Moses Boyd Releases Long-Awaited Second Album Songs For Sinners

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"UK jazz star makes a stunning gospel return" - Rolling Stone UK

"an ambitious fusion of gospel, sound systems and jazz. Ecstatic yet coolly spacious, equally thoughtful in production and ethos...his innovative hybrid has taken UK jazz forward." - Jazzwise ★★★★

"Stirring...Boyd has a knack for making musical connections others fail to hear."

- Mojo ★★★★

"a jetstream of optimism…ultimately proving that modern jazz is still boundless in its experimentation, and able to address what came before...to propel a more hopeful vision for what comes next. " - Treble Zine

Today, Mercury Prize-shortlisted, MOBO Award-winning drummer, composer and producer Moses Boyd has released his long-awaited second album Songs For Sinners, an exhilarating, deeply personal body of work that explores the tensions of faith and the push and pull of a lifelong search for answers. Drawing from the gospel music he heard growing up in Pentecostal household, Songs For Sinners sees Boyd expanding the language of contemporary jazz into something entirely his own while asking the question: what can sacred music sound like when it's no longer confined by convention? Already regarded as one of the UK's most innovative musical minds, Songs For Sinners re-establishes Boyd as an essential voice in British music and represents both a return and a bold new chapter, revealing him as a virtuosic drummer, composer, and bandleader of immense ambition and creativity.

The release of Songs For Sinners is accompanied by a video for the track "War", featuring London-based vocalist Raelle - watch HERE .

Stream Songs For Sinners on all platforms HERE .

Announced in September, Songs For Sinners was previewed by the singles " Criticise " ft. Amber-Simone, which The Guardian's Alexis Petridis described as a "potent slice of 21st-century soul", the ecstatic " Say Yeah ", which received A-list playlist support from BBC 6 Music and Jazz FM, and the vibrant " More To Life " ft. SHANTÉH. Boyd recently made his solo UK TV debut on the BBC Two's Later…with Jools Hollandbacked by an expanded ensemble. Watch his performances of " Say Yeah " and " More To Life " ft. the live vocals ofSHANTÉH.

Speaking about the album, Boyd notes: "Songs For Sinners is a sound I've wanted to create since I got into music. Being surrounded by Gospel music my whole life then finding my way through Jazz and sound system culture. I'm extremely proud I've managed to execute the vision I had," before elaborating on focus track "War": "War" is about looking inward and reflecting on the inner battles we all face. The feeling of turmoil and struggle is universal. In the context of faith I understand that for many, their experiences might be complicated and not without trauma. I didn't want the album to hide from that reality. Musically I was imagining what it would sound like if I wrote and produced a song for Sade. Upon hearing Raelle's voice, I instantly knew it was exactly what I needed for this song.

The seeds of the album were planted when Boyd was just sixteen. Raised in a Pentecostal household, he was surrounded by music growing up in the church, where rhythm, harmony and devotion were inseparable. Gospel became his first musical language before jazz broadened his horizons, leading him to imagine a record where the emotional power of both traditions could coexist alongside contemporary production and bass culture. Inspired by artists including Kirk Franklin, Sounds of Blackness, Fred Hammond and Tye Tribbett, Boyd envisioned an album that honoured gospel's spirit while pushing its sonic boundaries.

It would take years before he felt ready to realise that vision. Following the release of his 2020 Mercury Prize-nominated debut Dark Matter, the isolation of the pandemic gave Boyd the space to reflect on faith, community and the different ways people find meaning during times of uncertainty. Those experiences shaped an album that neither preaches nor condemns, instead inviting listeners to find their own interpretations.

That intimacy extends throughout the record. Boyd wrote every lyric himself, determined to make the songs as personal and open-ended as possible. The album's rich vocal palette features contributions from US rapper Chuck Strangers, acclaimed London vocalist Raelle and Steam Down's SHANTÉH, while one of its most moving elements comes from Boyd's own family, whose voices make up the album's "kitchen choir", recorded together at home. Their warmth sits alongside professional gospel singers to create an atmosphere that feels lived-in, communal and deeply authentic.

Since his breakthrough with 2016's Rye Lane Shuffle and the critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize-shortlisted Dark Matter, he's established himself as one of British music's most singular artists, collaborating across genres while continually pushing his own sound forward. Released in 2020, Dark Matter was lauded by NPR as "captivating…a jazz-infused musical atmosphere of peace" while the New York Times called the album "remarkable" and praised Boyd's "cross-stitched, Tony Allen-influenced patterns" and "rich pastiche of electroacoustic textures." Songs For Sinners feels both like a return and a bold new chapter, re-establishing Boyd as a virtuosic drummer and accomplished songwriter.

To date, Boyd's numerous live and studio collaborations include touring with Sampha and Kelsey Lu, drumming on Sons of Kemet's Mercury Prize-nominated album Your Queen Is a Reptile, working with South African Gqom king DJ Lag (on a track that made it onto Beyonce's official soundtrack for The Lion King), producingZara McFarlane's Arise for Gilles Peterson's Brownswood label, and collaborating with Obongjayar,Alewya, Lonnie Liston Smith, Little Simz and Four Tet. He has produced original scores for Louis Vuitton and Grace Wales Bonner, and co-leads Binker and Moses with saxophonist Binker Golding.

Following the release of Songs For Sinners, Moses Boyd will take the new record on the road with a packed run of live dates next spring, including London's Koko on April 1, 2027. Full tour dates are listed below, and tickets are on sale now: https://www.mosesboyd.co.uk/#tour