Young Fathers

From the beginning, it's been Young Fathers against the world. Their anarchic, primal music defies categorisation, oscillating between rap, rock, pop and noise to transcend industry archetypes while connecting with legions of souls. The Scottish trio composed of Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham Hastings met as teenagers in Edinburgh, crossing paths at underage hip-hop parties and finding common ground over freestyles. Improvisation led to experimentation as Young Fathers poured their studio brainstorming and contrasting cultural backgrounds into the jagged, punkish 2010s mixtapes Tape One and Tape Two. As buzz grew, the band plunged deeper into esoteric music craft, taking a gamble on the booming beats, saturated synths and otherworldly chants that gave shape to their debut LP, Dead (2014). The album won the prestigious Mercury Prize, launching Young Fathers as a rebellious new force in UK alternative and even catching the ear of filmmaker Danny Boyle, who'd feature several of their songs in the soundtrack for 2017's T2 Trainspotting. While much of Young Fathers’ early acclaim was fuelled by an against-the-grain approach to music, subsequent albums have showcased their astute pop sensibilities. Cocoa Sugar (2018) and Heavy Heavy (2023) are filled with bright, jubilant songs that reflect growing confidence in their storytelling, nourished by travels through Africa and their own experiences with fatherhood.