Sean Delson Interview

Hey guys.
So I had the pleasure of interviewing Ex Fozzy and Stuck Mojo bassist Sean B. Delson. Enjoy.


I first wanted to ask how you got into Fozzy and Stuck Mojo? And I also want to know what your experience with them was like.

"Thanks for taking the time and seeking me out to do this interview. The very short answer is..."Richard Park Ward". I've known him (if memory serves) since either the late 80's or early 90's? We use to work a day job together, and our 2 bands played a lot of the same venues. Years went by and Rich approached me at a Music Conference to play on his solo record. "My Kung Fu is Good". It is a GREAT RECORD!!! I hope that it will be re-released on a proper label and get the credit it deserves."

As you mentioned, you worked on "My Kung Fu is Good" with Rich Ward. Did you enjoy it?

"Of course I very much enjoyed the process. It was amazing working with Rich again and producer Rick Beato on some of those tracks. Once I played on that record, Fozzy and Mojo fell into place."

When did you start Agent Cooper?

"Agent Cooper was an offshoot of our old band, "Salem Ash", which was born in HollyWood, CA(I think) around 1987. Our singer, Doug Busbee formed Agent Cooper years after Salem Ash had run its course after we all moved to Atlanta. Sometime in the mid 90's I think."

Are you enjoying your time with the band?

"I have actually been enjoying a bit of the quiet life after nearly a decade of non stop touring!! I've been taking some time to travel a bit more and go back to those distant lands that I discovered whilst touring. The time has really given me inspiration for my love of music and new ideas are flowing. It's a great feeling that's hard to explain."

Are you currently working on anything?

"Yes. Agent Cooper is trying to tidy up and finish 3 tunes. In fact, Doug is coming up here later today and I hope to get a fair amount of work done (in between a few adult beverages!). I think the last album I played on what just after we finished a 6 week European tour with Tony MacAlpine. He asked me to play on his record. How could I say no?"

What can we expect from Agent Cooper in the future?

"If I had my way...(and I will be talking about this with Doug later on today) I'd like to go back and work with a producer on our body of work, and perhaps get some fresh mixes and production ideas. I'd really like to do that."

I would also like to know what it was like to be in Fozzy and Stuck Mojo, and also just wroking with Rich Ward in general. 

It’s funny that most people use that phrase “working with…” when it comes to music. I will tell you what it felt like “playing with Rich”, because it was much more play than work! Now because I had known Rich for so long before we teamed up, it was like seeing an old friend. Our bands had crossed paths many times before. We even worked an actual day job together way back when… So the history has some real history.

There used to be this big music showcase event in Atlanta called “The Atlantis Music Conference” that was put on by Mark Willis. Its aim was to educate new artists about the industry through information sessions, give them exposure through talent showcases, and connect them with industry professionals through networking events. It ran from around 1998 – 2008. (Mark manages Fozzy, Rich, and Mojo to this day) I guess it must have been around 2003 when Rich was ready to really push his solo record. If memory serves, and as you know, it was going to be a bit of a departure from the “Heavy Metal” that he was known for. At that time, Mark had landed us (Agent Cooper) a good slot at the conference. That night, Rich came out to check us out. Frank Fontsere on Drums, Eric Frampton on Keys, Doug singing, and me, of course…. On bass. After the show Rich walked up and explained his idea for the record and asked if I would be interested in playing on it. I didn’t hesitate for a second to say, “Of course!” Well…. It seems that asking me to play on the solo record more or less “ruffled the feathers” of Fozzy’s then bassist. He upped and quit! So I got another call from Rich saying, “We (Fozzy) have a gig in NY some 48 hours from now. Can you do it?? “Uhhhhh…. YES! Send me the set list ASAP!” The rest, as they say… is History. That gig in NY, lead to the permanent position in Fozzy. Then came “All that Remains”, that lead to the Stuck Mojo revival. And that lead to more tours and more records. Insert about another 10 years of that. I swear it was non stop! It was just natural. We were family. Almost all the members that I mentioned at the Agent Cooper gig above also played on those records. It’s a big family down south and it we were very much interwoven.

Pretty much from moment I played with Rich on The Duke Project, that was it for all the bands. The core band remained the same, and only the singer changed. So it became a “cycle” if you will. We would record a Fozzy album, then a Mojo album. Many times we would also “stack” the tours. For example: Fozzy would do a 3 week run across the UK and then into some other part of Europe. Let’s say the tour ended in Paris. CJ would fly home after the gig to fulfill his WWE obligations, while Lloyd “Lord” [Nelson] would have been flown over to Paris to see the gig, rest, and then a Stuck Mojo tour would begin. It must be said that making all this work out smoothly is largely due to Mark Willis. He’s the man behind the curtain that manages EVERYTHING for the 3 bands. He even helps Agent Cooper, so hats off to Mark. As for my favorite band…that’s very tricky. Talk about 4 totally different bands. From a sheer musical standpoint, I would have to say Agent Cooper and The Duke Project. I can expand on that if you wish. Fozzy was so much FUN! Of course having a world famous superstar celebrity as your lead singer really opened a lot of doors that afforded us many great opportunities that we may not have otherwise been offered. I’m sure you can see that. MOJO was a machine. Plain and simple. The vibe was very different in that band, and the crowds that it drew. Intensity! So they each have their place, you see?

Because you have listened to “My Kung Fu is Good”, you will know that it was a serious departure from Stuck Mojo and Fozzy for Rich. It was his solo record and these songs were so much “from the heart”. The songs came from a “different” place. Not the angry riffs everybody was used to. There is so much musicality on the record and I enjoyed having the freedom to write and create my bass lines on those songs. Even pulling out some fretless bass, which you don’t really get to do that much in metal! Working with the world famous Rick Beato was great as well. He also did “All that Remains” as a result. There’s nothing wrong with riffing, mind you, but this record was nothing like Rich had ever done and I was honored being given the task to play bass on it. Two old friends…. Just doing what we do. A few months ago he called me and asked if I’d like to play a charity concert down in Atlanta. “Of course”…. Always my standard answer. So we played a Taylor Swift song for a children’s charity. Very very cool."

Big thanks to Sean Delson for taking the time to do this interview. It was great getting to chat with him and learn about his time in Fozzy and Stuck Mojo. Hope you guys enjoyed this interview. If you haven't already, go check out Agent Cooper and go give "My Kung Fu is Good" a listen. It's a great album.
Thanks for reading. Be forever metal.