GoGo Penguin Release Their First-Ever Song With Vocals "Forgive The Damages"

FEATURING BRITISH-UGANDAN SINGER/SONGWRITER DAUDI MATSIKO

LISTEN NOW | WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO NOW FROM NEW ALBUM

NECESSARY FICTIONS

DUE OUT JUNE 20, 2025, VIA XXIM/ SONY

GoGo Penguin, the Manchester trio known for their blend of jazz, classical, and electronic influences since forming in 2012, released their new single, “Forgive The Damages,” featuring British-Ugandan singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko – their first-ever song featuring a vocalist.

This is one of many bold new directions from the UK trio from their forthcoming seventh studio album NECESSARY FICTIONS, due out June 20 via XXIM/SONY.

It makes sense that for GoGo Penguin’s first-ever collaboration with a vocalist, they would

choose Daudi Matsiko, a British-Ugandan singer-songwriter who has toured with the band for

years, opening for them at shows around the world. His fragile, yet powerful, layered vocals and

poignant songwriting blend seamlessly with the GoGo Penguins’ elaborate textures that echo

around his voice. It is truly a sonic match made in heaven and one of the most exciting sounds

coming from the UK right now.

Says Nick Blacka on this collaboration, “We’ve often thought about working with other

musicians, particularly vocalists, but it had to feel right and not forced. We’ve been friends with

Daudi Matsiko for a long while now, and over the years, we’ve talked about writing something

together. Originally, we weren’t thinking of having vocals on this track. We had the chords and

the melodic idea, but we were thinking of using field recordings, samples or perhaps even some

spoken word. One weekend, around the time we were working on this track, Daudi randomly

phoned as he’d flown into Manchester from a gig in Slovakia. I went to pick him up from the

airport, and we sat in my garden and drank some beers. This is when I explained some of the

overall concepts behind the album, and he went away and wrote some lyrics. He completely

understood where we were coming from with this album. Everything clicked into place, it didn’t

feel forced, and it definitely felt right. We tweaked a few things together, and we asked for a

“soaring vocal line” at the end of the track, and Daudi recorded the harmonized line that sings

“forgive the damages” near the end of the song, which is when we really felt we had something

special.” GoGo Penguin’s last album, Everything Is Going to Be OK (2023), found the band reeling from

almost breaking up, a new drummer in the form of Jon Scott (formerly of Mulatu Atsake’s band), coping with the death of family members, grief, the pandemic, and finding solace in the studio

as they journeyed through uncertainty, survival and ultimately, resilience.

With NECESSARY FICTIONS, GoGo Penguin — Chris Illingworth (piano, synths), Nick

Blacka (bass, synths), and Jon Scott (drums) — have embraced new textures and ideas more

fully than ever before. They are operating from a place of confidence, having truly found their

groove with Scott, and Illingworth and Blacka both in their fifth decade, and truly embracing who

they are without fear. The album sees them expanding their signature sound, drawing deeper

into modular synths, and, for the first time, welcoming other voices into their sonic world.

“This is what we want to make right now, and it feels authentic,” says Blacka.

NECESSARY FICTIONS is the sound of a band unafraid to reflect who they are — not just in

sound, but in spirit and surroundings.

---

About Daudi Matsiko:

British-Ugandan singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko’s debut album, ‘The King Of Misery,’ is a

hauntingly beautiful exploration of depression, bipolar disorder, and finding hope in that

experience. His fragile yet powerful vocals, evocative lyrics, and modern folk melodies have

earned high praise from Gilles Peterson, Lauren Laverne, Jamz Supernova, Dean Jackson,

Sian Eleri, Jamie Cullum, Tom Robinson, John Kennedy, Simon Phillips, and comedian and

podcaster Adam Buxton.

After a standing ovation at The Great Escape Festival, and with support from POWER UP, PRS

Foundation, and Alberts Favourites, Matsiko set up his own label, ‘Really Good,’ to release his

debut. Since its release, ‘The King Of Misery’ has received 4 stars in Mojo Magazine and Far

Out Magazine, has been featured on several Spotify editorial playlists, and has been a headline feature

on Bandcamp Weekly, and continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Matsiko also delivered an unforgettable performance and insightful interview on episode 215 of

The Adam Buxton Podcast and gave a mesmerizing live session at BBC Maida Vale for Gilles

Peterson on BBC 6 Music.

With every performance life-affirming and memorable in equal measure, Matsiko is not to be

missed live. “Absolutely glorious” – BBC 6 Music

---

TRACKLIST – NECESSARY FICTIONS:

1. Umbra

2. FALLOWFIELD LOOPS

3. Forgive the Damages (feat. Daudi Matsiko)

4. What We Are and What We Are Meant to Be

5. Background Hiss Reminds Me of Rain

6. The Turn Within

7. Living Bricks in Dead Mortar

8. Naga Ghost

9. Luminous Giants (feat. Rakhi Singh and Manchester Collective)

10. Float (Loi Krathong, 2003)

11. State of Flux (feat. Manchester Collective)

12. Silence Speaks