He was described at Glastonbury Festival as “one of the greatest voices of the new generation” by Alex Kapranos. His acclaimed debut album ‘How To Make A Master Peace’ won the Ivor Novello Rising Star Award in 2024. Now, the ever-unpredictable is aiming for the next big thing.

The Surrey-born musician sits in a unique place within the British music scene. With roots in hip-hop and rap, he made the transition to alternative music, bringing his bold personality and party-starting beats to a delicious revival of indie-sleaze. Now known for blending rap, indie, pop and dance into an immediately MP-identifiable bop, Master Peace is a walking embodiment of the idea that if you want to do something, why not just do it? It’s a work ethic that has seen him performing with the likes of Mike Skinner, AJ Tracey and Franz Ferdinand, as well as supporting 5 Seconds of Summer on their recent tour. 

But it’s not all high-flying. Beneath the raucous onstage charm and hedonist bangers is an artist who is acutely aware of his journey, relationship with fans and, in his own words, “the grind”. Supported by recent singles ‘act like you know?’, ‘ONE of ONE’, ‘Love Hate’ and ‘sucker punch !’, his new album ‘if i don’t love you, who will ?’ delves beyond the trials of a romantic relationship into the art of loving one’s self, which, for a lot of us, is the hardest relationship of all.

CLASH caught up with the London artist to discuss heartbreak, the importance of self-love and growing up as the kid with a point to prove.

You’ve had a crazy few months. You’ve just supported 5 Seconds of Summer on their tour, performed with The Streets, AJ Tracey and Franz Ferdinand at Glastonbury… how’s it all been for you?

It’s been crazy, I can’t lie. It’s been a mad couple of years since my first album and I just feel like everything’s been on an upward trajectory. Sometimes I can’t believe this is my situation. I feel really, really, really good.

Your second album, ‘if i don’t love you, who will?’ was made over two years, and shaped by a very specific time in your life. Can you tell us more about it?

This album is based on closure. It’s quite introspective and touches on points that I’ve never really touched on in my music before. I feel like the fans are definitely gonna like the vulnerability. It’s a lot warmer. I was listening to a lot of Her’s (RIP) when I was making this record. I wanted to tap into that feel-good, bedroom-pop, indie energy in 2018-19.

Can you tell us more about the album title?

When the relationship was coming to an end, we were reminiscing about the good old days and she said, “You’re my person. If I don’t love you, who will love you the way I love you?”. That really made me think. What it meant to me was that you have to love yourself before loving someone else. I didn’t really love myself where I was at in my life at the time at that time. That’s why it’s a lot more personal, you know?

Thomas Day, Diamond Cafe, and Grammy-nominee Muni Long all feature on this album. What do you look for in a collaborator?

I have to genuinely be a fan of the music. If I’m jumping on a tune or collaborating with you, I have to look back in a couple of years and be like “Yeah, that was the right thing to do”. For ‘act like you know ?’ I needed Muni Long because I know she understands this shit. I knew that she was going to spin it. It’s actually an indie song, but then her jumping on gave it the R&B edge. So now people can’t really decide whether it’s indie or R&B. I try to show people that there’s other sub-genres within indie. I feel like in indie music, people don’t really collaborate that much. So I like to collaborate because we should be collaborating. 

You’re well known for your eclectic, genre-blending style. Is it that collaboration element that pushes your music to new lengths and sounds?

Yeah, because I learn things, you know? When I making my last EP ‘Stupid Kids’, I was working with Declan McKenna for a song and I was just so inspired. Or take Muni’s verse. I learned so much from that verse; how to flow, do your thing and still have it sound like you. I feel like that’s something I’m quite good at. I can jump on a dance song, an indie song, a pop song, a rap song…  it will still sound like MP. So I learn a lot from my collaborations for sure.

Are there any particular highlights on this album for you?

I would say the song ‘back at me’, because it’s very introspective and gets into how I was feeling after a breakup and then seeing that person again, not knowing that I was going to. I hadn’t seen them in two years. So seeing them, making that song, knowing it was about them and then realising that maybe we’re not meant to be together. It was that closure. 

Your songwriting is very honest and vulnerable, but you have this confident, bravado-esque style. Does this reflect how you are in real life?

It’s crazy because a lot of my friends, especially in the first album, thought I wasn’t really swagging enough in my verses. And I was like, “Yeah, I do need to swag out a bit… we’re not in the garage anymore.” I wanted to come with that energy of ‘I’m the guy’ – but the guy still feels something, you know? I feel like the best comparison of someone who does that really well is Drake. He has all this money and he’s so famous but he still gets his heart broken. He still feels like he’s been betrayed in love. I wanted to have the bravado, the swagger and be like, yeah, I’m still the guy and I feel myself, but I’m hurting too, you know?

