MRCY by Béni Masiala
SHARES NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO “MAN” OUT NOW
“Perhaps the most exciting new act to appear from the UK this year so far” – Wonderland
“Feels like a genuine *I was there* moment…destined for greatness” – Rolling Stone
“Psychedelic soul at its most ensnaring” – Sunday Times
“Ambitious, emotionally charged…helps us fathom life’s confusion” – NME
“Triumphant and dynamic…MRCY are quickly landing themselves on every music enthusiast’s radar” – Clash
“Baton-carriers of genre-bending contemporary soul” – DIY
London-based duo MRCY returns to announce their latest project VOLUME 2, a companion follow-up to their acclaimed VOLUME 1 from last year. Due May 30th via Dead Oceans, MRCY will celebrate the release with their third headline London show at Islington Assembly Hall on May 29th, which follows two previous sold-out headline shows at that same venue. Quickly becoming a formidable live act not to miss, MRCY also shares their new single “Man,” a stunningly realized exploration of the complexities of modern masculinity alongside a retro Béni Masiala-directed performance video.
Blending vibrant afrobeat polyrhythms with jazz-inflected flourishes, MRCY — comprised of vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson and producer/multi-instrumentalist Barney Lister — delivers a track that is as thought-provoking as it is sonically infectious, questioning the ways masculinity can evolve for the better: “Being a man in this world is complicated, and it can feel like a battle to stay open and kind,” Kojo explains. “That’s why this track has that relentless battle groove—it mirrors the fight to lead with love and integrity.”
Barney adds, “The lyrics ‘Move out the dark and lead with light / Fight for the love a thousand times’ really encapsulate what we wanted to say. Change is a collective effort, and we need to come together to redefine what it means to be a man.”
In dark and difficult times, the music of Barney and Kojo lifts us up. As MRCY, across the eight tracks of VOLUME 2, they deliver on their premise of emotive music that surprises as much as it comforts, referencing timeless sounds as much as a sense of the cutting edge. If their debut release, 2024’s VOLUME 1, which blended Kojo’s ecstatic vocals and Barney’s masterful analog production, showcased MRCY’s lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry, VOLUME 2 builds from there to a collection that is more sophisticated, thematic, and more modern, exploring love, self-discovery, and healing.
“We’re trying to extinguish fear with optimism and worry with love,” Barney says, on confronting the many crises of modern life in their new release. “‘VOLUME 2’ breaks the mold to present a bigger picture of who we are – something with angst, surprises and more guts.”
The duo’s innate confidence in each other stems from their impressive musical pedigree. Barney grew up in Huddersfield and was introduced to the Yorkshire town’s sound system culture from an early age before going on to produce and collaborate with everyone from vocalist Obongjayar to popstar Rina Sawayama, Mercury Prize-nominees Joy Crookes, Olivia Dean and Celeste and Glaswegian soul singer, Joesef. Kojo, meanwhile, draws on his South London Church-going background with a mighty vocal power that references gospel emotion, choral harmony and the catalog of soul greats like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. Earning his stripes on London’s jam circuit, he has since provided vocals for Cleo Sol, Little Simz, Jungle and Liam Gallagher.
Following the release of VOLUME 1 last year, MRCY earned a nomination for Rising Star at the Rolling Stone Awards, was named one of DIY’s “Class of 2025” and Rolling Stone’s “Ones to Watch.” The duo also embarked on a UK and EU tour with US soul group Black Pumas and sold out their headline show at London’s Jazz Café, honing an assertive stage presence that channels tight-knit classic soul ensembles in the process. They stormed the festival season – All Points East, Great Escape, Green Man, End of the Road, Iceland Airwaves, Pitchfork Paris, ESNS – and picked up support across Radio 1, 6Music and Apple Music (including Zane Lowe, Elton John and Guy Garvey shout-outs). At the heart of the band is the opposites-attract chemistry of Barney and Kojo themselves, two hugely distinct and multi-talented personalities with the confidence to step out of the shadows and show a little MRCY.
Pre-save/order VOLUME 2 and listen to “Man” above and stay tuned for more from MRCY coming soon.
Upcoming Live Dates
2/21 – Villars-sur-Ollon, CH @ MFJ Spotlight Series
2/22 – Leuven, BE @ Cool Festival
5/28 – Bristol, UK @ Strange Brew
5/29 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall
5/30 – Manchester, UK @ YES
5/31 – Glasgow, SCT @ King Tuts
7/4 – Belfort, FR @ Les Eurockéennes
7/5 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
7/6 – Glynde, UK @ Love Supreme Festival
7/19 – Pori, FI @ Pori Jazz Festival
7/26 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival8/30 – Vlieland, NL @ Into the Great Wide Open
MRCY
VOLUME 2
Dead Oceans
May 30, 2025
1. Angels
2. Wanna Know (Ontario)
3. Man
4. Sierra
5. Flicker
6. Wandering Attention
7. Fear
8. More Than You Are Now
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