THE BIG SHOP: EZRA COLLECTIVE
What the London jazz band is buying from Selfridges this season.
BY ANISH PATEL
This article is from our archive – some details may no longer be correct and featured products may be out of stock.
Ezra Collective is the first jazz act to win the prestigious Mercury Prize. They’re composed of drummer and band leader Femi Koleoso, bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, and saxophonist James Mollison. We caught up with them ahead of the release of their third studio album, Dance, No One’s Watching.
HOW LONDON INFLUENCES OUR SOUND…
JAMES: “It’s a melting pot of different cultures and different sounds, and it’s always throwing something new at us. Whether that’s languages we hear on the streets or music from other countries that we hear on car radios. They are sounds that have shaped our music in some way.”
EZRA COLLECTIVE WAS FORMED WHEN...
JAMES: “We were put together in 2012. We were all attending a jazz development workshop called Tomorrow’s Warriors at the Southbank Centre. They wanted a band to represent them at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival youth competition.”
TJ: “… We won!”
ON WINNING THE 2023 MERCURY PRIZE...
IFE: “I can’t even remember how I felt because I was so shocked. We were so proud to have won an award that we really respected. And those moments feel even greater when they’re shared between brothers and in front of family. We all ended up on the floor.”
JOE: “I felt very proud to be the first jazz act to win it.”
JAMES: “… I was a little bit tipsy.”
ONE THING I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT ON TOUR...
TJ: “My bible. I read it every morning. It keeps me grounded and reminds me of the most important things in life.”
JOE: “Dried mango.”
MY FONDEST MEMORY OF SELFRIDGES...
FEMI: “When I bought a new Gucci belt with my birthday money. I had been working out loads and needed a new one to fit my slim-ting waist.”
IFE: “All that time in the Foodhall. Either at Tonkotsu or Sweet Dee’s Jerk… every day.”
JAMES: “Around Christmas when we were younger, my brother and I would always stand outside in the cold, admiring the window displays.”
RIGHT NOW, I’M LISTENING TO...
FEMI: “I’m in a deep place of discovering and studying Cuban music. Both old and new. I’m also listening to Buena Vista Social Club, Daymé Arocena and Afro-Cuban All Stars.”
JOE: “Follow the Leader by Korn and Let Me in Your Life by Aretha Franklin.”
Dance, No One’s Watching by Ezra Collective is out on 27 September 2024
EZRA COLLECTIVE’S TOP PICKS
GUCCI, TAEMIN HORSEBIT LOAFERS, £750
TJ: “I’ve always thought these shoes are cold. Timeless.”
AGOLDE, RELAXED-FIT JEANS, £320
JAMES: “I used to love wearing baggy jeans, as I just wanted to be a grunge kid. And now they’re back in style, I can’t get enough!”
PRADA, TESSUTO BACKPACK, £1,800
FEMI: “For me, bags are all about holding memories. Record store trips. Polaroid pictures. The art from the street seller. I travel the world, collect memories and put them all in my bag.”
STONE ISLAND, SHELL-DOWN JACKET, £1,210
FEMI: “There’s no such thing as bad weather if you have the right clothing. This coat will see me through the European tour. I’m a proud explorer, too. If I have a good jacket, then nothing will stop me.” TJ: “GET THE BADGE IN!”
GUCCI, RHEIN HORSEBIT MULES, £635
IFE: “I love sliders when I’m on the road. I’m going to add these mules to the collection: they are ultimate levels of comfort and fashion.”
THE BIG SHOP: ISAYAMA FFRENCH
The make-up artist and founder of Isamaya Beauty takes her pick of the Beauty Hall.
THE BIG SHOP: LAILA GOHAR
What the culinary artist and Gohar World founder is buying from Selfridges this season.
THE BIG SHOP: RAHEL STEPHANIE
The chef and founder of Indonesian supper club Spoons shops the Foodhall.
SELFRIDGES UNLOCKED
Sign up today to get unlimited access to all things Selfridges