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British fusion artist Master Peace put out a song with rising pop sensation Thomas Day this month, and the internet couldn’t be happier. Already amassing hundreds of thousands of streams, ‘Love Hate’ is an ear worm of an anthem for anyone trying to escape their ever-present past. 

Thomas Day: That pre-chorus… every time I hear it, I get emotional.

Master Peace: Same. Because it’s real life. It’s about being in a relationship where you’re trying to move forward, but the past keeps getting brought up. You’re trying to fix things, but it’s like — how can we move forward if we keep going back?

“Love Hate” captures that addictive tension of a relationship caught between desire and dysfunction, where intense highs and frustrating lows collide. Master Peace fuels the track with his signature indie-alt-pop recipe, while Thomas Day brings a contrasting layer of emotive, vulnerable vocals The result is a charged, dynamic interplay that perfectly reflects the push and pull at the heart of the song.

OnesToWatch caught up with the duo over Zoom—Master Peace calling in from his tour bus while opening for 5 Seconds of Summer, and Thomas Day joining from a sunlit gym parking lot in Nashville. Dive deeper into their dynamic and read their full conversation below: 

[On opening for 5SOS] It’s crazy — it’s like Beatlemania. I swear.

No, it looks like it.

I swear to God, I’m not even exaggerating. We have our fans, you know, but I’ve never seen anything like this. A boy band with this type of buzz… in my life. This is another level.

So good. Okay — I want to know when you first started making music. Like, professionally or just for fun?

I’d say it started for fun around 2018. Yeah — 2018. I was like 17. I was around a lot of people who made music at the time — a lot of my friends were already in the scene. I was kind of a fly on the wall. I’d beg them to let me come to the studio just to be there, throwing in my two cents, and everyone would be like, “You don’t know anything about music.” But I felt like I did. I felt like a ninja.

So you were just hanging with friends making music and giving your opinion?

Exactly. And that’s what inspired me to start making my own music — because I was like, no one’s hearing my opinion, so I might as well just do it myself. I wasn’t a songwriter by any means at first. But I think when I realized it was serious was when I got my first record deal at 19. I was like, okay… this might actually be something.

Who did you sign with?

Virgin EMI. I just remember getting that deal at that age and getting that kind of money — I was like, I’m about to blow it all. I was thinking watches, trainers… I went crazy. When I got my first record deal, I wasted so much money.

Same. I didn’t even know what taxes were.

Alright — Thomas, what’s the first artist you remember falling in love with?

I was literally just talking about this earlier today. It’s funny because the music I’m making now kind of reflects it. I mean, aside from the classics… there was this artist — I think it was a band — called Boy Pablo. I was obsessed. That beachy, indie, laid-back sound.

Yeah, yeah — so good.

I became fully obsessed with that vibe.

My first one was Clairo. I saw her perform at Heaven in 2018, right before she dropped Immunity. I remember hearing “Bags” for the first time and just being like… wow. I fell in love instantly. She’s probably one of the best artists I’ve seen live.

Wow. I can hear some of that inspiration in your music. That line — “every second counts, I don’t want to talk to you anymore” — that’s insane. That’s such a strong opening line.

That’s real life.

Do you get nervous performing? Especially with the size of crowds you’re playing now?

Honestly, not really. I don’t feel worried. When I’m up there, I don’t want to get off. When I get to the last song, I actually feel a bit sad — like, I just want to keep going.

What’s a moment from this recent release that you’re really proud of?

Honestly, I think it’s just the fact that it’s our first song we’ve made together. Out of everything we’ve worked on — even the stuff that’s not out yet — it just feels special. We haven’t even written that much together, but the songs we do have… even that one you haven’t recorded yet — you need to record that.

Oh, I love that one.

Exactly. That’s what I’m saying — we’ve got songs. And even though we haven’t worked together that much, I think people really connect with this one because it’s our first single together.

A million percent.

Even performing it— people go crazy for it. They’re waving their lights without even being asked. That kind of love is wild. I want you on stage singing it with me. It’s such an emotional song — it would hit so hard.

That would be insane.

Alright, let me ask you something. Outside of writing and being an artist, what’s something you’re actually good at?

I’m actually really good at painting.

Really?

Yeah — like, actually good. I do abstract painting. If I wasn’t a musician, I’d probably be a painter.

You’re serious?

I’m dead serious. I’ve got a few pieces at my house. I love it — that’s my thing. Sometimes I even go to those sip-and-paint classes… by myself.

