Writing candidly and honestly on personal relationships, love, loss and change, the musician’s pertinent lyrics are wrapped in a sound that combines elements of pop, folk, indie and R’n’B seamlessly, establishing himself as one of the most interesting songwriters to emerge from Ireland’s shores in the last couple of years.
The vocals on ‘I Wonder’ have a haunting dreamlike quality, then halfway through the song morphs into a pop bop courtesy of driving percussive beats. Seba Safe explains the inspiration for the song saying, “This is like several diary entries from the last two years.
E.P. Of the Week for us comes from Galway songwriter SEBA SAFE is making on the Irish music scene with the release of new EP “Rainy”
The lyrics are very personal and deal with everyday thoughts, fears, hopes, loss and love.”
Irish songwriter Seba Safe releases new single ‘I Wonder’ on 2nd June followed by his
forthcoming EP Rainy on 30th June.
Exploring a multitude of themes from a time when the world was in a global quarantine, Rainy is a natural follow-up to last year’s EP, Before I Remember You, taking Seba Safe’s folk roots and expanding on them to present a collection of rich and ethereal songs. Alongside the upcoming ‘I Wonder’ is previous single ‘Oblivion’, a classic tale of wanting someone you shouldn’t which counterbalances with a lush soundscape, and ‘Afterlife’ presents a rumination on loneliness with a slow R’n’B-tinged beat.
Then ‘On My Way’ is a very personal song that looks at the songwriter’s Irish roots and young people’s emigration from his country, complete with a touching phrase in the chorus, ‘Oró, Sé Do Bheatha ‘Bhaile’ which from Irish translates to ‘welcome home.’
Ironically, the most summery- sounding song from the EP is its title track, with a driving rhythm that leads the listener out alongside a refrain of ‘have a rainy day’.
The Rainy EP was recorded in producer Duncan Mills’ (Florence and The Machine, Jake Bugg and Jamie Callum) studio in London Fields last summer. Seba explains, ‘The Rainy EP for me is a personal reflection of a time where the world was in lockdown.
These songs aren’t about the pandemic but a day-to-day reminder of what was happening in my own life and the country around me. Dealing with themes of mental health, personal growth, friendships falling apart, immigration and love, I created five songs to allow me to see the whole picture of this time.
‘Duncan Mills in London recorded and produced something that I will always be proud of. My manager and brother Shea Tohill’s lead guitar moments turn this EP into something truly special.
Being honest is all I strive for in song writing and that’s what I’ve done here.’
Writing candidly, Seba Safe’s lyrics are wrapped in a sound that effortlessly combines many musical elements.
His debut EP Map Runner established him as one of Ireland’s most promising songwriting talents and the Galwegian was quickly signed to indie label Nettwerk Records for a global deal.
With an artistic range that saw him collaborate with Æ MAK on “I Dance In The Kitchen”, the track saw heavy radio and DSP support including being named Track Of The Day on KEXP.
Praise for Seba Safe has been forthcoming from The Irish Times, Gemma Bradley from BBC Radio 1, and Hot Press amongst others. He has garnered significant airplay from BBC 6Music, RTÉ 2FM (including Record of the Week from Tracy Clifford), and RTÉ Radio 1. He released his first EP with Nettwerk in 2022, Before I Remember You.
His live shows have been going from strength to strength with slots around the country and shows in Dublin’s Grand Social and Vicar Street, and in 2023 we can look forward to a headline show in Whelan’s on 22nd July, and UK dates immediately afterwards.
This is set to be another significant year for the Irish musician. It’s safe to say, Seba Safe is is aiming for big things.