Sweet Baboo is Stephen Black, a musician from rural North Wales. Before becoming a solo artist, he played with the band JT Mouse.[1] He is bilingual in Welsh and English but usually sings in English.Sweet Baboo's earliest musical influences were fellow Welsh musicians such as Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. Later influences have included the Beach Boys and Jonathan Richman.[2] His musical style has been described as a mix of country and psychedelic - idiosyncratic, with a skill for writing darkly funny to piercingly tender lyrics.[3]
Sweet Baboo has performed extensively at festivals such as Glastonbury, Green Man, Festival No. 6 and Latitude.[4] He has worked with Cate Le Bon, Slow Club and H. Hawkline. He's also performed with and produced Euros Childs, The Pictish Trail, The Voluntary Butler Scheme and Islet and collaborated with Gruff Rhys.[5]
Sweet Baboo's album "I'm a Dancer / Songs about Sleepin'" was nominated for the first ever Welsh Music Prize in 2011.[6]
Sweet Baboo launched single "Let's Go Swimming Wild" in 2012 as a free download. After winning BBC Radio 6 Music's "Rebel Playlist" weekly singles competition, it was constantly played on the station, once an hour, on the hour. "If I Died...", the second single from his upcoming album "Ships", was released in March 2013. To celebrate that month's St. David's Day, a Welsh-language version of the song (co-written with H. Hawkline) was released online.