Jo Harrop and Band

There comes a point in the career of every artist where they face a choice. Continue refining a sound that already works or take a risk and step somewhere unfamiliar. On her new release, Love Now, Pay Later, Jo Harrop chooses the latter, and the result is one of the most surprising and rewarding albums of her career.

For listeners who have followed Harrop through Weathering The Storm, The Heart Wants, When Winter Turns to Spring, and the acclaimed The Path Of A Tear, this album may initially feel like a departure. The jazz, blues and late-night intimacy that have become her trademarks remain firmly intact, but producer Chris Seefried has gently nudged the music towards a warmer, more soulful landscape. Northern Soul, vintage R&B and classic singer-songwriter influences sit comfortably alongside the jazz sensibilities that have always defined Harrop’s work.

The inspiration may have begun with the spirit of Dusty In Memphis, but this is no exercise in nostalgia. Instead, Harrop creates a sound that feels timeless rather than retro.

Jo Harrop is one of those rare singers whose voice seems less concerned with impressing an audience than connecting with it. In an age where so much music competes for attention, Harrop's greatest strength lies in her ability to draw listeners closer, inviting them into songs that feel deeply personal yet somehow universal.

Blending jazz, soul, blues, folk and Americana influences, she has developed a style that is entirely her own. There is a warmth and honesty to her music that feels increasingly rare, whether she is interpreting a standard, delivering a heartfelt ballad or performing one of her own beautifully crafted songs. Every lyric feels lived in. Every phrase feels considered. Nothing is wasted.

Born in the North East of England and now based in London, Harrop's path to recognition was anything but conventional. Having spent years honing her craft away from the spotlight, wider recognition arrived when Iggy Pop discovered her music following the release of Weathering The Storm. Struck by what he heard, he championed her on BBC Radio 6 Music, describing her as "a very fine jazz singer" before later calling her "a superb and unimaginably good vocalist." For many listeners it was their first introduction to an artist whose talent had long deserved wider attention.

Since then, Harrop has quietly built one of the most respected catalogues in contemporary British jazz. Her recordings include Weathering The Storm, The Heart Wants, When Winter Turns To Spring with pianist Paul Edis, and The Path Of A Tear, recorded at the legendary Village Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Grammy-winning producer Larry Klein.

The albums reveal an artist constantly searching for emotional truth rather than easy answers. Love, loss, hope, regret and resilience all run through her work, delivered with a sincerity that never feels forced. When Winter Turns To Spring was recognised with Album of the Year at the 2023 Parliamentary Jazz Awards, while The Path Of A Tear attracted widespread international acclaim, earning a host of four- and five-star reviews and further cementing her reputation as both a singer and songwriter of remarkable depth.

Live performance remains at the heart of everything Harrop does. Whether performing in the intimate surroundings of a jazz club or standing before thousands in a concert hall, she possesses the rare ability to make every listener feel as though she is singing directly to them. That gift was recognised in 2025 when Gregory Porter personally selected her to support his thirteen-date UK tour, including four sold-out nights at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Her career has since taken her to many of the world's most respected stages, including Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the 606 Club, PizzaExpress Live, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Dizzy's Club at Lincoln Center in New York, SFJAZZ, Newcastle City Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Manchester Arena and The Glasshouse in Gateshead.

Critics have frequently praised the emotional depth of her performances. All About Jazz highlighted her ability to convey a remarkable range of moods effortlessly and naturally, while audiences continue to be drawn to the unmistakable humanity that runs through everything she sings.

At the centre of it all is a voice that refuses to hide behind technique. Warm, smoky, intimate and deeply expressive, Jo Harrop sings with the kind of honesty that cannot be taught. It is why her music lingers long after the final note has faded and why she has become one of the most distinctive and compelling voices in contemporary jazz.

"“Just a delicious, exquisite voice, a balm for the soul” " - Jo Whiley, BBC radio 2