Kokoroko

Bio

Kokoroko are determined to keep pace. After the success of their early EP in 2019, their debut full-length Could We Be More was long-awaited. And following its release in 2022 and a subsequent European tour, this London outfit are already back in the studio to resume writing and composing music for their next phase.
Fronted by a female horn section, Kokoroko have gone on to expand far beyond just paying tribute to those that came before. With Sheila Maurice-Grey on Trumpet, Anoushka Nanguy on Trombone for live shows, Ayo Salawu on drums, Onome Edgeworth on percussion, Duane Atherley on bass, Tobi Adenaike-Johnson on guitar andYohan Kebede on keys and synths to complete the vibrant ensemble, their debut album saw them find the sweet spot.
They seamlessly blend a melting pot of influences and experiences to usher in a new future, while drawing from the past and present. Whether that’s through the dreamlike synths that weave around the urgent percussion, distorted electric guitar solos or a horn section so melodic and expressive that it makes you forget to miss lyrics. There’s a dynamic, bustling trademark London energy to the arrangements at times, alongside a sense of space and weightlessness that resists location and categorisation altogether.
“One thing that we spoke about before writing the album was the intentionality of it, what we wanted it to be. So much of what we’d written before was music trying to be like Afrobeat or highlife or to directly imitate it,” Sheila notes. “So the main thing we said was let’s be ourselves. We want to make something that sounds like us. And with most of us being from London or just outside London, of Caribbean, West African, East African descent, I think inevitably those cultures are gonna come into it.” Onome agrees, “[In London] you just grow up with every influence in the world and so from when we let go of trying to be anything as a band, trying to be an African band or trying to be a jazz band or any of that, you just open the door to everything naturally, all of that experience.”
Performing live is another way that the group’s London heritage has shaped their practice too, in terms of sparking feedback and participation from the audiences they play to. “When you do things right in London, you get energy from the crowd. When you do it wrong, you get nothing,” Onome laughs. And that organic, improvisational element is present even in how Kokoroko build and pace their recorded music too, taking their audiences on a journey of patience and release. In June, they’ll bring that spirit and more to one of Europe’s biggest arts institutions, Southbank Centre, as part of Christine and the Queens’ Meltdown festival.
Fresh off the back of an Australian tour and live dates in Canada, it’s a highlight amongst a jam-packed schedule of European summer festivals, including Brussels, Madrid, Rotterdam and Copenhagen.
Beyond the summer, when it comes to their philosophy for the future, as of now it’s very simple: “come as you are and share joy”. In channelling the open-ended joy that fuels their collaboration, what comes next for the collective is bound to bring light and offer up a soundtrack for life’s most precious moments. “I think the last one was a long journey of trying to work ourselves out and find where we land. And with this one, we really just want to enjoy the next few years. So what’s the best way to create that experience, to have fun, to enjoy and enrich our own lives?” Onome says. “And doing that by not trying to be like everyone else, but being ourselves,” Sheila adds, “and making our own legacy.”

Tuff Times Never Last

Released via Brownswood Recordings, ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ is a spirited and vibrant collection of songs serving as an optimistic reminder to tightly hold and embrace the many dualities that occur in life. Over the course of the 11-song suite, the album explores togetherness, community, sensuality, childhood, loss and above all perseverance.

Initially drawing inspiration from a viral social media meme, co-bandleader Onome Edgeworth said of the title’s origins and meaning: “It’s true! Although we’re reflecting on joy and celebration, you realize that a lot of that beauty comes out of challenges and difficulties. It felt like a natural truth that we discovered whilst writing”.

The accompanying artwork was painted by Luci Pina, the acclaimed illustrator whose work has been sought and commissioned by the likes of The Cut, Soho House, DICE, Apple Music and It’s Nice That. Embedded within the image is Kokoroko’s ode to London in the summer. Speaking on its design, co-bandleader Sheila Maurice-Grey said: “The remit was summer in London, family and sense of everyone being in a congregation-like audience, and us being the musicians”.

The artwork’s imagery and colour was inspired by feelings of innocence and nostalgia – coming of age in London and those rare summer nights where everything felt full of hope. The cityscape also pays homage to Spike Lee’s 1994 film ‘Crookyln’ and Rick Famuyiwa’s 1999 opus ‘The Wood’. The band saw these movies as heartwarming representations of black family, community and resilience that served as a balm for them as Londoners. Speaking further on this, co-bandleader Onome Edgeworth said: “‘Crooklyn’ is very emotional, but also very uplifting. It felt like how I grew up. This album is us sharing our own feelings, hopes and dreams. We didn’t always have those stories in the UK”

Three years on from their debut album ‘Could We Be More’ which peaked at No.30 on the UK Albums Chart and received acclaim from The Guardian, The Telegraph, Financial Times, Jazzwise, CRACK Magazine and Downbeat Magazine, ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ sees the London band with careless abandon expand their wide-ranging palette and influences.

While the afrobeat jazz of their previous work is still a core part of the record’s sonic design, the new album largely pulls from British R&B from the 80s, neo-soul, West African disco, bossa nova, lovers rock and funk. Sonically taking cues from the likes of Loose Ends, Don Blackman, Common, Sly & Robbie, William Onyeabor, Patrice Rushen, Ofori Amponsah and Cymande. Throughout this instinctive evolution, the septet’s seasoned musicianship preserves the essence of who Kokoroko are as masterful jazz artisans.

Speaking on the band’s progression in sound, co-bandleader Sheila Maurice-Grey said: “Innately, we’re jazz musicians but we’ve tried not to kind of box ourselves into one sound. So there is a level of freedom we’re starting to feel. We want to continue being as creative as possible without feeling any boundaries”.

The unveiling of the new album comes alongside the LP’s lead single ‘Sweetie’, a tantalising first taste of the new record that bridges the gap between where the band has been and where they’re going. A tribute to the playful bond between lovers, ‘Sweetie’ is a horn-led and wonky-sounding tune saluting West African disco. It expands upon the band exploring more electronic sounds and toying with obscure drum machine and synth sounds.

‘Sweetie’ marks Kokoroko’s first dose of new music since their EP ‘Get The Message’. Released last November, the project spawned ‘Three Piece Suit’ featuring Azekel – their honouring of Nigerian elders contemplating home, lineage and ancestry in 1960s London.. Upon its release, the EP earned praise from Rolling Stone Africa, Bandcamp Daily, The Fader, YAMS, OkayAfrica, TRENCH, Official Charts, NOTION, CLASH, DMY, Rough Trade and The Stranger.

To coincide with the release of ‘Tuff Times Never Last’, Kokoroko will be embarking on the biggest headline show of their career when they play London’s O2 Academy Brixton on September 25th. 

credits

All tracks written by Sheila Maurice-Grey, Onome Edgeworth, Duane Atherley, Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Yohan Kebede, Ayo Salawu (Kobalt Publishing)

Apart from A6, written by Sheila Maurice-Grey, Onome Edgeworth, Duane Atherley, Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Yohan Kebede, Ayo Salawu, Ademola Azekel Bamidele Adesuyi (Azekel)

Mixed by Dilip Harris
Produced by Miles Clinton James
Mastered by Stuart Hawkes at Metropolis Studios, London
Engineered by Christoph Hans Skirl
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TRACKLIST

01. Never Lost
02. Sweetie
03. Closer To Me
04. My Father in Heaven
05. Idea 5 (Call My Name) [feat. LULU.]
06. Three Piece Suit (feat. Azekel)
07. Time and Time (feat. Demae)
08. Da Du Dah
09. Together We Are
10. Just Can’t Wait
11. Over / Reprise

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