Mrley shares new single “So Much To Say” and announces debut EP Love You London
"So Much To Say," like all of Mrley's music, retains the fast-paced delivery of his rap days but applies it to a harsher, more distorted sound.” - The FADER
Bursting onto the scene last month with the critically-acclaimed debut single ‘My Side Of London’, Lewisham’s Mrley today announces his debut EP Love You London which will be dropping on 15th October 2021, as well as another raucous single. Pre-save the EP HERE.
Premiering on The FADER, new single ‘So Much To Say’ pays both tribute to Mrley’s rap background whilst building further on his playful experimentation with both electronic and rock genres. Needling guitar work and raw energy are paired again to another characteristically direct lyrical delivery, the song title all too fitting for an artist already adept at making statements.
The video is inspired by the cult Channel 4 90's programme The Word, which is ultimate nostalgia for Mrley through their booking of guests like Nirvana, Blur, Oasis, Rage Against The Machine, and most of all capturing the social progress in pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable to be shown on British TV before the watershed.
Tune into ‘So Much To Say’ HERE
On the track Mrley said, “It’s special to me as it contributes to the progression of music. I managed to take a trap 808 completely out of context by using it in punk. It pays tribute to today’s rap music whilst even hinting at the 80s rock sound but somehow it remains punk.”
His debut single 'My Side Of London' had early support from the likes of BBC6 Music’s Mary Anne Hobbs, The FACE, The FADER, Kerrang!, CLASH, Rock Sound, Ones To Watch, NME and more. Mrley also performed his debut show at London’s Laylow supporting Wu-Lu, but we can imagine him coming to a skatepark or abandoned warehouse and bringing the same buzz in the process.
Born and raised in Lewisham, Mrley aka Marley Rutherford was influenced by his parent’s CD collection, mainly his dad’s pile of rock and rap which included two life changing records – Nirvana’s Nevermind and a Guns ‘N Roses greatest hits compilation. Fast forward to being a teen in a mostly Black high school where rock was labelled as “music for white people”, he became a notable Grime MC with a following. When lockdown hit, he decided to lean into a new world of sound, spending days making music on guitar and keys that he taught himself, exploring the black roots of rock and skating the city his EP’s named for.
Debut EP Love You London draws influence from a wealth of rock subgenres, tied together by the energy of punk and has been written, produced and performed by Mrley over the last 18 months.
Love You London will be released on 15th October 2021
Pre-save HERE
Debut EP - Love You London - out 15th October 2021
1. So Much To Say
2. My Side Of London
3. Nature Of The City
4. Sat On The Fence
5. On A Boat
About Mrley:
Born and raised in Lewisham, Mrley has a musical landscape influenced by a small collection of CDs his parents had at home. His dad had a pile of rock and rap, and his mum’s cache of music, which included two life changing records – Nirvana’s Nevermind and a Guns ‘N Roses greatest hits compilation, which got Mrley hooked at 9 years old.
Mrly started to make music as a young teen, and his dad picked up a refurbished MacBook on eBay when he was 15, where GarageBand opened doors to a new world of writing and recording. At school, the grunge and rock that had captured his attention at home was derided: this was mid-noughties south London, a school with predominantly black pupils. UK rap and grime dominated, while rock was labelled music for white kids.
So, Mrley started to dabble in rap, recording with his laptop microphone and uploading tracks to SoundCloud, where they found an audience. He started to build a name for himself on London’s rap circuit, known for his frenetic, uncontainable sound and performance style. Performing felt good, but the music didn’t quite fit and he felt unsatisfied.
A month before the UK’s first lockdown, Mrley picked up a guitar at the recording studio he was visiting. Although he’d taught himself to play the instrument as a teen – his dad had shown him the first three chords – he’d never taken it seriously. At that moment, though, he knew he wanted to make music that was different to what he’d been doing.
Under lockdown, the south-east Londoner has had time to lean into a new world of sound, spending days making music on guitar and keys, exploring the black roots of rock and skating the city his EP’s named for.
Mrley has evolved from being a Grime MC to creating music that draws influence from a wealth of rock subgenres, tied together by the energy of punk. In 2021, the rising artist will release his debut EP, titled Love You London. The five-track record has been written, produced and performed by Mrley over the last 18 months.