Originally featured in SALT Magazine, this Muroki The Great Escape interview explores the New Zealand artist’s coastal sound, cultural identity and Brighton festival appearance.
Arriving with a sound shaped by coastlines and quiet introspection, Muroki will be taking the stage at The Great Escape festival in Brighton. Sunlight seems to linger in his music, being raised in Raglan, a laid-back surf town. This groovy energy pulses into his relaxed, rhythmic indie pop, while his Kenyan heritage adds a deeper sense of identity and connection. His defining track ‘Wavy’ carries that blend beyond New Zealand, earning support from Benee and airplay from Elton John. What started as bedroom experiments unfolded into an international journey as Muroki expands his reach.
Muroki developed his sound shaped by identity as well as by place. Being one of the only Black kids in his community, he found a sense of connection through his Kenyan heritage, leading it to be a guiding force in his music. His inspirations being Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Frank Ocean and more, his influence comes through in feeling as well as sound. A sense of warmth, rhythm and belonging drawn from Black music offered representation in a predominantly white environment. Raglan’s coastal beauty inched its way into his style, offering easy going grooves, sun-soaked melodies and laid-back energy defining a lot of his work.
Music became more than just a hobby while experimenting in his room from a young age. The early curiosity turned into something more serious as the realisation of a potential career came through. Then came ‘Wavy’, the track that changed everything. Its infectious rhythm struck a chord beyond New Zealand, opening doors that weren’t expected: “I didn’t realise how much it was changing and now that I’m older, I’m like oh man (…) I hope it comes again.”
For new listeners, Muroki The Great Escape appearance is a useful entry point into an artist whose sound moves between coastal ease, soul, funk and global pop ambition.
Since then, Muroki has continued to evolve, blending rustic indie pop with more experimental, genre-bending ideas. Bringing his great vibes to The Great Escape, known for the rise of cool new artists from all over, you won’t be disappointed with a mix of coastal ease and cultural depth.
For Brighton audiences, Muroki The Great Escape appearance offers the chance to catch an artist whose sound already feels international, but still carries the warmth and ease of the coast that shaped him.
All his momentum grew with the support of artist Benee, helping bring Muroki into a wider orbit. He described this support as “random” and “pretty wild” while noting that they are still friends today. This marked a turning point, from independent momentum to a more defined artistic route. Around this time, his early EP Dawn began to sculpt his sound: sunlit indie pop layered with grooves and a clear sense of ease. This felt like not only an introduction to his music but to his world shaped by culture and curiosity.
From then his roots have continued to evolve. Blending pop, soul and funk, he leans into a style that feels fast moving as well as nostalgic. His projects like Heading East and Timezones were, according to him, characterised as an experimental time. Muroki explained that the music from that period sounds different, but he is now developing on his own original style and that his old EPs are “all over the place” while staying cool.
Timezones pushed things further, embracing textures and a deeper sense of identity. He’s described it as a “black soul” record, a reflection of the music that shaped him through his own lens.
His collaboration with friend and artist Benee on Love Cocoon enabled him to wander into a more upbeat and danceable style. Muroki explained that they worked on the song with Dave Hammer and felt it needed “some quirkiness”, which was successfully brought to the track by Benee.
Even when revisiting other artists’ work, his identity still stays strong. His Like A Version performance covering Tame Impala showed a glimpse into how he reshapes familiar sounds in a groove-led approach.
Now stretching far beyond his roots in New Zealand, his time spent creating and performing on the international front has broadened both his sound and perspective. Festival stages have amplified his energy. Whether it’s in small venues or in front of a large crowd, Muroki brings a magnetic presence that translates beyond borders. A surreal “pinch me” moment came when sharing the stage with artist Jack Johnson. The two swapped songs backstage, Muroki teaching Wavy and learning one of Johnson’s equally. His travelling has not only influenced where he plays but has reshaped how he creates. His sound shifts depending on the place by absorbing new rhythms and cultures while putting in his laid-back and symphonic core.
Today, Muroki finds himself stepping into a new chapter marked by his appearance at The Great Escape Festival. As a New Zealand-based artist, performing in Brighton represents more than just another appearance, but an opportunity into a wider UK and European audience. The excitement rises not only because it’s new territory, but as he’s sharing his art to a new audience.
As a live prospect, Muroki The Great Escape set feels especially well placed: intimate enough for audiences to connect with his laid-back storytelling, but ambitious enough to suggest an artist moving quickly into a much wider frame.
This event and particular moment enables a broader shift in his career. With time spent living and creating in Berlin and travelling through the UK, Muroki is actively building an international presence to move smoothly between continents and connect with larger audiences. Recent singles like Sweet Lime and Watching Movies, recorded during these international sessions, capture that transition: polished yet playful, with a growing sense of confidence and identity.
Having recently released Amber Skies, which he describes as his most mature and representative work yet, Muroki is no longer experimenting to find his sound but refining it. His focus is expansion, more touring, more connection, and a stronger ledge in Europe’s vibrant live music circuit.
Muroki’s music feels like a meeting point of coastlines, cultures, and constant movement. There’s the warmth of the Pacific put together with the pulse of global cities, creating a sound that is both easy going and quietly ambitious. It’s this balance that makes him stand out. This artist doesn’t chase trends but instead lets experience shape his artistry in an organic way.
As he continues to travel, collaborate, and grow his audience across continents, the direction feels clear. Muroki isn’t just a local success story anymore, he’s becoming a global one, carried by authenticity and a deep love for the journey itself. And if this current moment is anything to go by, he’s only just getting started.
For readers looking for Muroki The Great Escape details, here is the key information for his Brighton showcase.
Artist: Muroki
Event: The Great Escape Festival
Venue: Patterns Upstairs and Queens, Brighton
Date: Thursday 14 May
Set times: Patterns Upstairs at 2.30pm; Queens at 9pm
Festival: The Great Escape, Brighton
Muroki’s official tour listings show two Brighton appearances at The Great Escape on Thursday 14 May 2026: Patterns Upstairs at 2.30pm and Queens at 9pm. The Great Escape describes itself as the world’s leading new music festival for discovery, bringing together more than 450 emerging artists from around the world across 30+ walkable venues in Brighton.
As part of Brighton’s wider new music programme, Muroki The Great Escape set gives audiences another chance to discover an Aotearoa artist moving confidently onto the international stage.
Muroki official website
Muroki tour dates
The Great Escape Festival
The Great Escape Festival info
For more music interviews, live previews and culture features from The Great Escape and beyond, explore SALT’s latest music coverage.
