Love Now Pay Later - Album Launch October 2nd 2026

With Album Launch Live show at Soho Pizza Express, October 7th & 8th - Tickets now on sale.

There comes a point in the career of every artist where they face a choice. Continue refining a sound that already works, or take a risk and step somewhere unfamiliar. On Love Now, Pay Later, Jo Harrop chooses the latter, and the result is one of the most surprising and rewarding albums of her career.

For listeners who have followed Harrop through Weathering The Storm, The Heart Wants and the acclaimed The Path Of A Tear, this album may initially feel like a departure. The jazz, blues and late-night intimacy that have become her trademarks remain firmly intact, but producer Chris Seefried has gently nudged the music towards a warmer, more soulful landscape. Northern Soul, vintage R&B and classic singer-songwriter influences sit comfortably alongside the jazz sensibilities that have always defined Harrop’s work.

The inspiration may have begun with the spirit of Dusty In Memphis, but this is no exercise in nostalgia. Instead, Seefried creates a sound that feels timeless rather than retro, surrounding Harrop with a band that understands exactly when to push and when to hold back. Deron Johnson’s keyboards colour almost every track beautifully, Jonny Flaugher’s bass provides constant warmth and movement, while Denny Weston Jr.‘s drums and percussion bring groove and subtle sophistication throughout. Seefried’s own guitar work is present everywhere, often understated, always tasteful.

The title track immediately announces that something has changed. Originally recorded by Clydie King in 1969, Love Now, Pay Later bursts from the speakers with confidence and swagger. It is soulful, infectious and wonderfully optimistic, setting the tone for everything that follows. Harrop sounds liberated, embracing the groove while never sacrificing the emotional honesty that has become her calling card.

One of the album’s highlights arrives with Smoke Inside A Jar. Inspired by the image of smoke trapped beneath a glass dome before disappearing into thin air, it becomes a powerful metaphor for relationships that survive only under specific conditions. The track already possesses an alluring cinematic quality, but the arrival of Lady Blackbird elevates it even further.

Lady Blackbird’s contribution is nothing short of exquisite. Her voice has a depth and authority that immediately commands attention, yet she never overwhelms the song. Instead, the two singers weave around one another beautifully, creating one of the album’s most memorable moments. There is a genuine sense of musical conversation taking place, and the result feels magical. Given Seefried’s close working relationship with Lady Blackbird, it’s perhaps no surprise that he recognised exactly what her presence could bring to the track.

Throughout the album, Chris Seefried’s influence is impossible to ignore. As producer, songwriter, guitarist and creative partner, he has helped open a new chapter in Harrop’s artistic journey. Rather than pulling her away from what makes her special, he has expanded her palette, allowing her to explore soul music more deeply while retaining the vulnerability and honesty that have always defined her work.

What emerges is an album that feels both fresh and familiar. The voice remains unmistakably Jo Harrop, but the surroundings have changed. The colours are richer. The grooves run deeper. The horizons feel wider.

Love Now, Pay Later is a record about risk, resilience, heartbreak, hope and self-discovery. More importantly, it is an album that finds Jo Harrop sounding freer than ever before. Sometimes the biggest artistic rewards come from stepping outside your comfort zone.

This album is proof of that.

For all its heartbreak, reflection and hard-won wisdom, there is something else running through Love Now, Pay Later: optimism. Not the naïve optimism of youth, but the kind that comes from having lived a little, lost a little and somehow still choosing to believe in love, hope and second chances. That feeling has often sat just beneath the surface of Harrop’s previous work, but here it steps confidently into the light. There is a freedom to these performances, a willingness to embrace soul, groove and joy without losing any of the emotional depth that makes her such a compelling storyteller. The result is an album that feels both deeply personal and surprisingly uplifting. In opening a new chapter alongside Chris Seefried, Harrop has not only expanded her musical horizons but delivered what may well be the strongest and most complete record of her career to date.

GW Wright About Jazz

Cover photography by Emma Myrtle

“Jo Harrop’s music comes straight from the heart. I heard it in her voice the very first time I listened to her.”

Larry Klein (Producer – The Path Of A Tear)

‘All the warmth and sensibility to melt even the chilliest of hearts’

• Blues & Soul Magazine.

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Jo Harrop to support Gregory Porter on his 14 date UK Tour 2025 including 4 shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall.