Josh Ostrander (a.k.a. Mondo Cozmo) knew something had to give. He’d successfully escaped the overexposed industry pressure cooker that’s Los Angeles, where he’d landed toward the tail end of his success with Philadelphia’s Eastern Conference Champions. After a hit single as a solo artist (2017’s “Shine”) and the inevitable letdowns that followed, Cozmo decided mountain living was more his speed. So he set up a studio near San Bernadino County’s Lake Arrowhead and embarked on a reinvention that’s come to full fruition on the new It’s Principle! (Last Gang), his fourth solo LP.
For the first time, Cozmo sought input from a producer—and a big-name one at that—connecting with Grammy winner Mark Rankin (Adele, Queens Of The Stone Age, Weezer, Spoon). The pair initially swapped files back and forth online before heading to Cozmo’s studio to nail it all down. Suffice to say, the collaboration was a success. The 10-track, rock-focused It’s Principle! is Cozmo’s most gutsy and succinct effort so far—and that’s no small feat when you consider there were 70 songs to choose from.
We caught up with Cozmo to discuss this new beginning.
If the goal was reinvention on It’s Principle!, mission accomplished. Why did you feel such a drastic shift was needed?
Thank you—that makes my day. I had a come-to-Jesus moment. I realized my lane, and I very clearly saw what needed to happen. I knew I needed a concise record that didn’t jump genres as much, where the production was unbending. I knew what I wanted it to sound like; I knew that the artwork needed to go in a new direction. I knew everything—from photos to videos—needed to change.
What was it like working with Mark Rankin?
Honestly, it was a dream. Zero ego, zero drama. We both have the same work ethic. We put a ton of work in before it came time to record anything, so we were incredibly prepared. I’d make him dinner every night while he mixed, and we’d listen to music together. It’s something I’ll remember forever. He’s an absolutely lovely man.
Sorry to hear about your dog. How did his death serve as a catalyst for this album?
Yeah, it sucked. He was just the greatest dog. He was slowing up during the writing process. He’d lay at my feet while I wrote, and he hung out with us when we recorded the album. I will forever be thankful for him. A big theme of the record is time and how I’m coming to terms with my own age and where I’m at … a lot of internal debates.
Discuss the evolution of the title track. Apparently, it almost didn’t make the album?
I had a folder of demos. Mark had access to the folder, so when anything was loaded up, he’d see it. I cut the first verse of “It’s Principle!” and loaded it into the folder and texted Mark. I didn’t hear anything back, and the following morning I woke up in a panic feeling that Mark would hear the song and think I’m a total fraud, so I ran back to the studio to delete the song. As I was doing that, Mark texted me saying, “I think ‘It’s Principle!’ should be the opening track to the album.” How cool is that?
You’ve been knocked around a bit by the music industry over the years. How has the adversity made you stronger?
You know, after 20 years of doing this, I just hit “fuck it.” And it’s really a wonderful place to be.
—Hobart Rowland
See Mondo Cozmo live.
