Mrcy - Vol. 1 [LP]

MRCY are producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson.Hailing from different ends of England and disparate cultures, theirsis a space of soulful self-expression that combines the timelessmusical warmth and social consciousness of Marvin Gaye with thegenre-melding, modern sensibility of Anderson.Paak and SAULT."It's like hearing a distant memory," Barney says. "But one thatspeaks to where you are now."MRCY first connected over Instagram in the pandemic beforemeeting up IRL in Brixton, where they immediately found commonground in their time spent hustling behind the scenes. Hailing fromHuddersfield's thriving soundsystem culture, Barney has establishedhimself as one of the UK's most in-demand producers, withcollaborations ranging from Ivor-Award-winning work withObongjayar to Mercury-nominated records with Joy Crookes andOlivia Dean. South London-raised Kojo, meanwhile, earned hisstripes in church as well as singing with equally-illustrioushomegrown artists like Cleo Sol and Little Simz. MRCY's musicreverberates with individual perspectives, but also reminds howthose common experiences of graft, grit and abandon have alwaysbeen able to bring crowds - or a new band - together through toughtimes.Debut single 'Lorelei' exemplifies MRCY's method of viewing Soulthrough the contemporary looking glass. Their upcoming project,VOLUME 1, artfully combines musical weight, commanding vocalsand otherworldly touches to produce songs that feel as personal asthey are deeply universal. For Barney and Kojo, the band is as muchabout putting yourself first as it is the spirit of compassion, empathyand m(e)rcy that has never felt more needed. Soul, says Barney, is"good people making music that matters." And from the very firstline of standout single 'R.L.M.' - "London rain on the window / I don'tcare where we're gonna go / I'm good with you" - MRCY offer ablissful respite from and an intoxicating soundtrack to the madness,the magic, of the everyday