Ezra Collective: “Give us Paul McCartney money and we’ll build a youth club”
nme.comEzra Collective have shared new single ‘Streets Is Calling’ and spoken to NME about the importance of social activism and Damon Albarn’s influence on the group following drummer Femi Koleoso’s stint in Gorillaz.Last year, the London quintet became the first jazz act to walk away with the prestigious Mercury Prize.
What has followed has been a whirlwind of acclaim and further accolades. The band’s profile and streaming figures have risen exponentially, while 2024 single ‘Ajala’ was recently nominated for ‘Best Independent Track’ at this year’s AIM Awards.Now, they’re back with another taster of upcoming third album ‘Dance, No One Is Watching’ – with ‘Streets Is Calling’ featuring M.anifest and Moonchild Sanelly, bringing together the sounds of Highlife, Amapiano and Afrobeats.“‘Streets Is Calling’ is about the feeling when people call you up and message you and say, ‘Yo, there’s this party happening tonight and that’s all you need’,” said Koleoso. “The Streets have called.
We’re gonna go straight to this dancefloor to make it our own.”Talking backstage at London’s All Points East prior to a triumphant festival set, Koleoso told us about the album and looked back on that historical Mercury win last September.“I just remember sitting in the ceremony thinking, ‘Make sure you fix your face’, because you never want to be that person in an award ceremony looking vexed,” he joked to NME. “When they said our name, I couldn’t believe it.
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