Mondo Cozmo shares his latest single “Electrify My Love” from new album This is for the Barbarians, due April 8th via Last Gang Records. The track centers on hope for the post-pandemic world, guided by a mesh of electronic burble and guitar grind. And as he reaches a vibrant apex, he’s joined by a choir of backing vocals, the world unifying. “We all need a reset, to put that care first,” notes the Philadelphia-raised, West Coast-based rock & roll songsmith born Josh Ostrander. He also returns to the road later this month, supporting The Airborne Toxic Event.

“‘Electrify My Love’ was the last song to make the record but it was specifically written to be the first song on the album,” notes Ostrander. “We wanted the long musical intro to have a calming effect and the opening lyrics to be of comfort. ‘Good evening everyone, I hope this finds you well.’ A sincere check in on everyone after what we have all been through. I love how the chorus punches ya in the heart. I think it is the perfect opening track to the album and it’s gonna be an absolute killer live.”

The title This is for the Barbarians, Mondo Cozmo’s third album, was inspired by the Barbarian poets, a group of writers who gathered in San Francisco’s Cafe Babar in the 1980s. 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. The album also features recent singles “Meant for Livin’” – a funk-driven, jubilant track that was released in late-January and recently was featured as KCRW’s “Today’s Top Tune” – and “Feel Good.” 

The 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.” 

Mondo Cozmo has performed everywhere from Lollapalooza to Bonnaroo, and toured alongside Bastille, Spoon and Muse, to name a few. Before This is for the Barbarians, he had released singles “Come On” and “Black Cadillac” from his 2020 album New Medicine, an album that was aided and abetted by friends and family including producer Butch Vig, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Dan Wilson, Lars Stalfors and others; and his 2017 full-length debut, Plastic Soul, which boasted the #1 single “Shine.” He’s also seen Anna Faris star in his videos for “Hold On To Me” and “Come On,” and Paz de La Huerta star in the video for “Higher.” 

This Is For The Barbarians is due April 8th via Last Gang Records. Physical pre-orders are available now via Last Gang Records and the Mondo Cozmo website, and the album is available for digital pre-save and pre-order now: https://lnk.to/ThisisforTheBarbarians.  

Photo Courtesy: Travis Shinn