On November 21, Austin-based songwriter Sean Keel releases his fourth solo (and third ICEA) record Dinosaur, culmination of a six month project proceeded by 5 intimate EPs. The record gathers the title tracks from those EPs — including Fischer, Barn Dance, The Breeze That Brought Them, Everyone Shrugged, and Parade — alongside a handful of new, unreleased pieces, forming a complete statement from one of Americana’s quietest and most singular voices.
Once again, we’re invited into a collection of raw, emotionally complex songs in the tradition of Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, and Leonard Cohen. With his rasping voice and unvarnished poetry, Sean Keel sounds like no one else — the kind of artist destined to build a quiet cult following, the one the bigger names will someday claim they always listened to first.
Produced by the multi-talented Gabriel Rhodes — son of singer Kimmie Rhodes and stepson of influential DJ Joe Gracey — Dinosaur carries the same bare, unguarded intimacy that has defined their partnership. Rhodes, who has worked with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Emmylou Harris, brings a quiet, cinematic touch to Keel’s stark voice and acoustic storytelling.
Keel has this to say about the 6 previously unreleased tracks on Dinosaur:
“A lot of my stuff is pretty heavy. But I have written stuff that (at least I think) is funny. Listeners have not always recognized that, they hear my beat up voice, and the paired down guitar and they assume it’s another serious reflection on serious things. So for this record Gabe took one of those songs and added more upbeat music. My son doesn’t like it. We both prefer the original. But I’ve a feeling this one, And A Cupcake, is going to go over better – at minimum people are going to recognize it for what it is.
The other 5 songs are all on the same theme, what most of my songs are about. The super basic profound things that every single person knows. The hard, and beautiful truths that
are part of every life. They reveal themselves over and over. My daughter’s wedding. My mom’s old hands. The absolutely stunning smoothness of my wife’s face. Her heart attack. The way 30 years feels like a couple of days. Life is made of really heavy things. Every single person knows these things. Still I never see them coming. They knock me down every time. “
Dinosaur is a quiet record that leaves a long echo. It rewards those that lean close enough to listen.
Dinosaur is out November 21, 2025 on Icons Creating Evil Art, available on all major streaming platforms and limited edition vinyl.
About Sean Keel
Keel is not your ordinary outside. In his 60s, the longtime University of Texas professor is well known in the world of research mathematics. Over the years he ‘s written poems, short stories, and a sword and sorcery novel. Started playing guitar in his 40s, writing songs in his 50s. He made 3 folk/jazz records with his family band, Bill the Pony, and one album of “super bare-bones folk-country music”. All self-released, and all in complete obscurity.
On the suggestion of a music friend he decided to have his latest record produced by a professional. Surprised by the results, he sent the first mix of the first song to Icons Creating Evil Art, hoping they would post it on their Youtube channel (The 'Discovered by ICEA' series). By happy chance, the label’s founder and owner was the one who listened. Impressed, and in an odd mood, he decided it was time to act on his long brewing scheme of giving a promotional push to a complete unknown.
The release of a dry scary blue in the end of 2022 was the first step in the experiment, which got great reviews and landed Sean Keel an invitation to come and perform at the Live At Heart Festival in Örebro, Sweden - where he played several shows to full houses, both on his own and with his family in different settings (including a Bill the Pony show). Keel then followed that up with his latest album ferals welcome in June 2024 and went on to win Kerrville's Grassy Hill New Folk Award 2024 - landing a Texas tour in November that same year together with the other winners of the Festival.