Rising star Seth Lee joins us on Close-Up Culture to chat about his experiences in the worlds of film, music and fashion.
Hi Seth, welcome to Close-Up Culture. You star in the drama, Bugs. What drew you to this project?
There was a lot to love about Bugs when I first signed on. The script was great, I loved the character of Kai, but the main draw however, was the team behind the project. Almost all of them are young and bright minds with passion that was hard not to get excited about.
This is a talented cast including yourself, Kayden Brenna Tokarski, Chloe Ray Warmoth, and others. How do you reflect on the shoot for Bugs and your collaboration with the team?
I had a great time shaping out Kai. He’s wickedly smart and has such a big heart, but is severely misguided before meeting the Bardot sisters. There’s this tug of war of wanting to do the right thing but being led by his boss Exa, who doesn’t have the best intentions, that was fun and challenging to play with.
I’m so grateful for the time I had on set with the team. We all grew so close, hanging out on and off set. It felt like being away on summer camp. This really elevated the chemistry between all of our characters. It radiates on screen, which is why I know you will fall in love with the cast.
As well as acting, you’re in a band called Blowing Raspberries. Can you tell us about the band and your approach to music?
Our lead singer has a background in poetry, so we like to draw some inspiration from Patti Smith. You’ll also find we’re influenced by a lot of modern indie rock bands, such as Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, and Cage the Elephant.
What aspirations have you got for Blowing Raspberries?
We’re taking things one step at a time, so right now the goal is getting an EP out this year. Long term, I’m hoping we start playing bigger shows for bigger audiences, especially somewhere with a rich history of music. We’ve thrown out cities like London, New York, etc.
You stay busy in the worlds of music, film and fashion. How do you keep this dedication to your crafts and still maintain a healthy balance in your life?
It comes pretty naturally, because I can genuinely say I love what I do and am always striving to grow within my craft. Once I set my eyes on a goal, I will stay in motion until I see it through. At the same time, I make sure I set time aside for family and friends, otherwise I will definitely feel the burnout. Art is a manifestation of who you are, if you don’t find the time to explore what that means, it’s a lot harder to find inspiration.
As someone in the fashion industry, do you have any fashion observations or interesting insights to current fashion trends you can share with us?
As a boy from the South, It’s really exciting to see Western Core make its way back. Cowboy hats and boots hitting the runway was not something I was expecting this year, but glad to see this style shine.
What advice do you have for male fashion and well-being?
Overall, confidence in what you wear will change everything. If you believe in what you’re wearing, others will too. It doesn’t matter how outside the box your style might be. This also has helped me with carrying positive energy throughout the day, keeping my spirits high.
Do you have any ambitions and plans to share with us?
Outside of the projects we’ve talked about today, I also have been working behind the camera. I’ve written two feature scripts, which would be a dream to share with you all one day. In the meantime, I’ll likely find myself working on more music videos and short films.
Photographer: Storm Santos
Follow Seth on Instagram – @sethlee01
