Off" (Spotify)
- "I'm In Love for Christmas" (2025) "I'm In Love for Christmas" (Spotify)
With The Ruffians
[edit]- Naked and Famous (EP, 2001) Naked and Famous (Spotify)
- Together for Christmas (EP, 2002) Together for Christmas (Spotify)
- Live at CBGB's: The Official Bootleg (live album, 2004) Live at CBGB's: The Official Bootleg (Spotify)
References
[edit]- ↑ "MAGNET Exclusive: Premiere Of Sean Griffin's "I'm In Love For Christmas"". Magnet Magazine. 2025-11-06. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Kingston-based Irish musician Sean Griffin discusses his new single". Main Street Magazine. 2025-09-09. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Griffin's a Ruffian ready for fame". Irish Echo. 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ Jim DeRogatis (2002-12-15). "Holiday hits--and CD misses, too". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "'People Are Mad' is a catchy and multi-faceted new release from Seán Griffin". Clout. 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Griffin's a Ruffian ready for fame". Irish Echo. 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ Snack - EP. 2023 – via Spotify.
- ↑ "MAGNET Exclusive: Premiere Of Sean Griffin's "I'm In Love For Christmas"". Magnet Magazine. 2025-11-06. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Kingston-based Irish musician Sean Griffin discusses his new single, "People Are Mad"". Main Street Magazine. 2025-09-09. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Ten Minutes with... Sean Griffin". The Irish Post. 2025-11-14. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Kingston-based Irish musician Sean Griffin discusses his new single". Main Street Magazine. 2025-09-09. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "5 Albums I Can't Live Without: Seán Griffin of the Ruffians". SPIN. 2025-09-04. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Kingston-based Irish musician Sean Griffin discusses his new single". Main Street Magazine. 2025-09-09. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "5 Albums I Can't Live Without: Seán Griffin of the Ruffians". SPIN. 2025-09-04. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ Snack - EP. 2023 – via Spotify.
- ↑ "Kingston-based Irish musician Sean Griffin discusses his new single, "People Are Mad"". Main Street Magazine. 2025-09-09. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Griffin's a Ruffian ready for fame". Irish Echo. 2011-02-15. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ Jim DeRogatis (2002-12-15). "Holiday hits--and CD misses, too". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ David Hinckley (2002-11-29). "Mainly a twang bill this year, but other genres have their say". New York Daily News. p. 62. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "WFUV On Air Playlist". WFUV. December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ↑ "The Ruffians, Sean Griffin Has A New Single, I'm in Love for Christmas!". Irish American News. 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "'People Are Mad' is a catchy and multi-faceted new release from Seán Griffin". Clout. 2025. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "MAGNET Exclusive: Premiere Of Sean Griffin's "I'm In Love For Christmas"". Magnet Magazine. 2025-11-06. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "New Music Video From Sean Griffin". Plastic Magazine. 2025-09-01. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
- ↑ "Sean Griffin Shares New Music Video". Plastic Magazine. 2025-11-01. Retrieved 2025-12-15.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Official website — The Ruffians
- Seán Griffin on Bandcamp
Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:American male singers Category:American rock singers Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Musicians from Kingston, New York Category:American male singer-songwriters
or multiple published secondary sources that:
Please add references that meet these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia.
It is often easier to prove the notability of an album or artist than an individual song or band member. If the subject is not yet notable, consider improving a relevant existing article instead.