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quality as he takes painstaking measures to make sure the stuff you don’t see is first rate! He is also
the only Creole accordion maker currently.

LL: So tell us all about your latest release “Live In New Orleans! Sean Ardoin And Kreole Rock And Soul “!

SA: The new release, “Live in New Orleans”
was recorded in New Orleans on Fourth of July
weekend at a festival that my cousins put on to
bring authentic Southwest Louisiana Zydeco to
the Big Easy. I had my son, Sean David on

scrub board and background vocals, my cousin
Trey Ardoin on Guitar and Background vocals,
Mitch Hayes on drums, Bryan Malbroux on
Bass, Ray Carr on Bass and Background Vocals,
Zane Gipson on Keys, Corey Stoot on lead
Guitar, and Raymond Williams on 2ⁿd Rhythm
and 2ⁿd Lead Guitar.

The songs are a combination of songs from my

last three releases, “Kreole Rock and Soul,”
“Came Thru Pullin” and “Coronacation
Relationships.” I wanted to capture the energy
of one of my live performances as I got a lot of
good feedback on my last live album, “Live at
the Chicken Run” from 2016-17 and live shows are really where I shine!

LL: “Live In New Orleans! Sean Ardoin And Kreole Rock And Soul” is nominated for Best Regional Roots
rd
Music Album, your 3 Grammy nomination! In addition, you are currently president of the Memphis
Chapter of The Recording Academy (Grammys), the Chapter to which I belong! What would winning the
Grammy mean for you?

SA: Winning the Grammy now would mean the world to me!! It would be validation for a lifetime
of creative service to the Culture. It would be a great feather in the cap of the Ardoin family. We
have statues on state land at the capitol and we’re in the history books of Louisiana. I’m in there as
well but as a playing descendent. This would make me an “of note” descendent! I don’t intend to

stop after this one either. I aim to make the Ardoin name more famous and far reaching than it
already is. I created my own genre, Kreole Rock and Soul, in order to create without the confines of
the Zydeco idiom. We haven’t done a good job of exporting our current music to the world in the
years that I took a break, and this caused a gap in the market for our music. The industry isn’t
aware of what’s current and is usually wanting the old-style music when they think Zydeco. So, I
want them thinking Sean Ardoin when they think Louisiana Creole music and with Kreole Rock and
Soul, when I show up all they’re expecting is what they’ve seen from me. Of course, I’ll play older
Zydeco music on my set, but this way when I do it’s because I want to not because I have to. The
first two nominations I received were for the first album I did in the Kreole Rock and Soul genre,

and it was titled “Kreole Rock and Soul.” This signaled to me that I was on the right path. I keep
the Zydeco elements in most of my songs, but I am free to stretch and grow my genre whenever the
spirit hits me to! Remember I said I couldn’t stand being tied down! lol

LL: You ran for mayor of your hometown Lake Charles, Louisiana in 2020! Would you tell us about your
hometown and why you wanted to be its mayor?