episode 026: Mauvey (Ransford Laryea)

Mauvey is someone whose spirit just cannot be denied. The musician, songwriter, artist and creator - who recently signed a major deal with 604 Records - is on the precipice of the world getting to know and hear his music. He was born in Ghana as Ransford Laryea (pronounced “Lah-ee”) and raised in South Hampton in the UK, the son of a pastor and hardworking mother. His parents had two or three jobs to give their children the best lives possible, and he and sisters grew up in a household that still upheld the Ghanian (gah-nay-ehn) culture. As a teenager, adversity turned on Mauvey’s resilience to full blast: working hard, he became a star basketball player, leading to him playing in Europe professionally for a number of years, including in Denmark and for England’s national team. A tragedy struck during his time in Europe, causing him to hang up his basketball shoes. As solace, he turned to his longtime love for creative writing, churning out poems, essays, novels, and songs. Eventually, Mauvey started going to open mics and then, with no experience, organized himself a world tour and played a slew of shows and festivals, gaining the attention of stations like BBC Radio One. In this conversation, we go deep into his childhood, how the bullying he experienced growing up pushed him to pick up new skills, why coachability is an important trait to have, his journey to becoming a pro basketball player, signing his major deal with 604 Records, new music coming out, why spreading love is essential to him, and much more.