Easy Life: Manchester Albert Hall

Encapsulating modern escapism and redefining genres - Leicester’s distinctive quintet are riding the wave with their R&B alternative indie-jazz psychedelic ambience, melodic synths, energetic beats and plenty of seaside nostalgia

By Tom Adams November 2021

"And what a wild night it's been..."

...roared vocalist Murray Matravers to a sold out Albert Hall in central Manchester - a lyric actually from the band’s closing song ‘music to walk home to’, although could be fittingly adopted as a mantra to advocate for their chaotic antics - during a gig that was temporarily interrupted after the venue’s frontal safety barrier was knocked down in harmless, youthful enthusiasm. A few seconds of concern ensued with security threatening to close the show unless the passionate crowd calmed, but within minutes the East Midlands ensemble resumed their party atmosphere with a twenty-five song set-list, a somersault masterclass from a crowd member and multiple crowd surfing opportunities in full sense of abandon in typical, celebratory easy life fashion.

Besides, it’s been more of a wild month for the Leicester boys following the conclusion of their debut album tour succeeding the release of ‘life’s a beach’ during May earlier this year. Now after performing a majority sold-out twelve gigs in sixteen nights, the band can finally relax and enjoy a well earned rest (if that were the easy life way) before setting sail to tour Europe and America in March 2022, before the festival season is among us again. But for Murray, bass guitarist/saxophonist Sam (Hewitt), drummer Oliver (Cassidy), guitarist Lewis (Alexander Berry) plus keyboard and percussionist Jordan (Birtles), this has felt like a long time coming and a moment they collectively thrive off so well. It’s the living strange, unorthodox notion of how the group have formed a brotherhood as close friends going about their habitual musical performances with little taken too seriously, and attracting the kind of spirited, spontaneous energy from their equally dynamic fanbase as they do so.

But for those that are still unfamiliar with the Leicester five-piece (whose entire music discography idiosyncratically consists of only lowercase lettering for song and album names) they are very much a unique breed. Deriving from jazzy inspired melodies and euphonically personalised wordplay, easy life have mastered the true amalgamation of genre-blending and have stood by their addictively-sounding artistry to produce a diverse sounding anthology. Reminiscent of the Americana sound of alternative hip hop, the band are often complimented with comparisons to the likes of Mac Miller with undertones from The Streets, but easy life are their own defined sound, and have the desire, charisma, and most definitely the energy to gate-crash the music industry entirely.

Despite being active for four years, the talented Leicesterians are still fairly up-and-coming within the music scene. With only one mixtape, two EPs and one studio album, the boys can be considered perfectionists, regardless of Murray’s imposter syndrome laughing off his recent bewilderment attached to their recent album - “I can’t believe someone actually paid us to make an album!” But before any beach-inspired record was produced, easy life kickstarted the launch of their musical collection with their track ‘pockets’ (featuring both an upbeat version as well as a raw jazzy original) in which the band usually open their gigs with before their laissez-faire style overthrows any remaining composure. The song ridicules those motivated only by material wealth and highlights the normality of financial anxieties in a narcissist society, juxtaposed by a tranquil beat and customary relatable witticism, earning itself on the FIFA 19 video game playlist. The following year, the fan-favourite ‘frank’ was born as an honest declaration of emotion about a dwindling love affair that cuts deep into Murray's heartfelt delivery. Personal or not, the track is a cluster of calming synthesisers, sanguine beats and electrical jazz, masking underlying feelings of misery, yet depicted via a blend easy life generate so magnificently frequently.

Following a steady induction into the music business, a characteristically chaotic 2019 proceeded. After the release of their first official EP (‘spaceships mixtape’), the group continued to explore the solar system with their next release ‘earth’ four months later. The song directly addresses the destruction of contemporary human nature in overusing landfills and gradually depleting the planet in-turn, yet authenticates their alternative R&B appeal with catchy choruses and typical candid approach. Easy life ended the year by collaborating with the now Mercury Prize winner Arlo Parks, who herself was on a high following the success of her album ‘Collapsed in Sunbeams’ from earlier this year, to produce the love tune ‘sangria’.

The song outlines the realism of emotional dependency with a bittersweet fondness smooth enough to provide future comfort for those listening to ‘frank’ sixteen months later. Arlo has repeatedly declared her admiration for the easy life quintet, stating “they have this energy that was really refreshing”, and it’s truly wholesome to see how both have blossomed before potentially crossing paths again at Live at Leeds: In The Park during the beginning of June next year. Following ‘sangria’, the boys commenced the new decade with ‘dead celebrities’, showcasing their wonderfully fast-paced electronic, hip hop creativity, appraising the correlation between pop culture stardom and inescapable death in classic frivolous style as they are pictured riding down the road where the former Dearly Departed Tours and Artifact Museum of Hollywood once stood in an open top bus during the filming of the music video. And then, finally came the eagerly awaited release of the mammoth party anthem ‘nightmares’ that perfectly summarises the fluctuating clusterfuck reality of mental health. Despite the sonic pull and cheerful beat that carries the track throughout, it metaphorically attempts to battle the song’s sombre lyrics with repetitive dualism - “who gives a fuck about my nightmares?” sighs Murray. The popular hit has become so loved that the unconventional boy band now actively dodge a flurry of lemons that are thrown at the stage whenever performed live in spirit of the song's arbitrary mention of the fruit, whilst their successes earned the lads runners-up position at the BBC’s Sound of… competition in 2020, ironically, edging Arlo Parks into second place.

Finally, in May this year easy life entered a new era with the release of their debut album ‘life’s a beach’ - a feel-good oeuvre that fittingly follows the group’s previous twenty-eight songs in equivalent, effortless brilliance. The record immediately has the aura of a sentimental beach holiday with calming tracks like ‘ocean view’, to the energetic head-banger ‘skeletons’ fit for any seaside arcade. The album bleeds bucket-hat wearing, day drinking, British holiday bliss. The opening song, ‘a message to myself’, instrumentally sought to poetically illustrate how life can be exhausting, with Murray pleading at how important it is to stay genuine and serene amongst a world that seems nothing but overwhelming - perhaps as an apt sequel to ‘nightmares’ in hindsight. Midway through, the album takes on an ominous turn with feelings of sorrow, yet carried by percussion that can only emit warming optimism. Before you know it, much like the band’s tour, the album concludes with the comedically disorganised ‘music to walk home to’. The soundtrack embraces Murray, almost as if it were improvised, breaking down his journey home in the early hours after a messy night out which includes the acknowledgment of two men dressed as bananas, and the more common commotion of losing keys. The album’s final song radiates the confidently humorous nature to which easy life have become; a group of friends enjoying themselves and making addictive music as they go without even the prospect of a messy night out stopping them - or a wild day out at the beach... probably.