Mosbey talk new single and more - exclusive interview
We caught up with Mosbey to talk about their new single, "I Hope It's Not You" and everything in between. Mosbey are a four-piece, hailing from Manchester, UK and are certainly a band to look out for.
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For newcomers, how would you best describe your sound?
Phil: I would say similar to Modern Baseball, old-style midwest emo but with a more modern sound. Dylan: Post-punk, but we do branch off into different genres. Jack: Yeah like, emo/alternative rock, it does change song to song I think. Not to the point where it doesn’t sound like the same band but so that each song is its own thing.
What's the story behind the band's name?
Phil: We had a name already but we found out it was taken so we then spent like 3 weeks putting ideas into the WhatsApp group, until Jack said Mosbey. Jack: I remember putting like 5 name ideas into the chat and one of them was Mosbey - just for a joke almost - and everyone liked it so we went with it. Basically, I’m a massive fan of the show How I Met Your Mother and thought it’d be cool to have a name related to the show. Jacob: We get a lot of people calling us Moz-bee because its not the correct spelling but oh well, makes it more unique to us that its spelt Mosbey.
When did you guys form and how did it come about?
Dylan: When we were all at uni, I messaged Jack saying, "wanna start a band?" and he was like "yeah." I lived with a drummer (Phil) so I could get him involved. The three of us met up and had a jam and talked about what we wanted from the band. Jack: We were a band for a while without a bassist. Recorded a song without a bassist. Starting thinking, "we need a bassist." Phil: Then Jack was like, "I could see if Jacob wanted to play bass", and that’s when Jacob joined.
You just released your new single, "I Hope It's Not You" - how are you guys feeling?
Jacob: It’s been quite a while since our last release, so we’re super excited to finally release something! Jack: We've been holding on to the next few songs we're going to release for quite a bit too, so we just can't wait for them to be out! Probably like all bands and musicians, a lot of our plans have had to change, meaning the way we’re releasing our next few songs will be different to what we had originally planned. Dylan: "I Hope It's Not You" will technically be our third single from our EP, "Trapped" and "Beer & Wine" being the first two, but we wanted to release it as a single, to sort of kickstart our music again, to remind those that have heard us before or give something new to people who haven't. Phil: Yeah, rather than just release an EP out of nowhere.
What's the main theme behind your new EP?
Jack: Well we didn’t really write all the songs together for the purpose of an EP, and thats sorta why we have just self-titled the EP. It didn't make sense for us to give it a name, we didn't want it to not make sense in relation to the songs and we couldn't think of the right name for it! Some of the songs were written years before we were even a band, but they work together as a collection of songs that defines our experiences at uni, regardless of when they were written. Main themes are love, heartbreak and not being happy in situations you are in. For example, one of the songs from the EP, "Beer & Wine", is about how alcohol affects people - even people you think are interested in you.
What lyric of yours is your favourite?
Dylan: "Next week i’ll sort my life out." Jack: "Why do we fall when we could have flown?" Jacob & Phil: "Will we regret this when we are older."
Who are your main inspirations for your music?
Jacob: The Scripts first two albums - not their new stuff. Bit of Damien Rice, bit of James Bay for his lyrics. Lewis Watson - he’s a legend. Harry Styles - that’s where I want to be in terms of songwriting. He makes music that he wants to make, rather than music for the purpose of sales. Jack: Lower Than Atlantis, Deaf Havana, maybe bits of The 1975 but then like anything really, just good music. I get inspired by music that has clever instrumentals, melodies and lyrics. Phil: Twenty One Pilots are my absolute favourite band. I literally have their logos tattooed on my arms! The way Josh Dun drums is something I follow, he doesn’t overcomplicate his playing, he just plays what the song needs and it sounds amazing. Other than that, I quite like Alex Shelnutt (A Day To Remember). He was the first pop-punk drummer I liked and I think we have similar sounding drum parts in our music. Dylan: I guess Simon Delaney from Don Broco, just because the way he makes a huge sound from one guitar and the way he mixes lead-lines with rhythm has captivated me since I first hear them in 2015. Another instrumentalist that inspires my playing is Tyler Bryant (Tyler Bryant and The Shakedown) just because his playing is pure blues power on another level. He’s also the only artist that I’ve seen live and cried when I got home because of the performance.
Who would be your dream collaboration?
Jack: Paramore because they can write in whatever genre and it’s amazing -their last two albums have showed that in my opinion. Also their songwriting is next level deep, instrumentally and lyrically. Its all thought out so well. Jacob: Charlie Puth Jack: YESSSSSS Jacob: He’s just great. Harmonies. Instrumentals. He’s brilliant. Dylan: Kings Parade. Their music is a bit different but I think its something that would work with us. Phil: Jeremy McKinnon. Like if we did a proper classic pop-punk song, like Right Back At It Again or Homesick Vibes, with Jeremy on vocals, screams, stadium/festival level anthem. Something like that would sick.
What was the first concert you ever went to?
Phil: Deep Purple at Manchester arena. Jacob: Lewis Watson at a Library in Kendal. Dylan: I think it was Bon Jovi at the Millennium Stadium. Jack: Busted. I dunno if it was the first but its the earliest one I remember.
What would you say is your go-to song that never fails to lift your spirits?
Dylan: "Confidence" - Ocean Alley Jack: "Black Spiderman" - Logic Jacob: "Heavy" - Oh Wonder Phil: "Two Beers In" - Free Throw
What are your main goals for the band?
Jack: I love that feeling when you’re listening to music and you can relate to what’s being said and you feel like the songs been written for you. I want someone to have that feeling when listening to our songs. Phil: I really want to go on tour and play music, and make a living from making music. I love music and for it to be my job would be amazing. Dylan: Ultimately I’d love to travel the world with the band because of our music, experience the highs and lows with my brothers and to build something truly our own. It would be amazing to experience different cultures, how the music scenes feel and differ from each other and to ultimately have fun while doing it. Jacob: I’d say the same as everyone. Play the music we love and have fun doing it. Mosbey's new single is out now and you can check it out here! For more APU interviews, click here!