Based in St Albans but constantly traveling between London, Manchester, and various locations, mustbejohn is establishing his unique path. His music merges genuine emotion with melodic sophistication, navigating the realms of indie, rap, and alt-pop; this diversity reflects his eclectic musical tastes and experiences from six years in the music industry.
With a varied and rich discography that dates back to 2019, mustbejohn has consistently shown his willingness to explore different genres. Throughout the years, his collaborations with artists such as 49th & Main, Higgo, Tommy Villiers, TIBASKO, Joe James, and Rudimental have led him to delve into dance, electronic, and drum and bass genres. Now, however, he is focusing on creating the music that truly resonates with him.
On the previous Friday, he released his much-anticipated project, ‘Hope Came Last’, marking a pivotal moment in his artistic journey and signaling a new chapter characterized by emotional depth, introspection, and musical refinement. The six-track project, which includes standout tracks like ‘Feel It Again’, ‘Drugs Don’t Work’, and ‘Last Dance’, maintains a balance of compelling introspection and catchy, uplifting hooks, each track resonating emotionally with listeners and gaining momentum on social media.
In a conversation with CLASH, mustbejohn shared insights about the growth that led to this project and the story behind the title, which was inspired by a heartfelt conversation with his grandfather, making ‘Hope Came Last’ his most personal and significant work to date.
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Let’s start from the beginning: Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?
I grew up in St Albans, a lovely area with not much to do, which is probably why I ended up spending a lot of time in the studio. I first went to the studio in Hatton Cross when I was around 14, alongside a friend. It was my first time booking a studio, and I remember just diving in. Initially, I was writing small pieces in my Notes app—poems and little raps. One day, I thought, “Why not go to an actual studio?” I made something pretty awful, as is typical. From then on, I tried to be in the studio whenever I could.
At 15, I worked at Toni & Guy sweeping hair; that was one of the only jobs available for my age. I worked from 9 to 6 and earned about £30. I’d use that money to book one or two hours in the studio. I'd prepare everything in advance and then go in to record a few tracks off-beat, feeling satisfied with them. That’s how everything began, and I continued to create more music. It was really during my time at Westminster University, where I studied Music Business, that I started to take things more seriously.
‘Last Dances’ seems to be making waves on social media. What was the release like for you?
It was really intense. I created that track with Sam Elwood, the producer, in early 2022. He kept encouraging me, saying, “This is the one, you need to release it.” However, at the time, I was focused on a lot of dance music and collaborating with various dance producers, so it didn’t feel like the right time. Then at the beginning of this year, I decided to start releasing exactly what I wanted to, without overthinking it. I built the project around ‘Last Dances’, even though it wasn’t the lead single. I wanted a few other tracks that paired well with it. I was thrilled to finally put it out, and even after sitting on it for nearly three years, the response has been fantastic. People really connected with it, and I was genuinely excited by how it turned out.
Let’s discuss the visuals for ‘Last Dances’, ‘Feel It Again’, and ‘Wheelspin’. They look so genuine and high-quality. Did you plan the shoots yourself or work with a creative director?
I have to credit the director Joe Bentley and his team, as well as Bagley’s Studios. Paula, a producer there, managed all the casting and coordination, but the ideas really came from the back-and-forth discussions between Joe and me. We had around four or five hour-long phone calls, discussing how the song made us feel and what we wanted the visuals to convey. Our primary goal was to create something that didn't just feel like content. I acknowledge that we live in a time focused on short clips, and I participate in that as well, but for these projects, we aimed to create something we could look back on in years to come and say, “I can’t believe we pulled that off.” It took a lot of favors, time, and effort from Joe, the crew, and everyone involved. I can't express my appreciation enough for their hard work. As a team, we pushed ourselves to achieve
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Based in St Albans but constantly traveling between London, Manchester, and various locations in between, mustbejohn is actively establishing a unique path for himself.