Musician Femi Koleoso of Ezra Collective guest-edited a special culture issue, uniting voices including Leona Lewis, Yinka Ilori, and Eberechi Eze to explore how creative work and personal resilience bridge the gap between profound pain and lasting joy.
Inside Tileyard London with Ezra Collective
Wandering through Tileyard London, a King’s Cross hub for independent artists, reveals the bustling engine room of Ezra Collective. Five of Britain’s most decorated jazz musicians occupy a sprawling studio complex featuring a kitchen area, a cavernous shoot room with gargantuan speakers, and a Street Fighter arcade machine on an upstairs platform. Despite the superstars’ accommodations, the musicians move between the studio and the tiny kitchen with an unmistakable matey ease, functioning less like industry icons and more like a bunch of friends who grew very good at jamming.
That casual dynamic persists even after a decade of monumental milestones. Formed in London in 2012, the group released its debut EP Chapter 7 in 2016. Since then, the band crossed historic frontiers: Where I’m Meant to Be became the first jazz album to win the Mercury Prize in 2023. Later, Dance, No One’s Watching reached number seven on the UK albums chart, filled Wembley Arena, and secured a BRIT Award for Group of the Year in 2025.
“The accolades and stuff is cool, but I think that’s all come with the desire to make good music.”
Joe Armon-Jones, via Rolling Stone UK
Guest Editing the Culture Section and Building a Case for Hope
Femi Koleoso stepped into a vastly different creative arena by guest editing the culture section for a Saturday magazine. Raised in Enfield by Nigerian parents, Koleoso started playing drums at church before polishing his craft in state schools and youth clubs. Today, he tours globally with Ezra Collective, broadcasts on BBC Radio 6 Music, and reflects on a modern version of the British-Nigerian dream
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Koleoso notes that hope defines the album, Here Because of Hope. Drawing on spoken-word interludes by actor Letitia Wright, the record captures the belief that renewal follows hardship. Musical history mirrors this theme, from Fela Kuti turning his mother’s tragic execution by the Nigerian government into a club anthem to the birth of grime and calypso out of poverty and the transatlantic slave trade.
From Hackney Bullies to Global Stages: Leona Lewis and Yinka Ilori
To explore the spectrum connecting pain to joy, Koleoso brought together designer Yinka Ilori, singer Leona Lewis, and footballer Eberechi Eze. Lewis, who grew up in Hackney surrounded by her father’s million-record DJ collection, turned to music to survive bullying at school.
Similarly, Yinka Ilori grew up on the Marquess Estate as a creative kid fascinated by design while his peers played football. Encouraged by his A-level teacher, Mr Doherty, Ilori secured a bachelor’s degree and a £3,500 loan from the Prince’s Trust to launch his practice, balancing Marks & Spencer retail shifts with a Hackney studio.
Football Rejection and the Emirates Stadium Dream
Footballer Eberechi Eze faced profound rejection before finding professional success. Eight different football clubs—including Arsenal—turned him down during his youth. Yet his family maintained an unwavering belief that things would work out.
“It’s crazy because you’re living your dream [of playing for Arsenal]. And a lot of people are doing things they like to do and enjoy doing.”
Eberechi Eze, via The Guardian
Walking out at the Emirates Stadium marked the fulfillment of an eight-year-old promise and a moment of immense gratitude.
Where Youth Groups Formed the Foundation of Success
Tomorrow’s Warriors provided a vital ecosystem where band members like James Mollison and TJ Koleoso built foundational musical skills.
That dedication to chronicling life through sound continues to guide Ezra Collective as they look past awards and charts toward the simple act of making music with friends.
