Land of Youth LP

Vinyl Edition.

Maruja formed ten years ago in Manchester and are no strangers to the struggles of being an emerging band in a music scene where payment for support slots hasn’t increased in 30 years. But their reach is international: lauded by BBC 6 Music, Anthony Fantano, NME, and Clash, they’ve played 24 countries this year and, in December, wrapped up the final leg of a 40-date European tour.

Looking ahead to an explosive 2025, the first major milestone comes with the culmination of a fundamental EP trilogy, delivering their most experimental proposal to date. “‘Tir na nÓg’ is Maruja at its purest essence,” says vocalist Harry Wilkinson.

The foundation of all Maruja’s music is improvisation, with recordings capturing those moments in their live performances when, as drummer Jacob Hayes says, “things go to another level, the flow state” — a state Rick Rubin relies on, and one that those who have seen them live understand perfectly.

Maruja talks about spirituality with an understanding reminiscent of the jazz greats of the past, those elevated states John Coltrane achieved, and which have largely been forgotten in discussions about modern music.