Your Comfort Zone is the new album from Peyoti For President, fronted by Anglo-Italian revolutionary beatnik poet and world citizen Peyoti, who grew up in Birmingham, spent time in Cuba in his 20s, moved to Barcelona in 2011, explored Mexico at length and currently resides in Portugal, where the new album was written and recorded.
A long time has elapsed since London’s Peyoti for President dropped their debut album. In 2009, Rising Tide of Conformity was released worldwide to considerable critical acclaim. The album was featured in major press, including Rolling Stone & the UK’s Independent. Reviews were almost exclusively 5-star. All of this came off the back of a UK tour, supporting Manu Chao, just 2 years previously.
New album Your Comfort Zone is a piece of art that was determined to be born despite the odds. In 2020, a Netflix series used one of Peyoti for President’s songs. A subsequent meeting with Peer Music Publishing (the world’s largest independent publisher) resulted in the suggestion that a new album be made, with a strong focus on charismatic songs that could be pitched to the film industry. The project was born on that day. However, it took a collaboration with a Portugal-based German music producer, Marc Mennigmann and an adventure in Mexico, to bring the vision to life.
In typical Peyote style, an afternoon spent on a rock on a beach in Oaxaca, Mexico, during an altered state of consciousness, resulted in an unexpected ‘download‘ of what would turn out to be approximately 50% of all the trumpet melodies, bass lines and lyrics. As Peyoti left the sea, he came across a crazy, laughing Mexican girl, Ceci Meza, who would go on to feature on 2 songs of the album with her contagious laugh immortalised in the process. Finally, leaving the beach, Peyoti was drawn to a graffiti-covered wall, on which a slogan read, “Your Comfort Zone Will Kill You”, and so, the vision for the new album was complete.
Yes, this album was conceived and written (in part) on a beach in Mexico. Still, it would take a further 2 years in the mountains of southern Portugal, working at times in complete isolation and with regular production sessions with Marc Mennigmann, before the album would truly take on a life of its own. In January 2025, the masters came back from London’s Metropolis studios, and the recordings were complete.
This is an album of the times. Much needed. A voice for the people. All across the developed world, we are hearing warnings of a rise in fascism. Peace protesters calling for an end to war are being arrested, silenced and even cancelled. In a bizarre inversion of truth, the ones exposing the war-mongering are often themselves being labelled as ‘terrorists‘.
Your Comfort Zone is a call to action, through celebration, dance and shared humanity, whilst describing the hypocrisy of our times. It’s Manu Chao on steroids. It combines elements of Gorillaz with Fat Freddy’s Drop and a fidelity of production that is reminiscent of Nitan Sawney.
You’ll want to dance, feel the ‘cumbia‘ vibes of Latin America and celebrate what it means to be alive, but you’ll also be challenged as the album asks a profound question: What are you doing to make the world a better place?
Track Listing:
1)You are the Revolution
2)Soy Un Bohemio
3)Together
4)Tolerance
5)Palestinian Children
6)Freedom Preacher
7)Freedom
8)My Body My Choice
9)Vamos A Nadar
10)Your Comfort Zone Will Kill You
11)Ya, Sobrevivi
12)Resist, Push Back
For more information, follow Peyoti For President on Spotify, Bandcamp and YouTube.
