MRCY have dropped their sophomore single ‘Flowers In Mourning’, released via Dead Oceans.
A deep, groove-focussed offering from the rising duo, the track illustrates the after-effects of love and loss through optimism. Embracing a rich instrumentation, ‘Flowers In Mourning’ is truly triumphant and dynamic, driven by its fusion of influences which span Afrobeats, dub, northern soul and beyond. Bold in its racing percussion, slick saxophone interjections and hypnotic basslines, MRCY are quickly landing themselves on every music enthusiast’s radar.
Formed by producer Barney Lister and vocalist Kojo Degraft-Johnson, the duo share a distinct ear for timelessness. As individuals, they’ve worked with some of the most sought-after voices within contemporary jazz, rap and soul, naming the likes of Obonjayar, Joy Crookes, Little Simz and Cleo Sol as collaborators.
Arriving alongside visuals by Harris Elliot, the artist incorporates AI, Adinkra symbolism and British iconography into the MRCY aesthetic. As they gear up towards their debut headline show at London’s Lower Third and a string of dates alongside Black Pumas, there’s little to hold back MRCY in 2024.
Speaking on their latest single, Kojo shares: The opening voice is my Mum singing a song that my Grandmother wrote for my family as a kind of fun nursery rhyme to sing to the kids. All my family know it. My Grandmother is no longer with us and when I think about her I feel a mix of joy and sadness. ‘Flowers In Mourning’ is also about the loss of things that kept you at peace, and it reflects on the state of our surroundings that contribute to feeling like shxt mentally’.
Tune in now.
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Photo Credit: Ben Quinton
