Ezra Collective

Ezra Collective’s latest album - Where I’m Meant To Be - is a thumping celebration of life, an affirming elevation in the London 5-piece’s winding hybrid sound and refined collective character. At its core are themes of resilience and resistance. It’s the unique story of the Black British experience and the beauty and joy that people of the diaspora find as a product of their perseverance and community-building. The album speaks to the understanding that for so many, life itself is fundamentally difficult, but to celebrate the spoils afforded to those that push through hardship and find the aspects of life — whether in community, in the arts, in cuisine — that bring us fulfillment.

The sound of Where I’m Meant To Be harnesses the energy of celebration after enduring hardship. With its album cover referencing Thelonious Monk's Underground, the songs marry cool confidence with bright energy. Full of call-and-response conversations between their ensemble parts, a natural product of years improvising together on-stage, the album - which also features Sampa The Great, Kojey Radical, Emeli Sandé and Nao, plus spoken contributions from renowned drummer and late mentor of the band Tony Allen and Steve McQueen – is meant to light up sweaty dance floors and soundtrack summer dinners in equal measure.

Released in November 2022 via Partisan, Where I’m Meant To Be was embraced by fans and critics alike as a modern classic. The album earned the band performances at Glastonbury, NPR’s Tiny Desk, sold out tours across the world, and was named the winner of the 2023 Mercury Prize, the first-ever jazz album to be awarded this honor.