Ezra Collective are all about movement on new single Ajala

Ezra Collective start their post-‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ era.

Ezra Collective have unveiled their single Ajala as the 2023 Mercury Prize winners look ahead to the release of a brand new studio album.

“Ajala the Traveller is a journalist from Nigeria whose story is really beautiful,” Femi Koleoso has explained.

“He decided that he wanted to travel the whole world on a moped and what ended up happening was his name became slang in Yoruba.”

‘Ajala travel’ is slang for someone that can’t sit still. It’s the way a lot of people would describe me, but for me it’s also what a great drum beat does, it’s what great music does to me, it means I can’t sit still and I just want to move. Ajala is all about that movement.

Meanwhile, the group’s November UK and Ireland tour will be a good reflection of their Mercury Prize breakthrough, ending as it does at the OVO Wembley Arena in London.

High profile competition such as Arctic Monkeys and Fred Again… were beaten to the Mercury Prize last September, when Koleoso declared that the win, ‘represents something very special’:

“This moment that we’re celebrating right here is testament to good, special people putting time and effort into young people to play music.”

“This is not just a result for us, or for UK jazz, but this is a special moment for every single organisation across the country, ploughing efforts and time into young people playing music.”

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Where are Ezra Collective touring:

November
6 Birmingham, Institute, United Kingdom
7 Leeds, Project House, United Kingdom
8 Glasgow, Barrowlands, United Kingdom
10 Manchester, Apollo, United Kingdom
11 Dublin, 3Olympia, Ireland
13 Bristol, Beacon, United Kingdom
15 London, OVO Arena Wembley, United Kingdom

Ezra Collective tickets are on-sale here