Mr Jukes & Barney Artist are back with their latest album ‘The Locket’. The album features ten tracks cut from sessions that span over eighteen months. It’s sunshine-dappled, psych-tinged, hip-hop flavoured, left field pop. Beats, bars and a unique sort of retro futurism that zips from sepia-tinged to full technicolour almost as fast as Barney’s flow.

Its title track refers to memories of happier times: “we fill a locket with memories we protect, and don’t forget to keep it round your neck.” It’s a reminder to focus on positivity in the face of adversity. A collaborative project designed to be enjoyed together. A celebration of music, unity and looking ahead. “The aim is to bring hope to people after the maddest year,” Barney says. It couldn’t have come at a better time.

The last single before album drops is called ‘Poems’ which has another delicious treat as it comes with a live video featuring Tom Misch.

“Poems” showcases Barney Artist’s exemplary storytelling, as he lets the listener in on a tale of awkward chirpsing, all self-deprecating wit and charming relatability. “Jack sent me the beat for ‘Poems’ on a late Tuesday night. Immediately I got the chorus stuck in my head and the verses followed as it reminded me of a girl in secondary school that liked me for my lyrics and not my looks,” he explains. Jack adds: “Definitely a J Dilla / A Tribe Called Quest-inspired beat and one for a warm summer evening. This was the first song that Barney got me to sing on properly - our first duet.”

During a period of prolonged inactivity, Jack Steadman scratched an itch to do something new. He went by the moniker of Mr Jukes and released an album, God First, in 2017. We say ‘by himself’ but it was very much an open-door policy, resulting in a collaborative record that brought contributions by legends such as Charles Bradley, De La Soul, Horace Andy, Lianne La Havas, BJ The Chicago Kid and Lalah Hathaway. The project also features a contribution from Barney Artist, who Jack had quite simply stumbled upon on a Spotify playlist and never forgotten. 

Barney’s music takes the vibrance of jazz infused hip hop but with a London feel. Growing up in Forest Gate, East London, Barney touches on conscious themes by way of lively, dynamic delivery to create something instantly likeable, like the artist. He’s a larger than life presence, fun to be around and a searing, peerless talent too. A collaborator by nature, Barney grew up around Tiana Major9 and Jay Prince and has made music with Tom Misch, Alfa Mist and Jordan Rakei. 

Barney’s contribution to God First, “From Golden Stars Comes Silver Dew” (also featuring Lalah Hathaway) proved to be a standout. Bonded by a mutual love of the ever-changing landscape of modern hip-hop, the two artists instantly fell into step with one another. There was no clear plan or brief to fulfil for a full-length Jukes X Barney project, but both artists instinctively knew that it would be a waste not to explore the potential they’d uncovered. They were right, clearly.

I got the amazing opportunity to interview Barney ahead of of the release of ‘The Locket’. P.S I had some technical difficulties prior to the interview but like the true G that Barney is was super patience and we got there in the end, cheers Barns.

How did it all begin, what sparked your love for music? 

“Umm so I started rapping quite late. I started rapping at the age of 17, my best friend who I grew up with started learning, well he taught himself piano. From there he started making jazzy beats and then from there I started rapping along to them and at the beginning I was terrible, really bad. Yeah he’s great he went on to become quite a big one and producer his name’s Alfa Mist and that’s how I got into rapping so Alfa got me into rapping and that’s kind of how it happened”. 

Your new album is about to drop what can be expect to hear from it?

“Um so I made the album over lockdown with Jack I featured on his God First album which is when he became Mr Jukes he took a hiatus from doing Bombay Bicycle stuff. Yeah we kind of started the album maybe err around, we done recordings and stuff before maybe a couple of years before but we never finished it because of busyness. Then lockdown happened, then Bombay couldn’t tour and we were trying to finish the album and then we kind got into it. The album’s kind of like well it’s called ‘The Locket’ the idea is about memories kind of like protecting stuff. I think because of like major stuff and going through a tough time we kind of like poured a lot of positivity into it and a lot of hope into it and a lot of vibes into it, that’s kind of the album”.