No way.

Yeah, everyone’s there in couples, and I just show up alone. People look at me like, “Is he okay?” But I’m just vibing, painting.

That’s iconic. That makes sense to me. I don’t know why, but it tracks.

Yeah, I work on canvases mostly. What about you?

Honestly, if there’s anything I’ve gotten good at outside of music, it’s either football — like actual football, not American — or cooking. I’m low-key a crazy chef.

No way.

If I wasn’t doing music, I’d probably be on some TV show going head-to-head with Gordon Ramsay.

That’s bold.

I love him though — he’s my guy. He just yells at everyone, but I get it. That pressure builds something. That’s kind of how I feel about releasing music right now.

Yeah?

Like when we dropped “Love Hate,” I was like — this is an indie boy diss track. 

Wait — are you dropping an album this year?

Yeah, I am. But I’m just going to keep dropping regardless. I feel like in this day and age, if you’re not releasing music, what are you doing? You’ve just got to keep going — quality and quantity.

100%.

This album… it’s been like a 10-year process in a way. It came out of a breakup, a lot of personal stuff. I actually had one album ready — scrapped it. Made another — scrapped that too. Then made this one.

What were the sonics of the other albums like?

Originally, before that sound got popular, I was in that early-2000s indie, bedroom pop lane. My first album was kind of like a continuation of that. Then I felt like that space started getting overcrowded, so I shifted into more guitar-driven, indie rock. I liked it, but I wasn’t fully sold on it. Then I went to see Royel Otis live in the UK — and that changed everything. I remember being at the show, on a date actually, and just being completely mesmerized. Every song, every moment… I was like, I’m in the wrong lane.

That’s crazy.

It just had that feel-good energy. And I realized — that was my original sound. That emotional, lover-boy, indie pop space. I had moved away from it to grow my fanbase, but after building that audience, I wanted to return to my roots. That’s why “Love/Hate” meant so much — it was the first time I went back into that emotional indie bag.

That’s powerful. Can I tell you something funny? The first time I heard “Love Hate,” I was in Amsterdam. I heard a bounce of it and was like — this is insane. I played it for my whole team, my girlfriend — for months. Then I started diving into your other stuff — like “Chocolate” — and I was like, wow.

That’s crazy, because I wrote “Chocolate” during that era — that same emotional indie phase. Now I’m coming back to it — that sweet, lover-boy energy that people first connected with.

You’re evolving. You’re finding yourself again.

Alright — when did you know you had to pursue music?

Honestly, really early. It sounds cliché, but I started writing without even realizing that’s what I was doing. I taught myself guitar and piano, and I started writing when I was around 11.

That’s crazy.

Yeah — it started on piano. Then I discovered GarageBand. I saved up for a computer, started watching YouTube tutorials on how to set up a “studio,” and just locked in. I was probably 12 when I started producing. Then I saved up for Logic and just kept going — writing and producing in my bedroom after school for hours every day. For like five years straight.

That’s dedication.

I wasn’t super into school — it just didn’t inspire me. Music was the thing. I also played academy soccer when I was like 14 or 15. But I quit and fully committed to music. I’ve known for a long time — if there was a way to make it work, I had to do it.

That really shows in your music. I’m a fan, honestly. When I first heard your demo for “Love/Hate,” I was going through a crazy time, and hearing your vocals just made everything feel right.

That’s love, man. I remember when Rudy called me and said you loved it — I was like, let’s go. I was already a fan of what you were doing.

That song just feels special.

It really does. Every time I listen to it, it still feels fresh. The background harmonies on your verses — they’re insane.

That’s intentional. When I’m layering vocals, I’m thinking about artists like Brandy — she’s the GOAT of background vocals. So when I’m building those stacks, I’m really trying to create that depth.

You can hear it. For sure. It’s interesting too, because we approached the song differently — I was focused on the hook, you took the verses — but it all came together perfectly. That pre-chorus… every time I hear it, I get emotional.

Same. Because it’s real life. It’s about being in a relationship where you’re trying to move forward, but the past keeps getting brought up. You’re trying to fix things, but it’s like — how can we move forward if we keep going back?

I genuinely think this song is a smash.

Same. And the crazy thing is — we haven’t even worked together that much yet.

That’s what’s wild. This is just the beginning.

Exactly. When we link up, we just cook.

Listen to "Love Hate" below: