THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ezra Collective’s new era, a venture in discovered maturity and raised stakes, will be defined by their second album Where I’m Meant To Be.
Where I’m Meant To Be is a thumping celebration of life, an affirming elevation in the Ezra Collective’s winding hybrid sound and refined collective character. 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, Emile Sandé, Steve McQueen and Nao — will light up sweaty dance floors and soundtrack dinner parties in equal measure.
The album announcement was accompanied by the first single Life Goes On, featuring Sampa The Great as well as a nod to the 1972 Fela Kuti record Shakara Oloje. The music video was directed by Nathan Miller and shot in both London and Lusaka.
“London meets Lusaka. Moments of yoy, moments of struggle, but united in a spirit that we must carry on. Life must go on,” state the band describing their inspiration behind the new track. “We write our music with a consistent will to push the boundaries of what we can mix jazz with. This incorporates the energies of southern African vibes, mixed with our own style of London jazz. And no better person to voice this beauty than the queen, Sampa the Great.”
