Matt Ngesa explores family, friendship and love on his debut album.
The Kenyan musician draws on four years of writing for a nine-track debut about family, friendship, love and personal growth.
Kenyan musician Matt Ngesa has released For the Road, his nine-track debut album exploring family, friendship and love. The project brings together four years of writing and reflection on the relationships that shape personal growth.
Its beginnings reach back to the Covid-19 pandemic, when both his parents contracted the virus. As he worried about their health, Ngesa wrote four songs that would become the album’s foundation.
Family fears shape For the Road
Those early songs were Muse, August, Kintsugi and Bright. The uncertainty also deepened his appreciation of family and friends, giving the project its central theme.
At its heart sits August, a song about pursuing what matters alongside the people who matter. Its message connects doing what one loves with sharing that purpose with loved ones.
However, the album looks beyond romance to explore the wider bonds that influence identity and decisions. It also considers how those relationships provide support through different stages of life.
Across the project, Ngesa focuses on nurturing connections as life unfolds. The songs invite listeners to consider the people they value and the memories they carry forward.
Nine songs and a Joy Ocholla feature
The track list comprises Enough, Bright, When She Calls, August, Muse, Tea, 2am, Hearts on the Ceiling and Kintsugi. Joy Ocholla features on Kintsugi.
Musically, Ngesa blends indie pop, rock and soul, placing personal storytelling alongside expansive melodies and live instrumentation. His experiences across countries and cultures also inform that sound.
From a sibling band to a solo career
Ngesa was born in Kenya and grew up between Uganda and the United States. He first developed his musical voice in Soul Mind Scars, a band he formed with his sister.
He later pursued a solo career, releasing the EP Rem Me, which includes Problems and Twende Kazi. His earlier singles also include Oh Shoot, River and Muse.
The latter earned him a performance on COLORS, a platform that showcases emerging musical talent. He subsequently collaborated with Itha and Clark Keeng on the EP Let’s Draw and featured on Muthaka’s masala tea.
