“Sama is carving his path to becoming an indie star and a guitar hero in his own right” – Rolling Stone UK
“A bright and bold setlist of dewy-eyed bangers” – CLASH
“Mudi Sama has burst onto the indie scene with his sharp, infectious sound” – Soundsphere
Rapidly rising indie star Mudi Sama offers insight into his heart and psyche on debut EP, Will I Make It Out Alive?, out today via Special Projects / Avenue A Records / Neon Gold.
Steeped in alternative culture, the British-born, Nigerian-raised artist unveils the project with lead single “End Of The World”, a track that saw the start of a stellar musical journey – “a gem and the foundation of everything to come”. Watch the music video here.
Revealing more about the new single, Mudi continues, “‘End Of The World’ was written when I had no hope about anything in my life. The lyrics in the second verse are based on things that actually happened, things that peers or employers would say to me, and I felt I had to sing it all out to remind myself none of these things are, in fact, true. It’s never the end.”
Mudi’s sonic world draws on 90s Britpop, the grunge-rock revival, and artists such as Bloc Party, Dominic Fike, Radiohead, and The Strokes, forming his musical identity at a time when very few black voices cut through a predominantly white early 00s guitar scene genre trailblazers like Kele Okereke (Bloc Party) and Dev Hynes (Lightspeed Champion, Blood Orange) galvanised Mudi to become an inspiration for a new generation of aspiring artists. Releasing Will I Make It Out Alive?, Mudi joins his peers such as Bakar, Rachel Chinouriri and Master Peace, who together are shaping a new identity and era of British indie, one that’s uncompromisingly diverse.
Throughout Mudi’s life, he has looked retrospectively. Every single step or checkpoint constantly had him thinking, “How the hell will things get better? or, How will I get out of this situation? How do I save myself?” During the writing process of Will I Make It Out Alive? These same questions pop up in his mind. Mudi continues, “It’s the only train of thought that has run through my head during the songwriting process and serves as the spine to it all. This EP is the first chapter of my experiences, exploring my psyche, Love and relationships, and the cause and effect of it all over the years; a first step into the Pandora’s box of my emotions. At the end of it all, I don’t think I’ve found an answer, and I’m not sure I ever will.”
Previous single ”Pretty Soon” was co-written by Mudi Sama, Arran George (Callinsick) & Brendan Grieve (Sam Smith, Cat Burns, Kaeto) and produced by Jamie Rendle (Neive Ella, Florence Road, Matt-Felix). The track sees Mudi candidly open up about growing up in Nigeria while also looking introspectively at himself. He explains further, “My friend Jerry sent me a poem that he wrote called “Pretty Soon”, and it ended up being my inspiration for this song. We grew up together back home in Lagos and ended up moving away to separate countries before then reconnecting in Stratford, London, of all places – ha! This song is an open book, from familial experiences and my feelings about myself; it’s all laid bare. Growing up in Nigeria was hard for me and I know it’s very much a shared sentiment that I’m sure a lot of other people from my home country can relate to; it’s not my intention to invite anyone to a pity party, I’m just being honest.”
Mudi’s breakout year had been nothing short of impressive. He has supported Ivor Award winner Master Peace and played key sets at Liverpool Sound City, The Great Escape Festival and most recently on the main stage at Outbreak Festival, joining the likes of Alex G, Turnstile, Model/Actiz, Danny Brown and more. Next up, Mudi will be performing at Reading & Leeds Festival on the BBC Music Introducing stage. Meantime, love has been coming in thick and fast, having garnered acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone UK, CLASH, Far Out, Dork, DIY, and BBC Radio 1’s Indie Show.
Mudi Sama – Will I Make It Out Alive? EP
01. Bad Life (2:23)
02. End of the World (2:31)
03. Jealous Type (3:22)
04. Let Go (3:14)
05. Pretty Soon (2:31)
06. Safehouse (1:53)
07. Ten (3:00)