Mondo Cozmo
Savvage's own Mary Welch had the chance to hit up Summerfest, the BIGGEST music festival in the world, featuring over 800 acts. During the fest she caught up with singer-songwriter Mondo Cozmo. Read our exclusive interview below!
Mary: First of all, since Summerfest is the largest music festival in the world and you're playing the second biggest stage, congratulations!
Josh: Thank you! It's a big day for us! It's a great time slot too, it's amazing.
Mary: Where are you from?
Josh: I grew up in Philadelphia and I'm based in Los Angeles now but I've been telling people now like, "I just live in a van."
Mary: Can you explain the name Mondo Cozmo?
Josh: Yeah, so my dog's name is Cozmo, he's a hell of a dog. I got him in Los Angeles at a rescue place and I needed a band name. My last band name was so long. It was called Eastern Conference Champions. Nobody could ever remember it, and it looked rough on a shirt because it was so long and tough to work with. So I was like "I need a band name that's short and sweet. I want it to rhyme and I want it to look cool on a t-shirt. So my dog's name is Cozmo and I was watching a movie called Mondo Trasho which was John Waters' first movie. I just took the Mondo part and I took the Cozmo part and put it together. I just needed something to write on the CDs. I was recording songs at home, it wasn't for any other purpose other than that. It really worked out, it seems like people really like it. I love it!
Mary: Since you're no stranger to the music industry, how has your music journey evolved over time?
Josh: This past year has been kind of insane, I'm not going to lie. I've been doing this for a really long time. I've been doing this since high school. From playing Kimmel, to Bastille tour playing in front of like tens of thousands of people every night, to going to Bonnaroo and playing a night set in front of fifteen thousand. It's just everyday something else happens and it just feels like a true happening and it's cool that all those years of putting in all that hard work, I feel like I'm ready for this situation. Like, I put that time in. It feels good.
Mary: How much songwriting do you do and what is the process like?
Josh: I write a lot. It's tough when you're on the road. I tried to do some this morning. When I'm home, luckily, I'm capable of writing pretty quick and writing a lot. A lot of it is terrible, but it's a lot of it. I have a little studio at my house so I usually just start with making music and let the melody come in. Then usually lyrics are the last thing to go just because it's the way it works for me.
Mary: Since you've traveled quite a bit, is there a favourite stop at, like a favourite venue or restaurant?
Josh: Well I'm psyched about the cheese curds and beer and stuff. I love how every area has it's little niche... I like beer, so I like to try the local beer. It's my favourite thing.
Mary: When you go out on tour, what are three things that you must have with you?
Josh: I always have my bandana because I don't touch doorknobs. I've got a Mophie for my phone which is like this thing that charges your phone when it dies, it's kind of amazing. I really need that. And then sunglasses.
Mary: Your debut album as Mondo Cozmo, "Plastic Soul," will be released on August 4th, 2017. What can you tell us about it?
Josh: It's awesome! There are songs on there that nobody has heard yet and I just can't wait for people to like just sit down - and I hope they get the vinyl - and I hope they listen to it from front to back. It's just the way the record moves is really cool. I'm really proud of it.
Mary: Finally, what else can we expect from Mondo Cozmo in the future?
Josh: Just a lot more shows. I think we're pretty much booked everyday for a long time and I'm really excited about it. Yeah, everyday is a new thing and they stopped telling me what's happening because I don't remember stuff and they're sick of repeating themselves. But it's going good and I couldn't be happier.
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