Mondo Cozmo (aka Josh Ostrander) has announced details for his forthcoming album This is for the Barbarians. 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 is due April 8 via Last Gang and features recent singles “Meant for Livin’” – a funk-driven, jubilant track that was released in late-January and “Feel Good.” Physical pre-orders are available now via Last Gang Records & the Mondo Cozmo website.

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.”

The Philadelphia-raised, West Coast-based rock & roll songsmith has also announced his return to the road with spring tour dates supporting The Airborne Toxic Event. He also shared a stripped back live version of “Meant for Livin’” which was filmed at Chateau Mondo, the cabin he retreated to during the global pandemic, in the mountains outside of Lake Arrowhead, CA. In the Aria Pullman-directed clip, Ostrander plays the guitar and is joined by Kyle Crane on a simple drum kit, a set up similar to The White Stripes.

Photo Courtesy: Travis Shinn