I respond with “Yeah ah wow that sounds amazing I like that especially the part about memories I feel like you know it has been difficult. Well especially like last year it’s been a very difficult year for everyone and everyone has had their own personal struggles, mental struggles, dealing with grief and all these things. I guess we are always trying to hold onto the positive things and the things that you well remembering what it feels like to just go outside and vibe with people, like it’s crazy. But yeah no I love that I’ve already listened to it and it’s amazing I was listening to it on the train um I’ve just been doing the most basically I’ve been to Bournemouth I’ve gone to Brighton. I was on the way to Bournemouth and I was listening to it like this is banging”.

Barney “Thank you so much yeah honestly I love it and I can’t wait for people to experience the magic”. 

I felt like you’ve already answered this, what are some of the problems you’ve faced making and releasing music during covid? Also have you started any new hobbies during lockdown?

“I think one of the tough things was not being able to do live shows and trying to like release music and not necessarily being sure that you’ll be able to perform it live. I think it’s tough, I think also the amount of music that’s been kind of like dropped at once, I think that everyone has been holding back and now everyone’s dropping it at the same time. So it’s like a lot of music being consumed and like even as a fan I think it’s like tough to absorb all of it. Walking I really got into walking over lockdown which is hilarious but yeah nah I really got into walking and doing like 4 - 5 hour walks”.

I said, “Wow, so like proper walking then”.

“Yeah I got like walking shoes and all of that kind of stuff and yeah Jack actually got me into it so yeah that’s the hobby I picked up over lockdown”.

I respond with “That’s nice you know a bit of sight-seeing you know exploring parts you’ve never been before that’s quite positive”.

Barney then says, “Yeah exactly and I think during lockdown being able to see London in that capacity as well was quite a cool thing to do.”

I respond with “I think it’s good because as well it helps you stop and think and be a bit more present. just walking I know it’s something so simple but I feel like when we walk it’s always to get to somewhere, always walking to get to a destination. Just to walk and take in your surroundings I feel like it’s quite de-stressing, I did a little bit not a lot but where I live is near a canal. So I walked down and walk a bit around there, it’s a really lovely walk but I did that a lot more during lockdown. It really helped because I have agoraphobia so it really helped you know to make sure I am getting out and stuff.

Barney the says “It’s great to listen to music too as well”

Yeah absolutely so your new single ‘Vibrate’ *starts singing* let it vibrate, I love that song. You normally rap about conscious themes. Could you tell us more about this particular track?

”So this song was the last song we made for the album we were like hurry, there’s a Tribe called Quest song called ‘Check The Rhyme’ and it that the lyrics go like ‘Rule number 1,080 record companies are shady’ and I loved the idea it’s like a viby song. I love the idea of happy, go lucky, vibey that have messages underneath them. So ‘Vibrate’ is pretty much about the record industry and like don’t get messed up and all that kind of stuff. You know be careful and be smart but kind of disguised in a very happy go lucky song. So yeah me and Jack that was the last song from the album, you know and yeah Jack made the beat and we just start with me and then yeah the chorus came and yeah it’s one of my favourites from the album”.

I said “I had no idea that was what it was about, so I think now when I go to listen to, will take on a whole other meaning”. 

So you’ve got some amazing merch like I saw and I was like what is this? To go along with the album. What made you decide on that particular merch?

”We just tried to do things we already use I think the best kind of merch, I’m the kind of person that will wear friends merch or buy merch I’m a bit of a merch hoarder. It’s all things that you can use right so I think with the hot sauce me and Jack”.

I injected “Genius idea”. “Love love love hot sauce always had a love about it, and speak about different ones. We got the opportunity to kind of collaborate with an east chilli company in Ipswich and make something that was like that we’d like to be able to use. The obviously the magic mug that we really find fascinating as well, well our manager kind of brought up to us. Like we where having tea before the start of the session and yeah the idea of it being able to change into the album which was like really really cool. Then yeah like the t-shirts and the hats and stuff are great, but yeah we are really proud of the merch actually it’s doing really really well which is great.”

I said, “I’m glad it’s doing really well and it would do I mean like hot sauce *both giggle* this is such a genius idea yeah I am definitely getting some. We have various different hot sauces but just like the standard ones Sriracha, Encona my Dad pretty much doesn’t have any meals without hot sauce”.

Barney injects “You can’t innit” *both giggle*. 

What’s your proudest moment to date as an artist?

