The Mowgli's Interview: Katie & Josh

​The Mowgli’s started at the end of 2009 and released their first album in 2012.  They’ve been touring ever since.  Their first album, Waiting for the Dawn, resonated with me as a listener.  I’ve been listening to them since high school, so I was super hyped to see that they have recently released a new EP, “American Feelings” and a new power anthem “Fighting with Yourself.” 

You only get what you put into this life

I sat down with Katie and Josh at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ during the 3-Dimensional Tour which was co-headlined with New Politics and the Plain White T’s.  The rich history of the Stone Pony made the experience even more special since I had the chance to see a band I love perform in a place where some great artists have performed.

Once I arrived at the venue, I was able to sit through The Mowgli’s sound check which was an incredible experience.  As Josh said, “we have a sixth member, Jackson our sound guy, our front of house.  Our team is dialed at this point we have it together.”

Speaking of their song “Fighting with Yourself” Josh spear-headed the writing process for it.  The idea for the song actually came to him when he read a horoscope and the last line became the title of the track.  The meaning of the song helped the lyrics fall into place.  As Katie said, “it’s great when that happens, when a song can seamlessly come together.”  The songs that are really organic and just happen definitely feel the best to them as a band.  While writing the song, the band kept referencing My Chemical Romance and ironically the studio they recorded the track in was where Welcome to the Black Parade was mixed.

I don’t want to be defined by just three words

When asked to describe their sound in three words Katie said they can’t because their sound is always evolving since they want to continue to grow and come back to the place which resonates with the most with them.  Genres are blurry and we shouldn’t have to fit a definition.  This is such an insightful answer since it represents the growth of an artist with the growth of the industry at the times. 

Josh plays multiple instruments (guitar, bass, drums, and piano) and Katie just recently started playing guitar and sometimes drums.  Katie can only play Mowgli’s songs since she wanted to learn how to play the guitar on stage.  For her it was a performance thing and the chance to be “a full-blown rock star.”

In their spare time Katie can be found cooking food for their dogs.  As Josh says the dogs are thriving.  They have two dogs, a Portuguese Water Dog named Abby who is 12, and 10-year-old Suki, a mystery mutt.  The two of them can often be caught cuddling.

Since Katie and Josh live in LA, when they’re not creating music you can catch them riding bikes and hiking.  In his spare time Josh loves to play soccer while Katie attends Dance Church.  As Katie says, “it’s a form of therapy.”  These activities are another outlet for them to express themselves like they do with their music. 

Some messages are universal

During the 3-Dimensional Tour the Mowgli’s shared a bus and crew with the band New Politics.  Josh says they are “forever friends” at this time and he is even already planning to travel to Nashville to write with Soren.  Besides the Stone Pony, their favorite venue from the tour was the Fillmore in San Francisco.  The Fillmore is another legendary venue.  Katie mentions that “you can feel the energy of all the legends who have passed through here.”

In 2020, the band will be releasing so much more music.  A new song and video will be dropping in January so be sure to check it out!  The band believes that music videos are a fun way to tell a different side of the story that comes across in the song.  A few of their friends shot a short film for their next single while the Mowgli’s were on the road.  Even though they were touring they were still heavily involved in creating the concept for the video.  They will be creating any way they can.

The Mowgli’s will be going on their first UK tour in 2020 where Katie’s family will be seeing the band play for the first time! 

Make sure to check out the full interview on our YouTube page and don’t forget to go buy their albums!

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