Apart from Her’s and Drake, were there any other musical influences for you took cues from on this album?

I was listening to a lot of Mac DeMarco, Cocteau Twins and Steve Lacy. And The 1975 is always going to be in my playlist. They’re my favourite band of all time. Oh and I just remembered I was listening to Tiny Habits. I love them.

‘’ EP, where you write about your experiences with ADHD. Does ADHD influence your craft in any way?

Yeah, most definitely. I felt my whole life that I always had something to prove in every aspect. I actually thought I wasn’t gonna do shit, because you get that in your head when they call you the ‘stupid kid’. This is for anybody else that feels like they have a point to prove. You’re not alone. If you want it bad enough and you work for it, it will happen. I’m a strong believer of that.

Anything’s possible. I think people are scared of trying because they’re scared that people in their hometown are going to laugh at them or make them feel less significant. At the end of the day, you have to try. Whether it’s small or big, as long as you’re trying, you can’t lose. 

You’ve spoken before about the concept of Master Peace being more than just a sound, but a world or a feeling. What is the ‘Master Peace world’ that you want your fans to become immersed in?

For this album I would say that men feel it too, in terms of emotions. We grow up feeling that men don’t cry and can’t be emotional, it’s just this toxic masculinity. I’m an emotional person and I feel things quite hard. I want guys, and girls, to listen to the album and feel seen. But also, life’s not that bad. The album has a lot of tongue-in-cheek humour on there. Like yes, they’ve moved on and have a new partner, but it’s okay, it’s going to be fine. You’re going to live. As long as you love yourself, you’ll be fine. I want the fans to feel that loving themselves is way more important than anything else. Self-love is so important.

You’ve always been very in touch with your fans and said that you want them to feel like they have a degree of access to you. How important is that relationship?

I feel bad when artists move like they’re above the fans, you know? I hate that so much because once it’s all said and done, those fans are going to show up for you. As much as it would be great, you can’t be at the top forever. For me with my fans, I always want to show them love because without them, I wouldn’t be where I am. And it’s hard to get fans. It’s really difficult to get fans. So I try and treasure that. They were the first people that took a chance on me. I would show them love, always. 

You’ve had a particularly steady career trajectory. You’ve mentioned before this idea that you ‘can’t cheat the grind’. Is this how you operate?

That’s definitely how I operate because you really can’t cheat the grind. It’s easier said than done, but you can’t cheat this shit. You can’t drop one song a year and hope to be massive. Even if the songs don’t stream as well as you want, you’ve got to build that fan base. Build your community and your family and then the validation will come. But you have to fail a lot, you have to go through things. I remember when I first started, I was doing shows for the security guard and one other person, you know? But those were growing pains.

Now, I can sell out the venues that I play and go across the country and tour. That comes with not cheating on the grind. When you come from nothing, you have nothing to lose. The hunger comes from knowing that no matter how hard it gets, I’m going to keep going. You got to have that dog in you.

On that note, is there any advice you would give an artist who’s just beginning their musical career? What’s the best way of actually lasting in this industry?

Nobody cares as much as you think people care. There’s so many artists coming out the floodgates. How are you going to be the person that people care about? That’s by dropping music. You’re not Madonna. You have to drop music, and if you don’t drop music you’re going to be waiting for something that isn’t going to happen.

So it’s very important to be putting out as much as possible. The reason I love my label so much is because they let me drop as much as I want. Every song is a lottery ticket, you know? So I would advise: drop so much music that people are like ‘Oh my god, can this person go away?’ But don’t go away. Keep dropping.

What’s the next big goal on the horizon for you?

I would say the next thing for me is a Mercury Prize. I want a Mercury, man. I can smell that Mercury. Again, it comes back to that validation thing. I don’t really need it but I think for an ego thing I definitely want one to know I have it. Like fuck it. Just nominate me at least!

Is there anyone else you’re listening to right now that people are sleeping on?

I would say Blondshell. She’s so good. It’s honestly her tone and everything. She’s like my favourite artist right now. 

You’ve said that the stuff you’re putting out after this album is sounding ‘very insane’. What have you got coming up?

I just got heat, man! There were so many songs that didn’t make the cut. I don’t like deluxe albums if I’m honest. It’ll be a whole new project. I’ve got some mad songs and I got some mad features as well. But I can’t say too much about it. 

record store tour starts next week. How are you preparing?

I’m excited to get back on the road. My favourite bit of music is the performing aspect of it. I really live for it. When you’re sitting down in the studio making these songs, you really want people to hear it. So for me, as long as people can hear it and see it in real life, then the job is done. If they can connect to it and they love it in real life, that’s what I live for.

‘if i don’t love you, who will?’ is out now. You can get tickets for the Love Yourself tour . 

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