A project launched by singer Jarvis Cocker in 2017, JARV IS found the former Pulp singer returning to his art-dance origins. Initially existing on the fringes of the U.K. festival scene, JARV IS made the leap from live performances to the recording studio in 2019, releasing the single "Must I Evolve?" that year, with their full-length album Beyond the Pale appearing in September 2020. Cocker formed JARV IS in 2017, just after he wrapped up his Room 29 collaboration with Chilly Gonzales. In addition to Cocker on vocals, JARV IS featured keyboardist Serafina Steer, bassist Andrew McKinney, violinist Emma Smith, drummer Adam Betts, and Jason Buckle. Over the next three years, they played U.K. festivals, workshopping their material while building a following. The single "Must I Evolve" appeared in May 2019. A second single, "House Music All Night Long," arrived in March 2020, setting up the May release of Beyond the Pale, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed its that date back to September 2020. Beyond the Pale debuted at 11 on the U.K. charts upon its release. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine