Alternative rock band The Mowgli’s is known for their peppy sound and upbeat lyrics. With two albums already under their belt, the band will release their third album, “Kids in Love,” on April 21. Guitarist and vocalist Josh Hogan spoke to the The Daily Texan about the band’s origins and explained what fans should expect to hear in the upcoming album.
The Daily Texan: How did you get together with the members of The Mowgli’s?
Josh Hogan: Most of The Mowgli’s grew up together around Calabasas. I came from Oklahoma City, and this guy introduced me to a guy who brought me to the band. Then [guitarist and vocalist Colin Dieden] came from Kansas, and we all kind of fell together into this friend group.
DT: What was it about the band members that made you want to join?
JH: Well, I’m a little bit older than them, so I had been in several different bands. But when I first saw them perform, I could see their heart and their passion. I watched their first few shows, and I saw this happiness come into the crowd, and I just knew I had to be a part of it.
DT: How is “Kids in Love” different than the work The Mowgli’s have done previously?
JH: Since the last album, we’ve definitely evolved as musicians, but also the process changed for us. On the last album, we were used to having as much time as we wanted to write and record, but, this time, there were deadlines and new producers, and it was more grown-up for us. We got to experiment a lot more with different guitars and amps and that definitely comes across in the music. It’s more evolved, but the message of positivity is still there.
DT: With seven band members, how does the songwriting process work?
JH: It definitely changes frequently. Sometimes, we go into writing sessions, and we’ll split up into two or three Mowgli’s. That’s definitely something we did a lot during “Kids in Love.” We’d just break off and write with other friends or other producers. It keeps things exciting for us.
DT: For such an upbeat band, how do you guys write about darker emotions like anger and sadness?
JH: I definitely think it’s important for us to be as real as we possibly can. One song on the new album called “Make it Right” kind of touches on being honest with yourself. We just need to be real and that sometimes includes being sad or angry, but we always try and put a positive spin on that, like in our song “Through the Dark.” It’s important to dip into those lows, but we want to help people out.
DT: What would you say is the biggest message of your music?
JH: We set out on a mission to make happy music and that’s kind of the bottom line. Our music is about happiness, and we want to keep a stream of positivity coming through our songs because we’ve had fans come up and tell us that our music saved them. I know what that’s like; I’ve been that person, so that’s something we definitely don’t want to lose sight of. We always tell our fans at shows that we want them to leave happier than they were when they got there.
