Kokoroko first formed in 2014 when Sheila Maurice-Grey (trumpet/flugelhorn/vocals) and Onome Edgeworth (percussion) met on an arts trip in Kenya, bonding over their shared tastes in music. A desire to connect young people in the African diaspora with genres like Afrobeat and Highlife would also fuel the band’s genesis. Before long they were playing gigs, riding a wave of the then nascent “London jazz scene”. In 2018, their breakthrough was secured when the sparse ‘Abusey Junction’ was included on Gilles Peterson’s ‘We Out Here’ compilation. An understated 7 minute ballad recorded in an afternoon, it quickly became a viral hit racking up 75 million streams.

The next few years were spent touring extensively, work-shopping their music and perfecting their sound. In 2019 they self-released their debut EP in 2019, selling over 20,000 copies on vinyl, before having its momentum halted by the pandemic. In 2022, after much heightened anticipation, and with the help of producer Miles James (Little Simz, Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch), they released their debut album ‘Could We Be More’. A sinewy blend of afrobeat, highlife and jazz, the album scored platitudes from The Guardian, The Telegraph, Financial Times, CRACK Magazine and plethora of others. The album would also land a top 40 placement on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 30.

Its resulting success parlayed into an extensive number of touring and festival dates across Europe, Australia, and Canada. Now a decade into their existence, the ensemble who also consists of Anoushka Nanguy (vocals/trombone), Ayo Salawu (drums), Duane Atherley (bass), Tobi Adenaike-Johnson (guitar) and Yohan Kebede (keys) are in a place where they’ve done their bit in contributing to a necessary course correction for the scenes they sought to revitalise. And as such, feel ready to sonically expand their horizons.

Set for release on July 11 th via Brownswood Recordings, ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ is a body of work that holds space for the many dualities that occur in life. A testament to resilience, joy and the retainment of child-like innocence in the face of adverse circumstances. “Although we’re reflecting on joy and celebration, you realize a lot of that beauty comes out of challenges and difficulties. Even in memory, the times that were tough tend to sweeten up” Edgeworth says of the story behind the album’s title.

For the first time in their career, Kokoroko have their own studio space. This newfound space has become a sanctuary for innovation and spontaneity. Enabling them to distill their creative juices as a unit and really hone in on a sound that is singular and cohesive. As Kokoroko prepares to share ‘Tuff Times Never Last’ with the world, they stand at a vibrant watershed moment in their careers. With their roots firmly planted in the past with a vision gleaming towards the dreams of tomorrow, Kokoroko invites us to join them in this next chapter. “We’re in a luxury place where we can start sharing music as ourselves”, Edgeworth says. Echoing this sentiment, Maurice-Grey says, “There is a level of freedom we’re starting to feel. If we want to do XYZ, we might not do it amazingly, but we feel the freedom to explore that”.