5 minutes with Master Peace: the London-born singer heralding an indie sleaze resurgence

I first come to know Master Peace (aka, Peace Okezie) thanks to his reliable presence on my Instagram feed. His song “Home”, featuring US rapper (and hip-hop legend) Wale, is the track I’m most familiar with, in fact. It’s an infectious anthem — the kind of earworm that’s ripe for the social media-powered music scene that Master Peace has become a firm fixture of. It’s also the ostensible lead single from his upcoming EP, How To Make A(nuva) Master Peace, the reason why I’m chatting with the London-native today. 

How To Make A(nuva) Master Peace is hot on the heels of the musician’s debut album — it’s not just a “deluxe” version of his first offering, but a pretty compelling testament to the fact that Okezie isn’t one to rest on his laurels. “It’s the same lineage, I reckon, it’s just on speed this time round,” he tells me. “It needed a bit more excitement — that’s what I felt the fans wanted”. Master Peace is acutely aware of what his fans want, and he’s in possession of that online know-how that allows him to thrive in the contemporary music scene. The man behind tracks like “Eyes on You”, however, does transcend the whole TikTok music malarkey. When we talk about his influences, it’s stuff that far precedes the Gen Z artists he might be boxed in with. He references Santigold and M.I.A., for example — it’s their “sonically eclectic” (as he puts it) quality that you can really hear on a track like “I Might be Fake”. And when it comes to his upcoming song, “This Time”, which he’s described as a “straight party banger”, it’s artists like Calvin Harris and Ke$ha that served as inspo. 

As you might have guessed, there’s a smorgasbord of references informing Master Peace’s sound. The genre most commonly pegged to his music is indie, but you can hear electronic influences and pop sensibilities in there, too. If we had to give him a label, it would just be something of a force to be reckoned with — a master, if we were to get a little cheesy. And with an Ivor Novello Rising Star Award under his belt and a hefty tour on the horizon, it’s not just us that think that — he’s riding high on a wave of critical acclaim and fan adoration. In this chat, we touch on everything from collabs with Mike Skinner to must-haves for a good house party… According to Okezie, it’s a load of Marlboro Golds. We concur. 

Amber Rawlings: Your new EP, How To Make A(nuva) Master Peace, is hot on the tails of your debut album. Did you always know they were going to be released so close to one another?

Master Peace: The new EP was just an extension of the record – a deluxe – for me. I felt like the debut album and the love we got for it gave me such high that I fancied dropping “anuva” part to the record. But yeah — to answer your question, I kinda had a feeling I’d do that. 

AR: You describe “This Time” as a “straight party banger”. What were the influences for that? 

MP: Ke$ha and Calvin Harris for sure — needed one of them smash-aroos of a record to get the party going. 

AR: You’re at a house party. What’s the “straight party banger” you’re popping on? 

MP: “365” by Charli XCX.

AR: Typically, your sound is a kind of blend of indie sleaze, electronic and pop. Has that evolved at all with this new EP? 

MP: It’s the same lineage, I reckon, it’s just on speed this time round. It needed a bit more excitement — that’s what I felt the fans wanted.

AR: You’re about to embark on a pretty hefty tour. I think we’re living in an age where you can go to a gig and it feels a bit like the person up on stage is performing for the purpose of the Instagram they’ll post afterwards. What can fans expect from your live performances? How do they transcend what I described? 

MP: I’m gonna give them all of me because they deserve it — they’re the reason why I’m here today. I always leave my heart on stage. I’ve got a couple of tricks up my sleeve, too. And possibly a special guest! 

AR: Your debut album was a bit of a game-changer for the UK indie scene. How do you feel about that? Does it put a lot of pressure on a release like How To Make A(nuva) Master Peace?

MP: Yeah, for sure. It feels good knowing that the record was perceived in that way — I wanted it to be an instant classic. And the deluxe is just an extra taste. Definitely no pressure, though. I’ve been waiting for this and I’m ready for it. 

AR: Can you tell us more about your collaboration with Wale on the track “Home”? How did that come about?

MP: He heard my record and reached out to me the exact day it came out. At first I thought it was an accident [laughs]. Like, it’s a whole Wale — that’s insane. Then I told him I’ve got a song on the deluxe that I’d really like him on, and he flew me out to LA… The rest is history! I still can’t believe it if I’m completely honest. He’s so genuine and real which made it even more amazing and special. 

AR: Another collab you got under your belt a couple of years back was with none other than Mike Skinner. How do you reflect on that?

MP: Mike Skinner is the GOAT. That man changed my life in many ways. I owe a lot to him. 

AR: The term “indie sleaze”, from which you draw a lot of inspiration from, conjures up a hefty list of artists. Who are the standouts of that era for you? The ones that have had the biggest impact on your sound?

MP: I would say Santigold and M.I.A because of their story and where they came from — the build they had to do to get here. And they’re just so sonically eclectic and mind-blowing.

AR: You recently won the Rising Star Award at the Ivor Novello Awards. How has that kind of recognition changed things?

MP: It changed my life. I felt like that was the first time in my career that people actually saw me as a credible artist. It showed people that I have a lot more to offer and I won’t stop ‘til I get there. Big, big thank you to the prestigious Ivor award for that. 

AR: You recently had Andrew Goodwin open for one of your shows. I’m curious about that. He’s a bit of a “TikTok boy”, and that’s the kind of label artists might want to avoid… Are you more about embracing it?

MP: I love Andy. We share similar tastes in music and vibes, in general. I’ve spent a lot of time with him and he’s just a proper guy — and his music is great if you take away the TikTok aspect. He really knows his stuff and deserves love outside that box. 

AR: Your music often touches on things like friendship and masculinity… If you could send a message in a bottle to your younger self about these topics, what would it say?

MP: If they don’t get it now, they will get it later .

AR: You’re throwing a themed party based on your new EP. What’s the dress code, what’s on the menu, and what’s the most outrageous activity planned for the night?

MP: Dress code would be early 2000s. On the menu would be Marlboro Gold and Henny. And there’d be lots of dad dancing.

How To Make A(nuva) Master Peace will be released on October 4th. It’s available to pre-order on vinyl here.