What makes the young hopeful so magnetic is how unapologetically himself he is. Whether he’s shouting through a mic or styling out in his latest fit, everything he does feels bold, fresh, and a little unpredictable—in the best way possible. He’s not here to play by the rules, and frankly, music’s all the better for it. That’s why he won the Rising Star award at the prestigious Ivor Novello’s last year.

Following an exclusive photoshoot, we sat down with Master Peace to talk about his journey so far, his upcoming material, new single “Harley,” and why he’s only just getting started.

Track jacket Lazy Oaf / Shorts Billionaire Boy’s Club / Shoes Vans

A new Master Peace era is upon us, and “Harley” is the first release. Why did this song feel right to kick things off? It feels like you’re easing people in with this song…

Yeah, literally. I feel like we wanted to start light, essentially, and then build it up. We also felt that it just made the most sense before we get into the next album. We wanted to drop something that says, ‘Okay, we’re back’ kind of thing, without being too full on. 

How long have you had this song ready to go?

Since December. It wasn’t even supposed to be a thing until we made it. I was like, ‘Oh, this is actually really good.’ And then I started to think, ‘Yeah, let’s put it out and see what people think.’

Jacket and shorts New Era / Shirt Topman / Tie ASOS / Shoes GH Bass

“Shake Me Down” is a song set to follow. Talk to me about what inspired that song. It definitely takes inspiration from the more electronic side of your sound. 

I’ll probably say “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake. I also feel like there are early elements of Pharrell Williams, like early Pharrell [N.E.R.D.]. But then it’s also got an indie vibe, like LCD Soundsystem. I’ve made sure to add a bunch of ad-libs into the melodies. 

Early 2000s, electro-pop, and indie sleaze heavily inspired the last album. Are there other genres you’re exploring with the upcoming LP?

It’s going to be a continuation on another level, I think. We’ve definitely doubled down, but we’ve also introduced a slight frat party type of indie in there. When I say frat party indie, I mean very 2010/2011, like Foster The People. It’s more end-of-the-night and less party-centric than the first one. It’s more like a sing-along, like it’s our final hooray.

Jacket, t-shirt and shorts Ed Hardy 

Is there one genre you don’t think you will ever try to tackle? 

Metal. I need something with a melody. Even punk songs have a melody. They’re quite nursery rhyming with the hooks and stuff. Anything that doesn’t have melody isn’t for me. I need to feel like people feel something.

How do you feel about many musicians tapping into country music now?

I think it’s good. Recently, I’ve been listening to a lot of gospel music, but more on the country side of it. It’s just intriguing to hear. Even the backing vocals and all of those elements of those songs, even if you’re not Christian, you can still appreciate the musicality of it. I’ve been listening to a lot of that recently, which has kinda inspired my music, especially the backing vocals and how I use them and how I take them out. 

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You’re always on a roll with releases, whether it’s a collaboration for someone else or dropping your own material. Are you never not working on something? 

No, most definitely. I like to keep busy. Do you know what I mean? I’m already thinking about album three even though album number two isn’t even out yet. I’m already thinking about what I’m trying to portray and what I’m trying to give out. It’s been very important for me to figure that out. I feel like I just understand music really well based on a feeling, and not on a technicality. I’ve never been a technical musician, where I know what this thing is and all that bollocks. I know how I want people to feel when they hear it, so when I play it to people, especially the new stuff on the upcoming record, it’s like, ‘Oh shit, like, I feel what you’re feeling yourself.’

You worked with Santigold on your debut. How was that experience? 

She’s crazy. She’s dropped me so many jams, man. She’s amazing. I met her in in LA, and originally, my team reached out to her. When I made the song, I really wanted her on it. She’s very particular with features; she won’t just work with anyone, so I was like, ‘What’s the likelihood that she will jump on it?’ Even her people said it was very slim. With the people that I look up to, I’m always like, ‘Here’s the flag!’ Whether that’s giving an Ivor Novello to fucking Bloc Party or going on tour with Franz Ferdinand. All these people I’ve looked up to have been co-signing me being like, ‘Yo, this is the kid that is flying the indie, alternative flag.’

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What’s your relationship like with your fans?

It’s very, very personal. I wanna feel as relatable as possible. I’m not one of those artists that is just too cool for school. I’m like, ‘Yo, let’s all hang out. Let’s go for drinks. Let’s be a community and build something.’ I’ve got a Discord where about a thousand kids are in there, and we just talk about everything. Like, they’ll say what they’re working on, whether it’s their career, what they wanna do after uni or if they are coming to a show and they’ll take pictures of the show and then they’ll put it into the group chat. I really want them to feel like they can have access to me.

I read that when you were growing up, you didn’t realise that being a musician is what you wanted to be. How and when did you come to that realisation?

It was quite late. It was pre-COVID, but I hadn’t done anything yet properly to solidify myself. I told myself that I wanted to make money off it and actually be someone. Then it had just been some bedroom kind of thing. Before,  I didn’t know how to approach it because I was trying to make mainstream music. So it’s, like, how do you get into the mainstream? That was very tricky to understand how to do that and get into the world. And now that I’m selling out venues and all that shit, and it’s like, this all started off just from me wanting to do it. 

Jacket, t-shirt and shorts Ed Hardy / Boots Topman 

How have you felt about your rise in the industry? 

I feel like with anything that’s worth having, it could have been hard, essentially. I definitely feel like my career has been a steady growth. It’s never plateaued where it’s like ‘Shit, nothing’s happening.’ It’s just always continued to go bigger, which I prefer. I’ve seen so many people come and go, from when I first started making music, where they were once the hottest thing, and now they can’t even sell out a 200 capacity room, and they’ve had a viral song. It’s crazy how that works. My next headline show is gonna be at the Kentish Town  Forum. We’ve put in the shifts and the groundwork, you know what I’m saying? I haven’t had a mad hit, but I know I feel something sustainable. The more I attack it, the more I roll the dice, the more there is a likelihood of having that mad moment. I’ve always liked being the underdog or the dark horse, where originally a lot of people didn’t bet on this to work. And then my album comes out and I win an Ivor and then I’m like, ‘Oh, shit.’ I wanna build something that stands the test of time. 

Track jacket Lazy Oaf / Shorts Billionaire Boy’s Club / Shoes Vans

The Ivor Novello win. How does it feel to arguably have already won the most prestigious music award in the UK?

Yeah, they say it’s even more prestigious than a Mercury [Prize Award]. Fucking Paul McCartney was in the room when I won it, and Lana Del Rey and all these famous people. And I think for me, that proves to me that all this struggle I went through to get to this point wasn’t for nothing. The first album could have gone either way. When I won it for my first album, it felt like such an achievement because of the prestige. That’s, like, levels. And still to this day, one of my biggest achievements I’ve ever achieved because it was so unexpected. And again, it’s like the dark horse that no one is really betting on, but people are like, ‘Yo, this shit fucking kicks.’ All my peers, all of the people I look up to, were in that room watching me. Even my old manager was in the room, and that meant a lot to me because it reminded me that you’ve gotta keep banking on yourself. 

Where are you keeping the trophy?

It’s just in the label office. I don’t even wanna keep it in my crib. I wanna keep in the label office to remind people, like, ‘Yo, we’re doing this for a reason.’

Jacket, t-shirt and shorts Ed Hardy / Boots Topman 

Your second album won’t be coming out until next year. However, what is your favourite album of this year and why?

Bickle – Gut Feeling. He’s one of my favorite artists right now. He’s from New York. Loads of artists who are big are co-signing him. He’s honestly the most talented artist I’ve come across recently.

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