Videos

Sebastapol – Hateful Mob

• 20th Feb 2013

Sebastopol’s sparse and atmospheric sound has been described as like a modern, darker reboot of The Police, incorporating elements of dub, post-punk, gothic dream pop, and even 1970s French rock.

New single Hateful Mob was recorded at Drop Out Studios in Camberwell and mixed by legendary post punk producer Mick Glossop (Van Morrison, Magazine, Public Image, The Wonder Stuff) and mastered at Skye Mastering by Denis Blackham.

The band consists of Nick Powell on vocals and bass, Phil Richards on guitar and Tom Standage on drums. The album’s title is a wartime radio call-sign from the 1940s, signalling the start of a message. For the band it has the double meaning of introducing a simpler and starker musical approach. The album contrasts upbeat melodies with lyrical themes dominated by imagery of failure, loss, water and rebirth. Also, vampires and Zeppelins.

The album has been almost two years in the making from concept to final mixes. The concept? Now there’s a story…It all started with the sharks. Sent to a remote island off Nova Scotia in 2010 to make a film about shark attacks on seals, documentary-maker Nick Powell found himself stranded for a week when bad weather prevented aircraft from landing to pick him up. He returned to his first love of music and began writing songs inspired by his predicament. On his return to civilisation he called two of his old friends and told them it was time to make an album. They formed Sebastopol to bring Nick’s songs to life. “Perhaps this explains why the lyrics have such strong themes of water, death and loss,” says Nick.