Letitia Wright, Pa Salieu, and more to feature on new Ezra Collective album, Here Because of Hope

Here Because of Hope is said to kickstart a new chapter for Ezra Collective, who have had a major few years which included the release of their third album, Dance, No One's Watching, in September 2024, being the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize, winning Best Jazz Act at the MOBO Awards, and playing sold-out shows at at Wembley Arena, Royal Albert Hall, and more. Today, they share the first preview of the upcoming collection of songs, "Only Love" featuring rapper and singer Pa Salieu.

Speaking about how the collaboration and song came to be, drummer and band leader Femi Koleoso explains: “Pa Salieu has been a musician that we have long admired in Ezra Collective. Not just because of his incredible lyricism and storytelling but also his ability to weave in his Gambian heritage and roots into such a distinctly UK sound. In 2024 we had the beautiful moment playing at Wembley Arena, looking out into the crowd and seeing Pa Salieu dancing and partying with his friends and in that moment, I had the very thought we need to make a song together for this kind of setting.

"I spent some time studying West African music, studying Gambian music, and let that influence the bassline of this track and the drumbeat. We linked up with Pa in Wood Green and immediately his stories started to flow, he came with a bunch of lyrics that he had from a really hard time he went through, but in those lyrics were so many stories of pain but also beauty, joy and love, and we were trying to find that beautiful place in the middle of those two things, and that's how we came about this song.”

Honouring a musical approach that keeps the band rooted in their community, Ezra Collective have recruited additional collaborators elsewhere on the album, including excerpts read by actor Letitia Wright, and features from Lila Iké, Leona Lewis and Libianca.

Discussing the album, the band share: “Out fourth offering is a really prominent and beautiful time because it feels like our first records were really Ezra Collective as children, this one really feels like Ezra Collective as adults. There's been so many moments of joy, so many moments of excitement, but at the same time it's impossible not to look at the world and feel deep pain and sadness, and we were really determined to write an album that still sees the prominent importance and final destination being joy, but also recognises the pain and the momentary difficulties that people are facing.

"This album is the journey from that pain to joy, and the connective word in the middle is hope. We hope that this album makes people dance, We hope it makes people cry. There are stories woven into every single fabric of the record, and those stories most eloquently put by 5 adults that met as children.”

Here Because of Hope artwork

Here Because of Hope tracklist

"Part 1 (Read by Letitia Wright)"
"Blow Your Trumpet"
"Sweet Echo"
"Don’t Worry"
"Only Love feat. Pa Salieu"
"Someday"
"Part 2 (Read by Letitia Wright)"
"Birdie Sings"
"The Last Stand"
"Well Organised feat. Lila Iké"
"El Corazón"
"Bunny on the Rise"
"Part 3 (Read by Letitia Wright)"
"All I Need feat. Leona Lewis"
"Jubilee Feeling"
"Black Flag"
"Most High feat. Libianca"