Introducing: Prose

When I first started listening to the Skinner Brothers, I burned through their entire back catalog over the course of a couple of days (as one does when they are riddled with ADHD). Afterwards, my mind immediately turned towards the next task at hand: investigating every single artist I could find that they had worked with throughout the years. Why? Because I liked them, so logically anyone they chose to work with must be equally good, right?

Well, that ended up paying off in spades, because I found quite a few artists that were new to me and also had impressive back catalogs of their own to dive into. Needless to say, I was busy for a while, but out of all the artists I managed to check out, one of my absolute favorites is Prose.

Hailing from Manchester, Mike Murray (AKA Prose) has been shaking up the UK music scene for over a decade following the release of his debut album Home of the Brave back in 2016. He has since gone on to release several more singles, and has recently mentioned an upcoming 2026 album on Instagram, though the exact release date has yet to be shared publicly.

Forgive me if I'm repeating myself, because I swear I've already said this somewhere before, but one of my favorite things in music is when an artist can tell an entire full-length story over the course of a 2-3 minute song. And I don't mean telling it through a bunch of clever wordplay, or clues with layers of hidden meaning that the average listener couldn't possibly understand. (Ain't nobody got time for that!) I mean ACTUALLY bridging the gap between lyrics and literature, and telling a complete story in a manner that is succinct enough to still be considered a song without having to sacrifice any of the details that make the story engaging in the first place.

Prose is a naturally compelling storyteller, and his sharp, introspective lyrics also have a unique way of forcing you to witness the events as they unfold through the eyes of the most unlikely character. For instance, songs like Mr 1 & Mr 2 walk you through a day in the life of a petty criminal, and a drug deal gone very, very wrong. By the end of the song, you can see how each of the character's choices have led him to the final outcome, but you can also see why in the moment he felt powerless to act differently.

Other songs like Let Me In tell a slightly more relatable story of a failing relationship, and a father struggling to see his son while continuing to make the same mistakes that are keeping them apart to begin with. The song is told from the perspective of the father, who can't stop screwing up long enough to get out of his own way. You can't help but feel bad for the guy, but the lyrics also demonstrate how enabling manipulative behavior leaves everyone stuck in the same rut, constantly repeating the same toxic patterns.

Any track you pick from Prose's catalog feels purposeful and effortlessly authentic. Despite his versatility, there isn't a single song that you would describe as 'filler material,' or feel like he was just trying something new that didn't quite land. His voice carries genuine character, and a type of vulnerable charm that leaves you hanging on to his every word and needing to know what happens next. He consistently delivers an emotionally raw sound, with sobering reflections on many of life's struggles and the resilience it takes to overcome them.

If God gave me wings, I wouldn't use them now

Another talent that Prose brings to the table is the way his songs lean heavily into the nostalgia factor. Songs like Caravan are like sitting down to watch someone's old home movies on a VHS tape, but then halfway through you start to realize that they are your own. Every detail, right down to conning your parents into stopping at McDonalds under the guise of needing to use the restroom, is present and accounted for. It's as if he somehow witnessed your own childhood and is now writing a biography of your life. The song ends with a tearful goodbye to a teenage summer fling, and the promise of “we'll meet again next year” before trailing off into silence, cleverly leaving you to decide for yourself how the story ends.

This style of music seems to have gone by the wayside over the years, especially with the dwindling attention span of listeners growing shorter by the day, and the ever-increasing desire for instant gratification. Much of the current mainstream music has gotten lazier as a result, with what sounds like the same song being regurgitated again and again in a slightly different arrangement for as long as people can stand to listen to it. Individual style has been replaced by algorithms, substance by replication. And just when you thought all hope was lost, along comes Prose like a refreshing breath of fresh air through a musical mausoleum.

Maybe I'm broke, but I won't break

If you're anything like me and you enjoy artists who are thoughtful in their craft and actually have something meaningful to say, you need to stop what you're doing right now and go show Prose some love. The man has got bars for days, unshakable vision, and the raw talent to shoot straight to the top.

You can listen to Prose's latest single, Paper Aeroplanes, here.

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