Toby Sebastian: Orange Unsigned Act and Ambition

Exclusive Interview With Youngest Remaining Competition Finalist

Dec 19, 2008

Toby Sebastian talks frankly to Suite 101 about his aspirations and influences, school life, rival Tommy Reilly and judge Alex James in this exclusive interview.

Toby Sebastian, the youngest remaining Orange Unsigned Act Competition contender, has a maturity which belies his tender years. He's calm determination has seen him through round after round to within reaching distance of the coveted record deal with Universal and a £60,000 advance. Could Toby be this year's Unsigned Act winner?

Suite 101 caught up with Toby just before Christmas as he played a chilled-out, stripped-down acoustic set with sister Bella at the new Cafe Coco in his hometown, Oxford.

Sweet Sixteen, Tommy Reilly and Hip Parade, Alex James

Suite 101: Toby, you’ve got down to the last handful in the competition, from over 10,000 entries. You just seem to keep getting through, round after round. Congratulations! What’s it like to be the youngest remaining finalist?

Toby: People ask me that a lot, but I don’t think it’s any different. I think the only thing that makes me different is that I play mainly solo. My age doesn’t really affect the way I feel. I’m up against some great people, and we all respect each other and each other’s music, so I don’t think it makes much of a difference how old I am. I’m on a par with the others in that respect. Tommy Reilly, Scarlet Harlots, Hip Parade, all of them.

Suite 101: You’ve been quite lucky so far in that you’ve had largely positive comments from the judges: Simon Gavin, Alex James and Lauren Laverne. But do you get the feeling that Alex James doesn’t really seem to 'get' you?

Toby: Alex said that it was great but that it wasn’t his thing, and that he hates my kind of style. That’s fair enough. If he thinks I’m good, good enough to get through, and if he helps me get through by saying yes when he needs to, then I couldn’t really care any less whether he likes my style of music, because it’s talent that gets you through, nothing else.

Favourite Unsigned Act Artists, Who Might Win, Public Vote

Toby: Though there’s a couple I really like. There’s Hip Parade, and Tommy Reilly, they’re my favourites. I couldn’t choose one favourite but I do like those two. First of all they’re really decent guys. I think everyone’s decent, but they’re really sweet guys, I get along with them, they write great music, it’s all catchy. It’s all my kind of thing.

Toby: I think everyone deserves to win. I don’t know who it’s going to be. It’s so hard, it’s down to a public vote. Scotland’s gonna be behind Tommy Reilly and Hip Parade, whereas hopefully England will be behind me, Bo Bruce, and the Scarlet Harlots. It’s a tough one to call.

Balancing Music and School

Suite 101: You’re still at school of course, here in Oxford. What do your classmates think about your successes?

Toby: Friends, everyone at sixth form, they’re all brilliant. They’re so supportive. The teachers are amazing. I almost feel guilty when I miss another day of school, or don’t turn another piece of work in! I feel bad because they are so great.

Suite 101: Do you find it hard balancing school with what you’re doing at the moment?

Toby: It’s hard balancing school and the competition. At the moment obviously the competition takes priority. School’s very important, I can’t imagine leaving school, I don’t want to. It’s great. The best people in my life, apart from my family, are all there. I’ve got loads of people there I love to bits, I’d hate to leave.

Kings of Leon and Damien Rice

Toby: I love the new Kings of Leon album, Only By the Night. It’s just as good as their first one. I’d love to support them one day, that would be awesome.

Toby: It’s a combination of all of the hundreds of influences that I listen to. But if I had to pick a handful, then I’d say Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, David Bowie, Damien Rice, I’d love to support him too, and Tracy Chapman. That kind of thing.

Future Plans, Toby Sebastian Live

Suite 101: Now to move on and talk a bit about your future and what your plans are. Where would you like to be in say, 5 years' time?

Toby: I’d like to be well-known. I’d like people to know about my music. I’d like to be big. Not too big, it’s just that I love music and the thought of being able to live off the money you can make from writing songs is just an absolute dream. I couldn’t imagine a better thing, or one that suited me better. If I can achieve that I’ll be as happy as Larry.

Suite 101: You’re growing quite a big fanbase, through Orange Unsigned Act. Where can they get their next fix of Toby, regardless of what happens in the competition?

Toby: Well the competition is the main thing for the next couple of months, if I can get down to the last few, that would be brilliant. But I’m always happy for people to contact me through my MySpace, or to leave me feedback. I always try to write back as much as possible, although I’ve been pretty busy recently! I’ve also got dates and names of shows I’ll be doing. And I’m playing regularly here at the new Café Coco in Oxford, near the train station. I’ll be trying to do a night a week.

Orange Unsigned Act continues on Channel 4’s T4 on Sundays. Live finals will take place in January.