The Mancunian rap/acoustic trio known as
Prose drew a broad variety of comparisons in their early press coverage. They were described as a combination of down-to-earth U.K. hip-hop, similar to
the Streets or
Plan B, and a touch of melodic lad rock that took its cues from fellow Mancunians
Oasis. Their lyrical approach was inspired by life experience, often covering very personal subjects.
All three members -- Mike Murray (rap, vocals), Dave Stone (bassist, producer), and
Lee Royle (guitar) -- had been pursuing a career in music for a number of years prior to
Prose. Murray and Stone were cousins; as they were growing up, Stone would often produce beats for Murray to flex his linguistic muscles. This dynamic changed when Murray wanted more of a live, organic feel to his music, so Stone asked guitarist
Royle to contribute. The trio gelled instantly and began meeting up on a weekly basis; before they knew it, six years had passed.
Finally, in 2014, they decided to start playing in front of an audience, enlisting friends to handle the keys and drums for their early live performances. At first, they simply enjoyed playing music together and uploading the odd track to YouTube, until they were discovered by London-based rapper
Naughty Boy, who in turn introduced them to
Emeli Sandé. They went on to support
Sandé at a gig for a homeless charity in London, playing in front of 700 people, their largest audience up to that point. Their debut single, What If?, was released by Virgin Records in October 2015, preceding their debut full-length album,
Home of the Brave, in 2016. ~ Liam Martin