MRCY by Béni Masiala
VOLUME 2 DUE MAY 30TH VIA DEAD OCEANS
“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 today shares their new single “Wandering Attention,” the latest taste of their forthcoming project VOLUME 2, due May 30th via Dead Oceans. Arriving alongside a Béni Masiala-directed performance video, “Wandering Attention” is a soulful missive with a lighthearted spirit and colorful sound. It’s one of the more daring tracks on their upcoming project, with introspective lyrics about their upbringing.
Speaking on the song’s significance, they share: “The song reflects on the hometowns we grew up in, touching on some of the more difficult aspects—both environmental and emotional. It explores the idea that, while those experiences are a part of who we are, they don’t wholly define us. We’ve grown and changed as individuals since then.”
The music of Barney Lister and Kojo Degraft-Johnson is intent on finding the light during difficult times. Across the eight tracks of VOLUME 2, MRCY delivers their promise of emotive music that surprises as much as it comforts, referencing timeless sounds while pushing the needle forward. If their debut release, 2024’s VOLUME 1, which blended Kojo’s ecstatic vocals and Barney’s masterful analogue production, showcased MRCY’s lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry, VOLUME 2 builds from there to a collection that is more sophisticated, thematic, and definitely more modern, exploring love, self-discovery, and healing.
On confronting the many crises of modern life in their new release, Barney shares: “We’re trying to extinguish fear with optimism and worry with love. VOLUME 2 breaks the mould 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 soundsystem 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 Church experiences with a mighty vocal power that references gospel emotion, choral harmony and the catalogue 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.
Upcoming Live Dates
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 Festival
8/30 – 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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