in conversation with Leroy Okwiri

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of discovering The Rugbones at the three-day Meet Me festival. From the moment they stepped on stage, their energy was magnetic, transforming casual passersby into devoted fans. Yet what truly captivated me wasn’t just their individual talents, but the uncanny synergy binding them together. You’d never guess they’d met online, handpicked by Mars Twin, and yet they riffed off each other like brothers raised under one roof.

When frontman Leroy Okwiri recently traveled abroad, the group’s camaraderie only shone brighter. Their conversations brimmed with affectionate nostalgia, often circling back to how much they missed Leroy’s presence. Still, despite the miles that separate them, their creative bond remains unbroken. And later this month, listeners will get to hear that connection firsthand: Leroy teams up with Kay Khali to unveil a new single.

2 another is a raw, hypnotic ride through their signature hazy production and a bit of moody introspection. True to their underground roots, they wrap heavy emotions on the need to make it out, familial relations and plans for what to do with their forthcoming fame in an almost dreamlike soundscape, delivering a performance that feels both detached and deeply personal at once.

The beat is minimalist, with a sludgy bass and scattered percussion that mirrors the inner turbulence in the lyrics. The delivery is casual but deliberate, their flow slipping in and out of the beat like a half-remembered conversation.

What stands out most is the song's atmosphere, not trying to impress with shiny hooks or radio-ready polish. Instead, it drags you into their emotional orbit, where feelings matter more than clarity. It's not an easy listen if you're looking for instant gratification, but for those willing to sit with it, the song offers a bruised kind of beauty that lingers.

2 another is introspective and textured. A rewarding listen for anyone attuned to the subtle power of vulnerability masked with some nonchalance.

Hello Leroy, how are you liking the UK so far?

That’s a heavy question, damn. I mean; I miss a lot, I miss my friends, family, going out, I miss the culture in Kenya. Like, there’s nowhere else I can do Anguka Nayo. But it’s been a mixed bag being here. I’m enjoying it, I thought the food would be way worse, it’s not the worst thing in the world, I thought it’d be absurdly bad. This is the first time; I’ve dealt with a hard loss as I lost my aunt and I’ve never had to deal with that kind of loss. I haven’t even been able to process it yet. So, it’s been good and bad but such is life you know.

I’m so sorry, my condolences.

Kwani you can’t go out over there?

I’m looking into it. I’ve only been out once to some Indian rave party. It was nice but nothing like Kenya nights.

Lol, did they play Bollywood?

Haha yes, they were mashing it with hip-hop

Sounds like a vibe imagine.

It was fun but I’ll chalk it to a once in a year typa thing.

Have you tried seeing what the music vibe is, the underground artists, sound etc. etc.

Nah, imagine. I was actually talking to Trevor last night about how when he comes back to the UK, we’re going to have to start pushing our names and stuff like that. We can start growing something. That’s my plan for the rest of May; I’ll start interacting with the music communities in my school and stuff. I want to get better at drums by the time I’m getting back to Kenya. But I have been making music as I have equipment here so that hasn’t stopped.

Yeah, I think you should. Get the word out you know.

It’s hard cause I like not being perceived you know.

Terrible career choice then.

2 another. What inspired it? The sound, the message, everything.

That song has been around since mid-2023. What inspired it was Kay to be honest. We were at the studio one time, and whenever you go to a studio session and Kay wants to be the first to play beats and take over the session just let him because it’s always something special. Anytime he’s eager to show you a beat it never fails to be amazing. He had already written a verse to it, first of all what a verse! It’s an amazing verse. It’s a 3-4 beat so I had to be careful about how I flow. The verse was so good so I didn’t write mine immediately. I had to sit with it to see how I can attack the verse. A few days passed and there’s a dam near our place, that’s where I go smoke up. Somehow that day I had my writing pad. So, I was near the dam smoking and writing on a book; niggas are looking at me like what is this dude on, lol. I just kept thinking what to write about. I didn’t want to do the usual; money, drugs, girls, cars so I had to think of something else. As I started writing money kept coming to mind but what I want to do with it, why I need it and yeah.

They probably thought you were going through it and journalling.

Haha yeah. It took so much time to release but Kay kept pressing me to release. It is a special beat so I got so personal on it and had to work on it a bit extra. We sent it to FK to mix then he sent it back and he’d just created so much atmosphere with the effects he added to the sample. This is late last year. FK accelerated the process when we fell in love with it even more thanks to how he mixed it.

I really like the beat yeah. It has a MIKE type of feeling.

So do all your songs go through a long process before final release.

Most. But it’s not always my fault though

And finally, what should we expect from you generally, music wise. Do you have more time and energy to delve into it there or less

I’d say going forward it’s going to be really honest. Windowpane, a song I released last year is a timestamp in my musical journey where I write from within where everything feels one on one in a poetic way. My music going forward is music I want to make and I’m really proud of. I want it to be much more profound and deeper. I’m working on a very personal album and putting all my energy into it. I’m so much more committed to music now than ever. It’s kind of hard balancing music, school and my social life. It’s getting hectic but it’s what pushes me more into it. I want it to be my entire being.

Perfect, I wish you well on your journey and can’t wait to hear what’s to come.

Thanks Jean. Really good questions, as always.