Partisan Records has signed Ezra Collective, with the indie’s MD Zena White praising their “world class” musicianship.
The deal was announced today (June 7), with the London based group releasing a new track, Victory Dance, to mark the occasion.
Zena White said: “We are so proud and excited to welcome Ezra Collective to our roster. Having been fans of their world class musicianship for years, we are so happy to bring their music and message to our daily work and can't wait to support them in the next years of their flourishing career.”
Of Victory Dance, Ezra Collective’s drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso said: “It embodies that feeling when something brings joy and the expression is beyond words. Not everyday talk. Sometimes you just have to dance instead.”
Partisan recently released Just Mustard’s first album for the label, Heart Under, and has enjoyed recent success with Fontaines DC’s chart-topping album Skinty Fia.
The label was shortlisted for the Independent Label Of The Year category at the Music Week Awards this year, having won the trophy for the past two years running.
With almost 400,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Ezra Collective are among the leading lights of the new wave of UK jazz, with members contributing to various other projects and playing live in multiple other groups. Femi Koleoso tours with Gorillaz, bassist TJ Koleoso plays alongside Yazmin Lacey, keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones collaborates with Mick Jenkin, Nubya Garcia and Fatima, saxophonist James Mollison performs in Nala Sinephro’s band and trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi tours with Burna Boy.
They released their debut album, You Can’t Steal My Joy, independently in 2019 and their maiden full-length for Partisan is in the works. The video for Victory Dance was directed by Femi Ladi, watch it below.
Read Music Week’s On The Radar interview with Ezra Collective here.
Photo: Aliyah Otchere
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