The Tin Man

The Tin Man's heart is not only worn on his sleeve, but also strapped to his back telling emotional stories through a hollow-bodied guitar. Paired with a seasoned voice unashamed of its raw vulnerability, you quickly find your own heart beating in sync with these anthemic songs. It’s the sound of relationships past and inner struggles present, balanced with the hope of a brighter future. It’s a southern sound bread out of a youthful love for The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and Tom Petty.

Born to an operatic singer and television weatherman in Marietta, Georgia, Marshall Seese, Jr. is no stranger to the entertainment world. Starting out with piano lessons and a place in the church choir like every other good Southern boy, he soon swapped Bach for Beck by trading Playboys to a friend for guitar lessons instead. It started on his grandad's old bass ukulele, but he didn't play like everyone else. He held the right-handed instrument like a lefty and learned to play backwards, upside-down. That's what made sense to a boy used to playing rhythms on the piano with his left hand and melodies with his right. This rare style not only helps create his signature sound, but also puts him in the company of Paul McCartney, Albert King, and Doyle Bramhall II.

Despite all the heart Marshall has always put into music, the first two chapters of his career where lead by his brain. After college he earned a law degree from the prestigious University of Michigan and proceeded to practice corporate, intellectual property law for seven years. Then upon leaving the law, he founded Mowgli, an entertainment technology company focused on gamifying the creation of music. Four years and four million investment dollars into the fast-paced technology start-up world, Marshall realized he'd done it again. He had let his brain take the reigns over his heart. So when the company collapsed he took a step back, 417,462 steps to be exact, and hiked the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. It was his yellow brick road, which lead him to the heart of his music.

But like any great product, it takes time to develop. “When I got back from the Camino I went straight to Grammy-nominated producer Billy Hume and said, ‘let’s record these songs!’” But Billy knew what the newly dubbed Tin Man really needed, and it wasn’t a record. “Billy told me to go play with musicians who intimidated me. To play the songs over and over again until they began to breath on their own.”

And so a new journey began. One that culminated in a successful Indiegogo campaign that raised over $19,000 and was featured on Headline News, with Marshall being interviewed on the couch by Coy Wire. The Tin Man was ready, and Billy could begin to work his magic. "Billy is one of those rare souls who doesn't just slap his signature onto your music. He listens. And listens. And listens. Until he knows you as a human as much as he does an artist. That's why everything I've heard him put out is dripping with authenticity." This rare quality might make Billy the Wizard in our storybook -- he does in fact happen to look like one. The five songs they recorded together capture the entire quest perfectly. “An achingly harrowing venture into the throws of love” as described by Elmore Magazine.

It’s no wonder the release of The Tin Man’s debut Too Many Lines EP has been garnering so much attention for a new artist. “The Tin Man is crafting some of the most realistic and down to earth tunes out there today that will increase your love for the art of songwriting,” says Music Box Pete. The rave reviews keep coming in as thousands of new fans find their way to the music with the help of features from tastemakers like NoiseTrade and Vents Magazine, who echos what everyone seems to be thinking, “I only wish we had more songs from The Tin Man.”

Those who encounter him invest both their money and their heart into the music. And they remember it. Word for word. Show after show. The fan base continues to grow as more and more people connect with the honesty in his lyrics and the hooks in his melodies. It’s infectious. A cathartic therapy session in each song.

In a world that demands more and more use of our brains every day, it’s refreshing to see someone truly living it with their heart.

"But, after all, brains are not the best things in the world... Once I had brains, and a heart also; so, having tried them both, I should much rather have a heart."

- The Tin Man, from "The Wonderful World of Oz"