Sebastian Schub Releases Breathtaking Debut EP, Sing Like Madonna
The debut EP features seven tracks from the German-born, London-based artist, all of which showcase his emotionally intimate lyricism and beautiful baritone vocals.
The EP begins with its title track, Sing Like Madonna, a wistful folk anthem about feeling small in a big world. In an interview with Clash magazine, Schub described the inspiration behind Sing Like Madonna, saying it “was born from a desire to mean something, to be able to leave a mark.” The desire to feel important and confident in his own skin is a recurring thread through the remainder of the EP, and Sing Like Madonna is the perfect introduction. Plus, it pairs Schub’s sincere lyricism with a catchy beat made for living room dancing, as seen in the song’s official visualizer.
Schub takes listeners deeper into his unfulfilled desires with the EP’s next track, Scared of Screaming.
Scared of Screaming sees Schub ruminate in self-hatred as he regrets letting his emotions hold him back from reaching his fullest potential. He comedically dips into self-deprication as he confesses, “I’ll be long dead when I’m forty / Well, at least my doctors adore me.” At its core, Scared of Screaming is a beautiful testament to his fears that his biggest obstacle in life is himself. Schub does not hold back on the vocals here but lets his voice shine in a way that best resonates with the emotions of the lyrics.
The EP takes a sonically brighter turn with the following track, Blisters & Sunburn. This track is heavy with acoustic guitar, a clapping beat, and whimsical vocal parts. Lyrically, it explores the ups and downs of growing up and the passage of time. The Blisters & Sunburn lyric video shows Schub running down a grassy hill and dancing under sunny blue skies, and captures the nostalgia of a coming-of-age film. While the lyrics still cut deep — “My mother has excellent eyes / She still sees through almost all of my lies” — the song serves as a burst of energy in the middle of the EP.
The energy soars to another height with the next song, Ruin Me. An intimate love song, Ruin Me sees another side of Schub’s confessional and passionate lyricism: “Tonight is too good for sleeping / Oh, don’t speak / Just kiss me ‘til I’m bleeding.” It is an instrumental standout from its fellow tracks, leaning into a unique folk-rock sound, heavy in electric guitar and bass.
Schub slows things down with April 15th, the end, a devastatingly beautiful exploration of heartbreak.
This track feels like being caught in a bad dream or watching a film reel of bittersweet memories. Its verses show Schub’s storytelling at its best: “I was in the kitchen when the door clicked / I wanted love and this was not it / I heard them say that you were magic / And you were on my mind.” It ends with a haunting vocal repetition that is memorable after just the first listen.
The EP follows with Be Still, a song that displays the power in intentional restraint: The track begins slow and delicate, then escalates to a strong and punchy sound. It showcases Schub’s greatest strength, his beautiful baritone vocals. Lyrically, it further tackles the themes of feeling small and finding himself. He exclaims, “I’m still learning / To be still / I’m still yearning / To be still.”
Schub takes it home with I Can’t Believe We Never Went Out Dancing, the EP’s closing track. This song is a yearning for lost love and reeling over a relationship that crumbled as quickly as it started. Lyrically, it is the EP’s biggest standout as Schub grapples with a romance that was both his greatest love and greatest catastrophe: “If I never left, would we live in a house? / Were we always meant to be burning it down? / We went faster and faster / We called it love, but it was a disaster.”
To rival the track’s own title, the song is a piano ballad fit for romantic slow dancing – a detail that shows the expertise of his musical storytelling, even from his debut EP.
Sebastian Schub is a promising new force in folk music, and his Sing Like Madonna EP — a collection of captivating sounds and confessional storytelling — is not to be overlooked.
