Singer-songwriter Murkage Dave releases his sophomore album

A candid snapshot of what it’s like to be ‘living for the city’ in Britain today, taken through Dave’s pragmatic lens.

Spanning over 14-tracks, the album was written across the lockdowns, providing a space for the musician to think and observe. Through the stillness, ‘The City Needs A Hero’ came to life allowing Dave to work with a range of producers from London, Manchester, Berlin, Copenhagen, New York & LA. The cast includes New Machine (Jorja Smith, Kano, Slowthai), Otxoa (Doja Cat, Theophilus London), Sangy (Aitch, Jesse James Solomon), Lansky Jones (World’s Fair), production duo AARRT, The Streets’ bassist Wayne Bennett, and more. He also reunited with Alex ‘Cores’ Hayes, who co-exec produced his first album, to help him maximise the record’s potential once again.

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The Leytonstone born singer has been setting the tone since last year with stand out singles such as; ‘Please Don’t Move To London It’s A Trap’, ‘Awful Things ft Caroline Polochek’, ‘Us Lot’ and ‘World I Want To Live In’ which have dropped in the lead-up. Tackling dark topics via his unique brand of satirical songwriting, the album opens with ‘Sadness Is On His Way’ which explores the Western world’s obsession with trying to escape unhappiness. As the album unfolds we understand that sadness is not the true enemy with ‘The World Is Changing Some Don’t Like It’ unpacking the chaos of the online world we inhabit, whilst ‘East London Smile’ discusses toxic masculinity, and the masks we wear to cope. Dave moves further through an impressive range of topics, from the BLM

marches of ‘Every Statue Must Come Down’ to the deeply personal love story of ‘I Don’t Do Love Songs’ and the overarching theme of self-belief in title track ‘The City Needs A Hero’.

Impeccably written and relatable throughout, Murkage Dave wears his heart on his sleeve setting a new tone for what it means to be a man in the modern world. Over the past six months, he has also been on a mission to redefine what it means to be an artist too, earning himself the title of ‘The Peoples Champ’ along the way. He has spent time connecting with his supporters on a one to one basis, putting an emphasis on real-world connectivity as well as digital. Throughout the year so far, Dave has collaborated with cult burger brand Patty&Bun, packed out record store appearances across the country, and launched a merch line whilst also filming his most impressive music videos to date. With the album now out in the world we also reflect and champion his debut, ‘Murkage Dave Changed My Life’, a record that broke new ground in both British Pop and Black British identity. Years in the making, ‘The City Needs A Hero’ proudly follows in its footsteps further affirming his modern-day poet status and his unshakeable place within the UK landscape. Over the two projects, he’s gained support from the likes of Pharrell Williams, Young Fathers, Iggy Pop, Pitchfork, The Fader, The Times, Complex, The Face, BBC R1 to name just a few. With the chances of the album charting in The Offical Top 100 independently looking more and more likely, Dave has no intentions of slowing down.