BUZZNET Artist Spotlight: The Mowgli’s

Reblogged from Sara Scoggs

The Mowgli’s are a cluster of friends who enjoy the experience and process of making music together. This eight member band, yes eight — packs in guitars, vocals, percussion and whatever else they can to make the kind of indie-pop music that will make you tap your toes! Surely I had to do an Artist Spotlight on these guys!

If you are unfamiliar with The Mowgli’s don’t worry I have plenty to share with you; including a short Q&A with the band, a fun lyric video, a new EP coming soon and a sweet giveaway so you can see them on tour!

Their music sounds like Grouplove went on a date with Beruit and then added some more friends into the mix. The Mowgli’s is made up of Michael Vincze (guitar/vocals), Colin Louis Dieden (vocals/guitar/percussion), Katie Jayne Earl (vocals/percussion), Matthew Di Panni (bass/vocals), Josh Hogan (guitar/vocals), Dave Appelbaum (keys/vocals), Spencer Trent (percussion/guitar/melodica/vocals) and Andy Warren (drums/percussion/vocals). Yes they could be a basketball team!

Take a look at the lyric video for the catchy single, “San Francisco” and then enjoy the Q&A below with your chance to win a pair of tickets to their fall tour with Walk The Earth.

What’s the story behind your band name? Was it derived from the name of The Jungle Book‘s main character?

Mowgli = Young, wild & free. That’s the sentiment we try to portray with our music. Also we knew a wolf dog named Mowgli once. – Colin Louis Dieden (guitar, vocals)

Five of you are from San Fernando Valley and three of you are from the mid-west. How did you join forces to form The Mowgli’s?

A bunch of the Mowgli’s went to Calabasas High school together. We have been playing music and supporting each other’s bands for years. We finally decided to add a few more members we met through mutual friends and form a super group called the Mowgli’s – Spencer Trent (percussion)

What is your writing process like with so many band members? Is it ever difficult to agree on things?

Sometimes one of us will have an idea for a verse or just a guitar part, and we’ll bring it to the band and see if anyone has an idea for what should happen next. Other times, a song will be finished entirely and the other members of the band will just write their parts around it. We usually end up agreeing ultimately because I feel we all have a similar vision for our sound. – Colin Louis Dieden (guitar, vocals)

How have fun., Grouplove, Neil Young and other bands influenced your music?

Being that there are eight of us and being that we are all very different people, we all have very different influences. This generally comes out in the first stage of song writing, when someone brings the group a country song or a doo woppy jam, but by the time the rest of the group gets involved, it becomes rock n roll. Our sound is a pretty solid blend of artists, new and old who have inspired us as poets and musicians. – Katie Earl (vocals)

What are some things about California that inspire your songs?

I think our affinity with California stems mostly from the fact that we all live there, so we write from a place of truth about what we know. Our single “San Francisco” for example, was written because we had a really powerful moment in a cold, SF alley where we felt very in love with the energy of the city and everything happening around us. I think that California in general really encapsulates what we’re all about as artists; The dichotomy of light and dark, working through love and fear.. Etc. – Colin Louis Dieden (guitar, vocals)

Your east coast tour with Walk Off The Earth is kicking off on the 24th. What are you most excited for?

New cities that we’ve never seen, watching Andy order a Philly Cheesesteak w/ no cheese in Philly, watching Andy get beat up subsequently, seeing Colin’s little brother, sister and Mother in KC, being in a van with our best friends, playing in front of some of the biggest crowds we’ve ever experienced. – The Mowgli’s

To enter to win a pair of tickets to their up coming tour, tweet this! We will pick the winner this Friday!

Their new EP will be avalible October 30th!

What do you think of The Mowgli’s?

Let’s talk music, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. #musicrules.