Connan Mockasin

Connan Tant Hosford, better known by the stage name Connan Mockasin, is a psychedelic pop musician from Te Awanga, New Zealand. After having spent over 10 years living between Wellington, London, East Sussex and Manchester, Hosford now resides in Los Angeles, California.

Career

Early Career (New Zealand) (1995-2007)

Born and raised in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, Hosford started his first band "The Four Skins" (named by his father, Ade "because there are four skins on the drums")^[1] while attending Havelock North intermediate school in 1995. Soon after this, due to embarrassment, Connan called an end to The Four Skins, and wouldn't start another band until several years later.

In 2003, after moving to Wellington, Hosford briefly played in a band called "Grampa Moff" (later to become a track title on "Please Turn Me Into The Snat"),^[2] consisting of Blake Pryor (bass) and Christopher Chalmers (drums), before forming his principle New Zealand group "Connan And The Mockasins" (named after Connan's interest in making his own shoes).^[3] Playing alongside Connan were Ross Walker (upright acoustic bass) and Seamus Ebbs (drums). It was with this band that Connan would relocate to London in May 2006 after releasing their second EP "Uuu It's Teasy". After a series of concerts in London, the band visited New Zealand again for a national 2006/2007 Summer tour.

In 2007, the band moved from London to a village in East Sussex in the south east of England. Ross Walker was replaced by James Milne, of Lawrence Arabia and Reduction Agents fame, on bass guitar. The band then played the CMJ festival in New York. Towards the end of 2007 Ebbs left the band to pursue his career, shortly before Hosford returned to New Zealand for a national tour in 2008 – adopting his new moniker "Connan Mockasin".

Solo career beginnings (2008-2010)

Hosford made his first solo recording with noted English DJ Norman Cook's Brighton Port Authority project in 2008. The song "Jumps the Fence" was included on the I Think We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat album.

In August 2009, Liam Finn formed a new band called BARB for a small New Zealand tour consisting of Connan Hosford, Lawrence Arabia (James Milne), Eliza Jane Barnes, Seamus Ebbs, Jol Mulholland and Wild Bill Rickets. Their album (recorded at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, New Zealand) was released in August 2010.

In the early stages of his solo career, Mockasin played gigs supporting Pete & The Pirates, Late of the Pier, Liam Finn, The Veils, Micachu & The Shapes, Crowded House, Mystery Jets and Warpaint. Mockasin's UK tour with Crowded House resulted in him performing in huge theater-like venues with mostly seated areas. This proved an interesting challenge for Connan and his group as most would consider his music much more alternative or left-field than that of Crowded House, although Connan had expressed an interest in playing to seated crowds in places such as libraries or theatres.

Forever Dolphin Love (2010-2012)

Connan Mockasin released his first album "Please Turn Me into the Snat" in 2010 on Phantasy Sound, Erol Alkan's record label, and in 2011 on Because Music. The album reached No. 39 on the New Zealand album charts,^[4] and received glowing reviews from critics including NME and Drowned in Sound.^[5] It was also shortlisted for the 2011 Taite Music Prize.^[6]

On 28 March 2011 the album was re-released as "Forever Dolphin Love" with a live bonus disc on Phantasy and Because Music. Mockasin has received favourable reviews for his unusual sound and musical style.^[7][8][9]

It was at this stage Hosford put together an incarnation of the existing Connan Mockasin live band; Matthew Eccles (drums), Nicholas Harsant (bass), Sam Eastgate (keyboards) and Rory McCarthy (percussion).^[10]

Caramel (2013-present)

Mockasin at the Haldern Pop Festival in 2013

Mockasin and band toured with Charlotte Gainsbourg as her live band after Mockasin composed the song 'Out Of Touch' for her 2011 album Stage Whisper.^[11]

Connan Mockasin toured with Radiohead in Australia and New Zealand throughout November 2012, playing sold-out shows in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.^[12]

Mockasin announced the release of his second album, Caramel, in September 2013. It was released on 4 November via Phantasy Sound/Because Music in the UK and 5 November via Mexican Summer in the US. The artist describes the new record as a concept playing off his last LP: "It starts with the dolphin leaving, and the boss who is so in with love with the dolphin is sad, and then it kicks into the new album, and he is happier. But there’s a car race and a crash."^[13]

Collaborations

Since 2010,^[14] Mockasin has made reference to an album he was making with Sam Dust (Sam Eastgate of Late Of The Pier), which will be called 'Soft Hair'. In an interview at the time Caramel was released, Connan announced that Soft Hair would be unveiled 'next year'.^[15] It took until August 2016, however, before it was announced that the album would be released October 28.^[16]

In 2015, Mockasin and British artist Dev Hynes released the extended play Myths 001: Collaborative Recordings Captured in Marfa, TX March 9–16, 2015 through Mexican Summer.^[17]

After having toured the United States extensively with Australian support act Kirin J Callinan, Mockasin appeared on his November 2015 release "The Teacher",^[18] released on French record label Record Makers.^[19]

Connan began curating concerts under the title "Mockasin's Wet Dream", the first of which took place at London military veteran's club, Moth Club.^[20] The night was a collaboration between Charnwood based label Tasty Morsels and Mockasin.^[21] It featured an on-stage appearance by James Blake (who had announced a recorded collaboration with Mockasin contributing to his upcoming album),^[22] Hosford's father Ade, Liam Finn and Tasty Morsels members Infinite Bisous (Rory McCarthy of the Connan Mockasin band). The second Wet Dream would take place at Texan festival Marfa Myths, organised by American label Mexican Summer, and would include appearances by Ariel Pink and Andrew Van Wyngarden.^[23]

In 2016 he formed a duo with La Priest (Sam Eastgate) and released the album Soft Hair.^[24]

Equipment

Since around 2005, while with 'Connan and the Mockasins', Hosford has played his reshaped Fender Stratocaster, a sky blue 90s Mexican-made model which he hand-sawed (as he would later re-enact with a new Stratocaster on stage in New York at the National Sawdust).^[25] Many have compared the shape to a Vox Teardrop guitar. Along with his second reshaped Stratocaster,^[26] Connan has also recently been playing a black Silvertone 1448.^[27]

Discography

With Connan and the Mockasins^[28]

• Naughty Holidays (2004)
• Uuu It's Teasy (2006)
• Sneaky Sneaky Dogfriend (2006) (EMI, Regal)

With BARB

• Barb (2010)^[29]
• "Havin' A Baby ^[30]

Collaborations

• Myths 001: Collaborative Recordings Captured in Marfa^[31]

With Soft Hair

* Soft Hair (2016)

As Connan Mockasin

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Connan Mockasin.

• Official Myspace page
• Connan Mockasin on Facebook
• Connan Mockasin Band Interview: Caramel Dreams of an "Oddball" - REDEFINE magazine