Acclaimed British musician and actor Toby Sebastian has announced his new album Eyes Light Up for release on 4th April 2025. Marking the announcement, the musician has released the brand new single and album opener Let’s Pretend. The delicate indie ballad from the singer songwriter is a poignant ode to the bittersweet reality of falling in love during challenging times. Inspired by the turbulence of current world events, the track taps into a universal longing for connection.
Regarding the single Sebastian says: “It’s essentially a love song about escaping with your lover from the reality and uncertainly of the world to somewhere else. Dreaming of a moment elsewhere… a moment in time without the everyday noise and chaos of the world.”
Toby Sebastian
Produced by Toby Sebastian and Matty Benbrook (Paolo Nutini, Dido, Jack Savoretti), Eyes Light Up is an emotional journey over 11 tracks which take inspiration from the sounds of the late ’60s and early ’70s, from songwriters and guitarist such as Marc Bolan, the warm acoustic sounds of John Martyn, to the smooth soul of Marvin Gaye, while also playing with a fresh sound reminiscent to contemporaries such as Hozier or Jake Bugg.
Continuing about the album the 32-year-old says: “This is the album I’ve been yearning to make since I started writing as a kid. It’s taken a couple of musical chapters to achieve a sound that I feel properly represents what I love listening to. I grew up in a household that celebrated music and it played throughout the house daily. My love for ’60s and ’70s rock came from my dad and my love for soul from my mum. Matty Benbrook and I worked together on my first ever session when I had just left school for a record deal at 17. It feels apt that years later, we’ve ended up making this album. We recorded it over two years in his studio in Bethnal Green and it’s been a joy to make.”
Let’s Pretend follows the release of previous single I Won’t Leave You Behind, a haunting emotive song rich in textures from deep cavernous verses and bold anthemic choruses celebrating the powerful strength love brings. Things get kicked into a new gear elsewhere on Eyes Light Up with the likes of Heaven Is The Backseat Of A Rental Car providing a jubilant carefree energy with propulsive riffs and infectious harmonies revelling in life’s simple pleasures.
Oona is a silky-smooth rock ‘n’ roller, suave yet potent, with the lush vocals tones of Sebastian matched with a deep blues rhythm and dextrous guitars with a powerful solo. Meanwhile the title track draws influence from Paul Simon, John Martyn and Nick Drake in a wistful glistening love song. The free-flowing diversity of the record continues into Why Did You Leave which bursts with bold soul and gospel influence.
The funky Will You Be… My Wife closes the record in a huge celebration of all the wonderful sounds which form the beating heartbeat of Eyes Light Up. From solemn beginnings with delicate guitars and a soft croon, it blossoms into bouncy crescendo of foot stomping beats, vibrant guitar licks and a trumpet fanfare.
Eyes Light Up comes 12 years after his debut album Into The Light. Where the first record captures the start of Toby Sebastian’s impressive journey, which has seen him command stages and the big screens, the new album Eyes Light Up displays maturity and a honed craft, with timeless musicianship and expertly crafted songwriting to truly reflect the artist he is today.
Toby’s acting and songwriting career have skyrocketed seamlessly in tandem since the release of his debut album and he’s found himself playing roles onscreen which have fed directly into his musical passions. He’s starred alongside Kate Nash in Coffee Wars, worked alongside the likes of The Libertines’ Carl Barat, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and Elvis Costello in ALL YOU NEED IS ME, and portrayed Andrea Bocelli in the biopic The Music Of Silence. Toby’s major acting breakthrough came with Game Of Thrones as Trystane Martell, while he most recently starred as the lead in feature film Perfect Match as tennis champion Andre Agassi.
As a critically acclaimed artist, Toby Sebastian has been consistently releasing successful singles in recent years which have achieved multi-million streams. He has sold out London headline shows including Omeara and Islington Academy while last year saw him embark on his first headline tour across the UK and Europe. He has more live dates for 2025 to be announced soon.
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