In dark and difficult times, the music of Barney Lister and Kojo Degraft-Johnson lifts us up. As MRCY, across the eight tracks of VOLUME 2, they deliver on their premise of emotive music that surprises as much as it comforts, referencing timeless sounds as much as a sense of the cutting edge. If their debut release, 2024’s VOLUME 1, which blended Kojo’s ecstatic vocals and Barney’s masterful analogue production, showcased MRCY’s lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry, VOLUME 2 builds from there to a collection that is more sophisticated, thematic, and definitely more modern, exploring love, self-discovery, and healing.

“We’re trying to extinguish fear with optimism and worry with love,” Barney says, on confronting the many crises of modern life in their new release. “VOLUME 2 breaks the mould to present a bigger picture of who we are – something with angst, surprises and more guts.”

Opening numbers “Angels” and “Wanna Know (Ontario)” draw on a classic MRCY feel with their infectious grooves, soaring group harmonies and warm uplifting horns, harnessing Kojo’s flawless falsetto in an emotive introspection that yearns for a better future or for the affection of another.

Yet, as the record progresses, MRCY launches into unexpected sounds and new themes. On “Man”, Kojo sings about the challenges of modern masculinity and questions the ways that men can change for the better over an energetic afrobeat polyrhythms and a jazz-inflected flute solo. “Being a man in this world is complicated and it can feel like a battle to stay open and kind," Kojo explains. “That’s why the track has that driving battle groove and the lines ‘Move out the dark and lead with light/Fight for the love a thousand times’ because we need to come together to make ourselves change for the better."

Standout number “Flicker” sees Kojo sing about the temptation to give yourself emotionally to people who don’t deserve it over a Ghanaian highlife riff and a dancefloor-filling bassline.

First meeting in 2021 after Barney discovered a clip of Kojo singing on Instagram and was taken by his soaring, Stevie Wonder-referencing vocals, the pair linked up at Barney’s Brixton studio and discovered an immediate connection. “It’s the most natural music I’ve ever made,” Kojo says. “Being with Barney in the studio, the ideas just come pouring out and we always lead with our initial feelings, since that produces the most authentic and heartfelt music.”

The duo’s innate confidence in each other stems from their impressive musical pedigree. Barney grew up in Huddersfield and was introduced to the Yorkshire town’s soundsystem culture from an early age before going on to produce and collaborate with everyone from vocalist Obongjayar to popstar Rina Sawayama, Mercury Prize-nominees Joy Crookes, Olivia Dean and Celeste and Glaswegian soul singer Joesef. Kojo, meanwhile, draws on his South London Church-going background to deliver a mighty vocal power that references gospel emotion, choral harmony and the catalogue of soul greats like Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. Earning his stripes on London’s jam circuit, he has since provided vocals for Cleo Sol, Little Simz, Jungle and Liam Gallagher.

Following the release of VOLUME 1 on tastemaking label Dead Oceans, MRCY earned a nomination for Rising Star at the Rolling Stone Awards and were named one of DIY’s Class of 2025 and Rolling Stone’s Ones to Watch. The duo also embarked on a UK and EU tour with US soul group Black Pumas and sold out their headline show at London’s Jazz Café, honing an assertive stage presence that channels tight-knit classic soul ensembles in the process. “The whole of 2024 felt like a dream, from getting signed to touring and playing our first shows to thousands of people,” says Barney. “It was a process that brought the two of us closer together, since we’ve been through so much now. Seeing the music take on a life of its own has also driven us to make even more of a statement with VOLUME 2.”

The duo have certainly made huge strides since their debut release last year, and with live dates planned for later in 2025, as well as writing set to commence on their debut album, it seems there is no slowing down MRCY – a group making vital music that speaks to the complexities of being alive today. “The main feeling of the project is that the world is fucked but let’s dance through it,” Barney says. “We can’t wait for people to hear it and to feel energised by the message.” It’s a sound and a signal that has never felt more necessary.