Entering 2023 with The Wreckage, his first release as Sweet Baboo in half a decade or so, Stephen Black’s much-loved pop alias charmed John-Paul Davies something rotten. So much so that he had to find out more from the Cardiff-based musician himself…

The Wreckage is full of great songs – and very focused. How do you feel it compares to previous Sweet Baboo releases?

Stephen Black: In the pandemic, everything stopped – I had to do something, so I wrote some songs. For the first time, I knew I just wanted the album to be songs – no great concept. Before, I’ve gone “let’s do this,” and then it’s been this chaotic process of making it work. This one was fun. I wanted to give everyone involved as much freedom as possible, too – I was like, well, the song exists anyway, let’s just have some fun. In that way, I feel it’s made for a stronger and more direct album.

Do you think that change in approach comes from years of collaborating, with the likes of Cate Le Bon and Euros Childs?

Stephen Black: I think it’s from getting older. With Sweet Baboo, I went through the stage of wanting to be in charge and control everything – because I’d do lots of work for other people, but Sweet Baboo is my thing. And then I realised that actually, for me, the older I get, what I love about music is the communal aspect. But ask me again in five years and I’ll probably go all the way back to wanting to do everything myself.

You’ve been in the Welsh capital for over two decades now. What brought you from Bethesda to Cardiff in the first place?

Stephen Black: I came to Cardiff to go to the Royal Welsh College Of Music & Drama, to play the clarinet. That was quite strange because I never really wanted to be a classical musician: I’ve always loved pop music, and I’ve only ever really wanted to be in a band. And college was this thing where basically – from my experience – they really sapped all the fun out of it. So intense and formal. I remember doing the end-of-year recital, where the feedback was always negative – you can be faster here, or louder there, or not!

So I didn’t play clarinet for a long time. And then I just fell into playing in bands in Cardiff; and, with a bit of hindsight, it gave me a lot of skills. I play a lot of clarinet in my other band – Group Listening, clarinet and piano with Paul Jones. And I really enjoy playing the piano and clarinet again.

You’ve got a big tour coming up in spring, starting with a show in Chapter. What can we expect to see and hear on the tour?

Stephen Black: I’m going to do all my gigging, for the time being, solo. But I don’t want it to be just me and the guitar – I want to try to put on a show. Fill the stage with a load of crap and then see what happens.

I’ve got to work it out, I don’t want to make it too complicated for myself! But I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t done many gigs of my own stuff – just three in 2022, before that none since 2017. And I forgot that I love being on the stage with everyone looking at me.

I hope that people are receptive to it. I’ve never played in Chapter before – I’m excited because the evening has sold out and we’re doing an all-ages matinee show. And there’s support from [London-based solo musician] Clementine March on both gigs.

How’s the family show going to be different? Less swearing?

Stephen Black: It’ll be exactly the same. The kids will enjoy the swearing more than the adults, I think.

Sweet Baboo’s The Wreckage is out via Amazing Tapes From Canton on Fri 27 Jan. Info: sweetbaboo.co.uk

He plays The Lost Arc, Rhayader on Fri 17 Mar (tickets: £12. Info: here) and Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff on Sat 18 Mar (2pm + 7pm; tickets: £12, evening show sold out. Info: here)

words JOHN-PAUL DAVIES