”Probably Glastonbury like that was a real big one for me because like I’d never done it before and like we’d managed to pack it out. It was like one of those moments you know when people speak about shows when people speak of the show afterwards, you know like you had to be there where it was like you had to be there. I did like a message for my Mum onstage like I was able to video record it and it was lovely so yeah like Glastonbury was probably my proudest moment like wow this is a moment”.

I said “I’ve never been to Glastonbury I need to go one day but I’ve said to people and put it out into the universe that I’m only going to go to Glastonbury when I’m playing”.

Barney says  “Yeah man I mean I didn’t go until I was playing so yeah that’s a good way.” 

*I started clapping and clicking* “Yup manifest it”. 

What was the best gig/concert you’ve attended and where was it?

”It’s two it’s either Kendrick at his first show when he came to London, he did a show in Camden at a place called The Electric Ballroom and it was 2011. It was like the best night of my life, it was crazy it was there for two nights and I went both nights and I was like front row both times. So it was that one or Kano at Royal Albert Hall or Kano at basically he did like a private show, like a random private show. In a place called Newham, East where Kano’s from he did like a show well he took his show that he’d been touring over a summer and did a show in a local leisure centre. Which had about 150 people there, so small and it was like the greatest night and he did like my favourite song which he nevers performs and it was like great and he rapped and it was like amazing”.

I said “That’s great when you get that intimacy of a smaller gig, I think that’s the one thing I’ve missed so much, I’ve missed going to gigs ah it’s hard. I think I’ve actually seen you, you where with Jordan Rakei and it was in Brighton at The Concorde that would have been 3 years ago’’.

Barney “Yeah about 3 years ago like 2019, he was incredible”. “Oh yeah, yeah he is my god, goodness me”

What is the album or song you would say you have listened to the most recently? Like what have you been like rinsing out?

“I really like J-Cole's album, it’s been really good. I like Lex Amor, so like Lex yeah she’s a good friend of mine her last project that she dropped last year I’ve been rinsing that. Yeah just like the mandem and people that I like, yeah you know what I’m saying. Yeah like now streaming services give you algorithms and let you know what you need to listen to so yeah that’s the kind of people that I’d kind of go to”.

I said “I think I’ve been rinsing Solange’s latest album, I’m get to listen to, it’s so bad I haven’t listened to J-Cole’s new album yet and the Wordplay Team keep going on about it and Children of Zeus’s album”.

Barney “Ah yeah I’ve been listening to that a lot”.  

Name 3 people you would love to work with and why?

“It’s tough man those kind of questions it’s difficult because I think you could be a fan of someone or see someone work with someone else and be like they’re amazing but it might not work. Specifically for you so like the people that I work with are my dream people if that makes sense”.

I inject “Aww that’s so nice”.

“No it’s true it’s like a session you could get there and it’s someone you’re a fan of and the vibe is not there. When it comes to making music you gotta be, like you can be a fan like a genuine fan of someone but understand that like it might not be. You know their process might be different yours, their vibe might be different to yours. So I think for me my perfect are the people that I work with kind of currently”.

I said “That’s amazing and a nice place to be at as well to know I’m pretty comfy, surrounded by amazing people”.

Barney “Yeah man I think it just takes time to build your tribe and find your friends, to work with creatively and yeah I’m very fortunate”. 

This might be too early to ask you but have you got anything planned for the not so distant future?

“Drop the album think that’s big and hopefully tour the album and all that kind of stuff. Just be able to do some festivals over the summer, yeah which has been announced which is really lovely. Yeah man and just take time to like be appreciative of kind of like it’s been a tough couple of years. Just be able to like absorb the idea of growth and just live in that and understand the changes that have happened. That would be like the things I’m looking forward to”.

I said “Yeah hopeful I will be able to get myself down to something, at the moment someone asks me do you want to go to this music thing? I’m like yes tell me the dates *Barney laughs* I don’t care how much it costs as long as I’ve got it off work I’m there.

Barney “Yeah I’m itching to go I think we’ve all got that musician itch, well people that are into music where we are just like we are ready and go back to having that musical experience”. *both laugh*.

Barney, thank you for taking the time to talk to myself and giving us the opportunity to find out more about all the music things going on in your life at the moment.

Be sure to follow Mr Jukes & Barney Artist for the latest. Their album - The Locket available to stream now. Get your merch and tour dates too.