An eight-year, self-made album shaped by personal loss, political tension, and the quiet determination to finish what was started
Set for release on 13 February 2026, King Colobus — the alias of Paignton-based artist Stewart MacPherson — unveils Torn Between Age & Perseverance, a deeply considered body of work forged slowly, deliberately, and entirely on his own terms. Written, recorded, and self-produced across nearly a decade, the album stands as both a personal reckoning and a broader reflection on the world as it has shifted around him.
Rather than arriving as a burst of creative momentum, Torn Between Age & Perseverance feels like the result of endurance. The album gathers songs that resisted easy categorisation on earlier releases — ideas that lingered, evolved, and refused to be discarded. Over time, MacPherson returned to them with new perspective, deconstructing and reshaping each track until they formed a cohesive narrative. What emerges is not a compilation of leftovers, but a carefully unified statement shaped by time itself.
Musically, King Colobus operates in a space where tension and restraint coexist. Influences ranging from Interpol’s atmospheric precision to the stark emotional weight of Johnny Cash, alongside the grit of Josh Homme and the introspection of Alice In Chains, are present but never overt. These reference points function more as tonal anchors than templates, informing a sound that remains distinctly personal. The album balances shadow and melody, directness and ambiguity, allowing emotion to surface without excess.
The thematic core of Torn Between Age & Perseverance is its confrontation with both intimate and societal realities. Tracks such as “Hole” approach deeply personal territory, addressing MacPherson’s mother’s experience with dementia through the perspectives of family members trying to cope, adapt, and hold on. The song avoids sentimentality, instead presenting the subject with quiet honesty and emotional weight, acknowledging how memory loss reshapes not just the individual, but everyone around them.
Elsewhere, the album widens its scope. “World On Fire” channels political frustration into a deceptively upbeat framework, contrasting energetic delivery with lyrics that critique extremism, anger, and the erosion of nuance in contemporary discourse. Rather than offering answers, the track reflects unease — a recognition that compassion and debate are increasingly sidelined in favour of absolutes. The juxtaposition feels intentional, mirroring the contradictions of modern life where urgency often masks complexity.
The album’s creation process reinforces its solitary nature. Every track was written and recorded at home, with MacPherson embracing the limitations and freedoms of working alone. During the Covid period, he took a decisive step that further defined the project: investing in a drum kit and teaching himself to play. This choice allowed the album to become a fully realised solo effort in the truest sense, with every instrument performed by the artist himself. Rather than polishing away imperfections, the process preserved a sense of immediacy and ownership that runs throughout the record.
Torn Between Age & Perseverance does not attempt to sound current, nor does it chase relevance through trend. Its relevance comes from sincerity — from addressing grief, frustration, endurance, and aging with clarity rather than spectacle. The long gestation period becomes part of the album’s meaning, reinforcing its central tension: the pull between time passing and the refusal to abandon what still matters.
As its release approaches, King Colobus presents an album that rewards patience, both his own and the listener’s. It is a record shaped by persistence rather than pressure, offering a reminder that some artistic statements only fully form when given the space to mature. In confronting memory, politics, and personal resolve, Torn Between Age & Perseverance stands as a testament to the quiet power of finishing what time tries to erode.
