London’s genre-hopping jazz collective Kokoroko are heading to Australia this November, locking in headline shows across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, plus a slot at the already sold-out Strawberry Fields Festival in NSW.
The tour follows this month’s release of their second full-length album, Tuff Times Never Last, a record that blends tight layers of Afrobeat, soul, West African disco, and Brit-funk. It’s rhythm and reflection hand in hand, ruminating on joy, loss, and connection. It’s also full of slick musical movements with the band’s signature warmth and control running through its entirety. Their live shows are built on the knife-edge of musicianship and a genuine joy to play. They don’t just showcase technical chops; they pull everything from their catalogue into a freeform jazz set that makes you fully lean in.
Formed in 2014 by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey and percussionist Onome Edgeworth, Kokoroko first broke through with the slow-burning instrumental “Abusey Junction”. Since then, they’ve clocked over 75 million streams, toured across the UK, Brazil, India, and the US, and picked up critical praise from The Guardian, NPR, and Crack Magazine for helping reframe where UK jazz is heading next. Edgeworth notes on their new album, “We tour so much, so you want it to be fun. When all your songs are so serious and intense, you miss out on enjoying yourself sometimes. We asked ourselves the question, ‘What do we want our next years to feel like?’ And we wrote music with the intention of it having colour and a sense of playfulness.”
The group will be joined by Setwun & The Soulstranauts for their Australian dates.
New to Kokoroko? Start here:
• Abusey Junction
• Sweetie
Pre-Sale Starts Thu 24 Jul At 11 AM AEST
General Tickets On Sale Fri 25 Jul At 11 AM AEST
All tickets and details are available HERE.
KOKOROKO – TUFF TIMES NEVER LAST AUS TOUR
Thursday 20 November – Princess Theatre – Meanjin/Brisbane
Friday 21 November – Forum – Naarm/Melbourne
Saturday 22 November – Strawberry Fields Festival – Yorta Yorta/Tocumwal (Sold Out)
Monday 24 November – Metro Theatre – Eora/Sydney
Image Credit: Kokoroko/Astral People/Handsome Tours
