Queen Colobus

“Queen Colobus owning it, truly dazzling…” 

- Mary Anne Hobbs, BBC 6 Music

Queen Colobus continue to make a name for themselves within the UK’s vibrant jazz scene with the release of their woozy new single 5/9, due for release on 16th September 2022.

Combining neo-soul, jazz and indie-rock sensibilities, Queen Colobus create genre-bending soundscapes that are brimming with honesty, polished production and pure vibes. The single was written as a powerfully poignant ode to front woman Beth Hopkins’ Dad. Both personal and raw, Beth’s lyrics were born out of the relentless positivity her Dad had whilst battling aggressive cancer. “The phrase ‘five out of nine’ was sort of like a response to ‘how do you feel out of ten?’ He’d always say fine, onwards and upwards! He kept this up all the way until the end.” Beth explains, “the phrase ‘5/9’ felt strange and warped, exactly how the nights felt throughout his treatment.”

Queen Colobus is led by Welsh front woman Beth on saxophone and vocals. Having played together in different bands in Southampton, Beth, Jelly Cleaver (guitar), Will Heaton (bass) and Adam Skinner (drums) found that they shared a love of making weird sounds, with or without instruments, and formed a musical alliance within the London jazz scene. They have been featured on Spotify’s Jazz UK, Fresh Finds Jazz and Fresh Finds UK & IE playlists, as well as receiving radio play from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Mary Anne Hobbs, Jazz FM’s Tony Minvielle, Soho Radio’s Women In Jazz and Tina Edwards.

5/9 is taken from Queen Colobus’ upcoming EP Think Fast, due for release on 30th September 2022. The EP tackles many of the things society struggles to talk about in public, such as the pressures put on women from the diet industry and the struggles of dealing with grief.

Catch Queen Colobus live at the following dates:

13th October 2022 - EP launch - The Windmill, Brixton
27th January 2023 - Jazzlive at the Crypt - St Giles Church, London
2nd March 2023 - Elgar Rooms - Royal Albert Hall, London

5/9 is out on 16th September 2022.