UKNY for November 14

Steven Umoh, who records as Obongjayar, was born in Nigeria, but moved to England in his late teens where he began exploring music as a Norwich university student. His distinctive phrasing and vocals, weaving gruff rhymes with a yearning high tenor, has made him an intriguing collaborator, and he's recently worked with Little Simz ("Point and Kill"), Pa Salieu ("Style & Fashion") and the producer Sarz on a full EP, Sweetness. Obongjayar, who doesn't shy from politics in his lyrics, won an Ivor Award for "God's Own Children" from his own 2020 EP, Which Way is Forward?, and he will release his full debut album in 2022. On "UKNY" tonight at 11 p.m., an early single from Obongjayar's forthcoming first solo album.

Glasgow's C Duncan is back with a new single, always sounding autumnal, and the exciting Leeds quartet English Teacher release a new song ahead of a 2022 debut EP.  Also, digging deeper into Self Esteem's second album, Priortise Pleasure, and saluting 808 State's Andy Barker, who passed away earlier this month at the too-young age of 53.

That's "UKNY," Sundays 11p.m.-midnight, on 90.7, streaming online, and found in the Weekend Archives.

Songs played:

1. Penelope Isles, “Terrified,” Which Way to Happy
2. C Duncan, “Alluvium,” single
3. Self Esteem, “I Do This All the Time,” Prioritise Pleasure
4. Foals, “Wake Me Up,” single
5. Pa Salieu feat. Obongjayar, “Style & Fashion,” Afrikan Rebel EP
6. (Calabar, NG-London, UK) Obongjayar, “Message in a Hammer,” single
7. 808 State, “Pacific (707),” single
8. English Teacher, “Good Grief,” single
9. W.H. Lung, “Pearl in the Palm,” Vanities
10. Chapterhouse, “Pearl,” Whirlpool
11. Martha Skye Murphy, “Stuck,” single
12. (New York, NY) Lightning Bug, “The Right Thing Is Hard to Do,” A Color of the Sky
13. Maya Jane Coles, “Night Creature,” Night Creature