Meet PREGOBLIN’s Alex Sebley

PREGOBLIN II is, despite what its title might suggest, the debut album from South London musician and songwriter Alex Sebley. Sebley himself is enjoying the sequel to a career that started on the fringes of Fat White Family – he was in FWF’s forerunner The Saudis with Lias and Nathan Saoudi and lived with them in Loughborough Junction, South London – but has since developed in a new and completely different direction as PREGOBLIN. The album’s a refreshingly open experience, both in terms of its highly personal lyrics and a musical palate that takes influence from 70s AOR as well as punk, folk and a whole lot more. No wonder the likes of Jessica Winter and Pete Doherty wanted to be involved…

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST MUSICAL MEMORIES, THE MUSIC YOU WERE EXPOSED TO BY PARENTS/SIBLINGS/FRIENDS, AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START MAKING MUSIC
I was a flamboyant, gay and noisy child. I liked musicals, Queen and The Beatles. I have fond memories of listening to the Beatles as I’d wash the evening’s kippers from the family plate. We used to have a fish man who would come round in an ice cream style vendor van, and I would rush out and demand fish. My mum worked at home, so we would watch musicals together. She was a big Doris Day fan, Calamity Jane, West Side Story, Paint your Wagon etc. I love all that stuff, life how it should be, rather than how it is, the lyrical witticism and word josseling.

I also liked Paul McCartney’s Pipes Of Peace album. I think it was my first album. It’s not just awful, it’s a crime against humanity, but I can’t help but love that album, it’s just so bad. My brother and his mates would breakdance and listen to hip-hop, and I absorbed that music too and learnt a few steps, this was the US hip-hop/rap invasion of 87, Schoolly D, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys etc. I love all that. You can see a photo of this on the back of the album. It’s my sister’s bf, when they split she defaced the photo (stuck a cock up his ass).

I became obsessed with early blues music and used to receive a tape in the post every month courtesy of The Blues Collection. I learnt to play the harmonica. I learnt about black history, black arts and music. When I saw someone playing a trombone on TV, I wanted to learn jazz, through a school program, I began to learn the trumpet. I had a trumpet teacher Ron Williams, Ron had played in Culture Club, and many jazz groups. An amazing man. He taught me a lot about music, experimental avant-garde, Indian and jazz music.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BAND HISTORY BEFORE PREGOBLIN, AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START YOUR OWN PROJECT
At school I was in a Nirvana/Pantera tribute act, I was Kurt obviously. We played at the end of the school leavers party. I recently hooked up with the guitarist again, there’s a video of our first show somewhere. The head of music tried to shut the thing down, he ran about the stage trying to turn off our amps, when one was off, another would kick back in and so on. Karen tried to kiss me backstage, but I froze. She was very attractive. I did my first stage dive. I’d really love to see that video again.

After I left school I joined a sonic/noise punk band in Portsmouth, we wore black and I shaved my head. Later I started a punk band with a very special friend John Rodgers RIP, we had many names – Brown Bunny (before the film), Brown Surprise, Paw Prints. We mostly played Oblivions covers or similar sounding things I’d written. If John was still here we’d be making this music together, I think of him often.

The Saudis (aka the FWF), inspired me, after seeing their meteoric rise with The Fat White Family and having been removed. I wanted to give it a go again. I was a bit bitter and angry about it all. A friend of mine at the time said to stop talking and do something about it. You have to be undeniably good if you want any kind of revenge – they said.

Working with Dante Traynor and his brother Gam, and Jessica Winter gave me a lot of confidence and support too.

DOES PREGOBLIN AS A NAME HAVE ANY PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE?
It was a joke that got out of hand. I’m stuck with it, for now. It doesn’t mean anything to me tbh. We had a gig but no name, I thought I would change it after but didn’t.

SIMILARLY, WHY CALL YOUR DEBUT ALBUM PREGOBLIN II – JUST A FUNNY WIND UP OR IS THERE MORE TO IT?
The band has had many incarnations, I guess it was kind of a new start, the sequel.

TELL US ABOUT THE PROCESS OF MAKING THE ALBUM… DID YOU SET OUT TO MAKE AN LP OR DID IT HAPPEN BIT BY BIT?   WHICH SONGS CAME FIRST AND WHAT WERE THE LAST?
It was a slow process, much of it was recorded and written with Jessica Winter, then later finished with Dante Traynor. During lockdown, songwriter Will Barker aka Family Consumer Science helped me write and finish some of the songs. Will is one of the best songwriters I know (check it out). Sophie Coppin and Adam Brennan from Y (band) produced the single version of ‘Big Hitters’. It did all happen bit by bit. 

Cai Trefor deserves a mention, he put me in touch with Strap Originals after I was dropped from a previous label that was meant to carry the album. There are many versions of the same songs, I would like to release it all at some point. I’m really into demos, the first cut is usually the deepest. Hohoho. The first song would have to be ‘Roma’, which is a bit of a joke as I wrote that years ago, but could never finish it. The last song was ‘Alpha Business’.

YOU’VE GOT SOME PRETTY SPECIAL FRIENDS CONTRIBUTING TO IT TOO – TELL US ABOUT THEM…  WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR THE ALBUM TO BE A ‘SOCIAL’ ONE?
Yes, very much, there have been many contributors. If you want to be good, it’s best to find better people and then pretend you’ve done it all by yourself. I enjoy my songs when they’re sung by someone else, like Jessica, Peter Doherty or Will. Peter came in and did it one take, it was something to watch, distinct with a tuneful innocence, almost a whistle, pained and cut through.

THE ALBUM SEEMS TO HAVE A VERY RETRO, 70s FEEL TO ITS SOUND, QUITE DIFFERENT FROM A LOT OF INDIE ROCK.  IS THAT ERA ONE YOU WANTED TO SUMMON UP OR WAS IT MORE ACCIDENTAL?
I wouldn’t say it’s very retro, obviously it’s a big influence. The 70s is one of my favourite periods of music.
It’s easy to make all the popular decisions when making music. When it goes a bit wrong is when it starts to get interesting. It’s definitely a very weird record and a collaboration.

To be honest I feel like this record is me learning to write songs and the best is yet to come. It was bad timing with the death of my mum in the closing months. As I entered terror and shock, I couldn’t focus on it anymore and I had to let it go. I felt like the label and mates carried me through. Particularly Jai Stanley at Strap Originals. For taking the time and believing in me, my band, Jessica, Dante and my best friend Erin Lawrie.

I didn’t listen to the album for a long time. Sometimes I hate it. Sometimes thinking you’re a fucking genius Alex Sebley but that’s not a good feeling either. I’m happy people like it. It’s in their hands. I’m not offended by people’s opinions. If it makes them feel good or even think it’s shit that’s fine by me, at least they felt something, can’t stand indifference, indifference is death. Cool/hype is bullshit. The industry is bs. And I don’t know anybody – insert rant – save to say, I’m the real deal, a hardened misanthrope – cue the music. 

To buy PREGOBLIN II on green or white linen vinyl, click here