If you’ve ever read the liner notes of a Kesha album, you’ve likely seen one name appear again and again: Pebe Sebert. Not only is Sebert the songwriter behind some of Kesha’s biggest hits, including “Timber,” she’s also the mother of the pop superstar. Now, the GRAMMY® Award nominated songwriter is resurrecting a project that was almost lost to time. Originally recorded in the early 1980s, Pebe Sebert has finally unveiled her long-awaited, self-titled debut album.
Back in the 1980s, Sebert was riding high on the #1 success of Dolly Parton’s “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You,” a song she co-wrote with her then-husband Hugh Moffatt. Following that breakthrough, she became a sought-after songwriter for a roster of country and pop heavyweights, including Kathy Mattea, Johnny Cash, June Carter, Crystal Gayle, and Merle Haggard. With her growing success, and the arrival of baby Kesha in 1987, it’s no surprise that the cassette of her own recordings was tucked away for a rainy day. But as fate would have it, in 2021, decades later, Sebert dusted off some boxes in her basement and uncovered those long-forgotten tapes.
Utilizing the cassettes with her recordings produced by Guy Roche (Christina Aguilera, Selena, Brandy, Celine Dion, Cher), Sebert enlisted Daniël Rios Mol and Jeffrey Wahl to help build out, restore, and master the album for modern ears.
Besides “Vampire” and “Hard Times Ahead,” which were released in 2021 and 2022, respectively, the album features standout songs, including “Fun To Be Young,” and several previously unheard gems.
The 11-track record blends Sebert’s celebrated songwriting with a sound so unmistakably eighties it just might make your hair poof.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a true eighties record without a vinyl release. A limited-edition 12” pressing is now available via Kesha Records, an independent imprint of Warner Music Group (WMG).
So dust off your Walkman, perhaps tucked away in a basement box of your own, and listen to “Pebe Sebert,” now streaming on digital and spinning on vinyl.
Featured Photo Credit: Courtney McElravy
Amelia Cordischi, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Juice Box Press, is an accomplished digital marketing professional with over a decade of experience in media and communications. Her work has been featured in notable publications, including The Boston Globe. A communications graduate of Simmons University in Boston, Amelia served as manager of Simmons College Radio (“The Shark”), where she also launched and co-hosted her radio show, The Find.
In addition to her editorial work, Amelia is an established freelance photographer, with bylines in Blended Magazine and CelebMix, capturing artists and cultural moments across the music and media landscape. Her career began at WCVB-TV’s Chronicle, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where she gained firsthand experience in broadcast journalism and storytelling.
When she’s not taking photos from the photo pit, interviewing emerging artists, or crafting the next Juice Box Press feature, Amelia can be found thrifting and exploring the world of sustainable fashion.