George Ezra, the singer behind hits such as Shotgun, Paradise and Budapest, has resurfaced after three years away from public life by opening his personal recording studio to other artists. The 33-year-old, whose last album Gold Rush Kid was released in June 2022 and who performed his final gig in 2023, is now renting out the facility rather than leaving it unused.
New venture at Hotel Quebec Studios
According to The Sun, Ezra has started a business at Hotel Quebec Studios in Hertford, just outside London, inviting artists and writers to work on their material there. In an advert for the studio, he says: "Hello, my name is George Ezra, and I would like to introduce you to my personal recording studio, Hotel Quebec, a state-of-the-art recording facility in Hertford, just outside of London, that was designed and built for me — my musical projects, my writing and my recording."
He adds: "It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the studio is now available for you to book and for you to record in, whether it's for a day, a week, a month. If you are looking for a uniquely beautiful and creatively safe environment to work in, please don't hesitate to get in touch."
He concludes: "On behalf of myself and the small but dedicated team here at Hotel Quebec, we hope you are well, and we look forward to hearing from you."
Quiet work on new material
Sources close to the singer have indicated there is still hope for a comeback, as he has been working quietly on his own material. For now, he wants to "share what he's created" with this "clever side hustle".
"George has no confirmed plans or dates for a return yet, but he has been using the studio for his own projects," the sources said. "By renting the studio out, George can help other artists — and he'd much rather have that than the place being empty when he's not using it."
Career highlights and personal life
Ezra's rise to fame began in 2013 when he played the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury Festival. He released his debut EP later that year, and BBC Radio 1 began playing his tracks regularly. He went on to support Sam Smith, Bastille and Tom Odell, and his debut album, Wanted on Voyage, reached number three in the charts and became the third-best-selling album of 2014.
In 2015, he received four Brit Awards nominations, toured with Hozier, and appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live and The Late Late Show with James Corden. Shotgun became his first UK number one in 2018, and the corresponding album, Staying at Tamara's, also topped the charts.
In December 2024, it was revealed that Ezra had become a father for the first time, with the identity of his partner still unknown, although it was reported to be a new romance at the time. Sources said he was "ecstatic" about becoming a father and was "enjoying being hands-on".
The baby news followed a period of health problems for Ezra. He had to cancel a string of shows the year before because he was feeling "incredibly unwell", which was later diagnosed as acute vertigo. He was able to reschedule the gigs to promote his latest record before beginning his extended break, which a friend said at the time stemmed from wanting to "focus on what is really important in his life".
Ezra last posted on Instagram in July 2023, sharing backstage snaps from Latitude Festival, before a member of his team shared a commemorative post for Wanted on Voyage a year later. It read: "George's debut album 'Wanted On Voyage' is 10 years old this week! Thank you for the memories." Reps for George Ezra have been contacted for comment.
