Words - Tajinder Hayer

Photography - Ian Wallman (studio) and Mike Palmer (behind the scenes)

Talented, young and handsome, Toby Sebastian is instantly recognisable as one of the cast of the phenomenally successful HBO series Game of Thrones. As well as being one of Britain’s most interesting “one to watch” actors, Toby today releases his latest single Real Kicks. Toby released new music in 2019 which presented a revitalised sound and instantly resonated with fans leading to his recent string of singles achieving multi-million streams, after the initial release of his debut album Into The Light in 2013.

Of course, acting would take centre stage for some years as he took the role of Trystane Martell in Game Of Thrones as well as portraying Andrea Bocelli in the biopic The Music Of Silence. His next onscreen role is as the supporting lead for the forthcoming Sky Original Coffee Wars alongside Kate Nash, Sally Phillips and Freddie Fox.

Tell us about the single Real Kicks

I guess I would describe it as my take on the Seventies music that I listened to growing up. I loved T-Rex, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie and this track is like a road trip or a few minutes of freedom. It’d be perfect for driving down long American roads in a soft top.

I had the idea for the track for a long time and when I write, the ideas either come heavy and fast or a slow burner, which this track was. It felt free and in the moment for me.

How did you prepare to take on the role of Andrea Bocelli in The Music of Silence?

It was quite a daunting experience. When people saw it they commented on the singing, which was obviously not me. It was Andrea’s voice and it would have been ludicrous to not use his voice. It was not miming, as I was making the sound but it would have been impossible for anyone to sing like Andrea Bocelli. What was daunting about it was the fact that I really wanted it to be truthful to him. When I got the role I had 9 weeks to prepare. He was wonderful and invited me to come and hang out with him for a couple of weeks, which really helped me pick up on his mannerisms. I found it quite simple to really take on a character when it’s quite removed from who I am as a person, and it’s enjoyable to play a role. I was able to spend a few weeks for him, he sang all of the songs I was to perform in his farmhouse in Tuscany and his whole family was incredibly welcoming.

How did your part on Game of Thrones come about?

I think it came about in around 2015 after I had been auditioning for quite a while, and my agent got me an audition for the role of Trystane. I felt incredibly fortunate to get the audition come through. The show was huge when I got the role so it was hard to believe. It was a great time to join as that season really picked up the pace. It was a really life changing experience and I was thrilled to get that phone call.

Were you a fan of the show? Did you like the ending?

Yeah I was a fan, and actually I did like the way that it ended. Given its huge fanbase, it was so difficulty to please everyone. There were so many threads to wrap up, and I thought that they did a pretty good job of ending the whole thing.

Tell us about Coffee Wars

I can’t say much about it at the moment but it was great fun filming and the people that I worked with were brilliant. It should be out on Sky soon.

Do you find it easy to combine acting and music?

The tricky part is timing really. This year I have only done music, and its easier to do it like that. The life of an actor is quite erratic and you could have three auditions come through at the same time which mean that you have to drop quite a few things to work on them. In general I find it pleasant and lovely to be able to do both and they both help each other.

I remember when I first signed to a record label, there were so many people that would tell me that I could not do both, which I never understood. It just made no sense to me. There are so many examples of people that are huge stars that are successful as musicians and actors. When I was younger and someone said that I couldn’t do both, shortly after I was in a movie called Barely Lethal and managed to get five songs on the soundtrack. Sometimes you need people to say things like that to you, to really push you forward.

How did you feel about performing with your sister?

Well I’ve performed with both of my sisters, Florence Pugh as well as my younger sister Rafeala. It’s always amazing to perform with them. We always played music in our house, and would be working on music and film at the same time other writing, acting or singing. So it was quite normal for us because we were so collaborative so it felt quite natural and cool given how integral it was for our family relationship.

What are you working on now and next?

So much - single out today and another single called Rock Rolling at the end of July. It’s a really cool summer song which I’m really excited about. It’s a song that I’ve had in my mind for about eight years so it’s really exciting to bring it to fruition. It should follow Real Kicks really nicely. Following that will be an album with a tour next year which is amazing. I find it so rewarding to be able to release the music that I’ve been working on for years. At the start, it was quite daunting to an actor/ musician at the start and I had been making music for a while before I started to release it and have people recognise that I had been creating it.

Quick fire questions

Ideal travel destination - A Greek island

Best store in the world - Any space where you can get multiple musical instruments or gadgets

Gadget of choice - Noise cancelling headphones

Go to pair of shoes - R.M. Williams

Brand/ designer of choice - All Saints

Favourite fragrance - Terre D’ Hermes

Essential grooming product - An amazing, very small Philips beard trimmer

Recommended app - Splitwise (which splits the exact amounts spent between a group)

Icon - David Bowie

Follow Toby Sebastian on Spotify & Instagram.