MRCY brings together the considerable talents of Barney Lister and Kojo Degraft-Johnson. The first is a much sought-after, genre-transcending producer (known for his work with Obongjayar, among others), the second a singer who has supported acts such as Little Simz and Ego Ella May with his satin-soft vocals. Although their roots lie in completely diverse cultures, they found plenty of common ground in the timeless, soulful glow of Marvin Gaye and contemporary sounds of acts such as Khruangbin and Sault. They also both share the desire to find peace within a mad world. Their debut album was released last year, entitled Volume 1, a title promising more material to come. The record evoked comparisons with other maverick singer-producer combos such as Gnarls Barkley. According to Rolling Stone, the two Englishmen are destined for greatness, and Degraft-Johnson has a voice that can cause any audience to fall silent in awe. After one performance of theirs in Brighton, the leading music magazine stated that MRCY “left visitors with a blissful ‘I was there’ feeling”.
