Introducing The Genre-Defying Pop Artist SEB

If you’re in need of a bedroom pop artist that’s changing the music sphere then SEB is the singer-songwriter for you. Growing up in Chicago the young talent filled his ears with music legends like N.E.R.D, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. As the years went on his passion for the craft grew, leading him to producing beats and honing his freestyling skills. While attending college in New York, SEB interned at the iconic Electric Lady Studios, gaining incredible knowledge of the creative process behind some of the industry’s most acclaimed body of works. With his head brimming with knowledge, SEB took the next step in his music journey.

In 2020 he released his debut single ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, a track that showcases his hybrid indie-pop sound. The young talent quickly obtained a dedicated fan-base including fellow newcomer Conan Gray who shouted him out on TikTok. With 2021 well underway, SEB is proving to be a genre-defying artist that’s creating his own music lane. We were able to chat with the ‘look back for me’ singer about everything from his new single, musical inspirations, his time at Electric Lady Studios and so much more. Read the full interview below.

Heya SEB how’s it going?

It’s going good, I’m glad to be seeing the light at the end of this coronavirus tunnel.

How’s the month of March treating you so far?

Pretty good so far. My first song in a long time is finally out and I’m so happy with how it’s being received!

Okay, let’s dive into your music! Growing up which genres were staples in your music library?

Hmm, that’s tough. If I’m thinking from middle school to high school I would say, N.E.R.D, Jimi Hendrix, Tyler The Creator, and The Beatles.

Is there a specific artist that inspired you to pursue music?

I would have to say, Childish Gambino. After I saw his Because Of The Internet tour, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. At the time that was my favourite album, it described a black experience that I felt was rarely ever talked about and it was insanely nuanced. After both the album and that show, I didn’t know how I was gonna do it or why I wanted to do it, I just knew this was it.

How has your sound and style evolved since you first started taking an interest in music? 

Wow so much! If you heard my songs from early high school, I was definitely making imitation Kanye and Lil Wayne songs. By the end of high school, I was trying to make songs like N.E.R.D., and then in college, I was experimenting with trap and making electronic music. For a while I was really bummed that I was never crazy into one artist or genre like a Tyler The Creator but looking back, I’m so happy I went down the path I did. Now I have all these different tools from different genres of music that I can pull out whenever.

We hear you interned at Electric Lady Studios when you were in college, what were the top three lessons you took away from that experience?

That was a crazy time in my life. I actually dropped out of my first college when I landed that internship. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I figured any way to get into the industry would be worth it. But honestly, though, the biggest lesson I learned was that I didn’t want to be in the background only. Being outside of the rooms where Lorde or J Cole were working was driving me insane. So after a while I left, to figure out a different way. The second lesson I learned was actually from the older engineers there. One pulled me to the side one night at a bar and explained what I should do and how I should study production, which at the time was a big game-changer for me.

Your latest track ‘THEY DON’T LIKE ME’ is incredible, it’s the perfect indie pop/trap record! Can you take us through the creative process for the track?

Thank you so much! I actually wouldn’t consider it trap, but I’m actually glad you brought that up because that’s essentially what the song is about. I feel like it’s a struggle that a lot of black creators go through when it comes to how their music is described. So that’s why I’m very particular about how I label my music because the fact that I’m black makes it hard for people to just call my music pop. The whole point of my artist’s existence right now is fighting for the idea that a single black artist, who can write and produce their own music, can stand right next to a Taylor Swift or Harry Styles. That might take some years to get there but after seeing Tyler win a Grammy, I know it’s possible.

Will we be getting a socially distanced music video for the single?

Yes, definitely! There’s one coming directed by me and my girlfriend, who goes by Shy Louise. I’m really excited for people to see it. It’s really trippy and feels like a fever dream to me.

With six fantastic singles out, can music listeners expect an EP or album soon? (We’re dying for a project).

Of course! There’s another single coming out in about a month and then there’ll be the full project coming out. The project is just a reflection of everything I was going through and thinking about near the end of last summer.

What are the five goals you want to achieve this year?

Hmm, let’s see. So 1, make money off of music! 2, hopefully, play my first show, but that might be really hopeful. 3, definitely put out more music! 4, maybe meet some of my idols haha 5, get better at playing the guitar!

Make sure to listen to SEB‘s latest track ‘THEY DON’T LIKE ME’ below and keep an eye out for it’s video here