Interview by Paul Salfen
Mondo Cozmo (aka Josh Ostrander) is set to release his new album This is for the Barbarians on April 8 via Last Gang. The title was inspired by the Barbarian poets, a group of writers who gathered in San Francisco’s Cafe Babar in the 1980’s.
Specifically, Ostrander was drawn to David Lerner’s work, whose energy, fervor and passion grabbed him. Reeling from loss in his family, mired in pandemic and searching for hope, Ostrander connected immediately to the dedication in one of Lerner’s books, knowing he’d found the title of his next album.
This is for the Barbarians features recent singles “Meant for Livin’” – a funk-driven, jubilant track that was released in late-January and recently was featured as KCRW’s “Today’s Top Tune” – and “Feel Good.” Physical pre-orders are available now via Last Gang Records & the Mondo Cozmo website, and the album can be pre-saved digitally here: https://lnk.to/
The new album recognizes that death and life can be celebrated synchronically, pulling the darkness in to find the light inside, discovering grandeur in life’s most intimate moments. “It’s bright and funny, the human experience in a year of isolation,” Ostrander says. “It’s a slice of my liver and a piece of my heart. This is for the people going through darkness like I’ve been going through. Is anybody else out there hurting, or mad, or scared out of their mind? We’re in this together.”
Mondo Cozmo has performed everywhere from Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo, and toured alongside Bastille, Spoon and Muse, to name a few. The Philadelphia-raised, West Coast-based rock & roll songsmith also recently announced his return to the road with spring tour dates supporting The Airborne Toxic Event (see dates below). See dates below.
