Connan Mockasin

Connan Mockasin
Mockasin at Haldern Pop Festival, 2013
Mockasin at Haldern Pop Festival, 2013
Background information
Birth nameConnan Tant Hosford
Born (1983-03-21) 21 March 1983 (age 41)[1]
Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
OriginTe Awanga, Hawke's Bay
Genres
[2][3]
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • vocals
  • bass guitar
  • saxophone
Years active2003–present
Labels
WebsiteFacebook page

Connan Tant Hosford, better known by the stage name Connan Mockasin, is a New Zealand musician, composer and record producer. Described as "a psych-funk oddball...a contrarian", Mockasin played a role in the contemporary crossover of psychedelia with indie music, and has been praised for his unique approach to songwriting.[4]

Mockasin was born in Napier, Hawke's Bay, and raised in Te Awanga. He gained his moniker from his childhood habit of making mocassin-like shoes out of sheepskin and old motorbike tyres. He moved to Wellington at the age of 20 to further his music career, and played in various bands until the formation of a group called 'Connan and The Mockasins' in 2006. They relocated to the United Kingdom the same year, and Mockasin was pursued by record labels before returning to New Zealand in 2008. He released his debut solo album in 2011, Forever Dolphin Love, to critical acclaim and success particularly in Europe. His second album, Caramel, was released in 2013, and was described by Pitchfork as "stainless world that is both unsettling and fitting".[5] Mockasin has released a string of albums since then, the latest being 2021's Jassbusters Two, the "sequel" to his 2018 album Jassbusters. Additionally, he has scored and produced his own films, such as a visual interpretation of Jassbusters and Bostyn 'n Dobsyn.[6]

Mockasin has also worked with Lawrence Arabia, Liam Finn, Dev Hynes, Mick Fleetwood, and MGMT, as well as his own father on the 2021 album It's Just Wind released through American label Mexican Summer.[7] Those who have cited him as an influence include Beach House, Tyler, the Creator, Nilüfer Yanya, James Blake and Charlotte Gainsbourg. He has lived and worked in London, Lewes, Wellington, Manchester, Los Angeles and Tokyo. He is in a relationship with a Japanese glamour model and has one daughter.[8][6]

  1. ^ Hadfield, James (11 April 2019). "Connan Mockasin finds his Japan groove ahead of his debut gig in his adopted country". The Japan Times.
  2. ^ "Connan Mockasin". Arrival Artists. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  3. ^ ""When I start thinking, that's when it doesn't go good" – An interview with Connan Mockasin". Bandwagon. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Connan Mockasin: the contrarian". The Guardian. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Caramel". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Connan Mockasin: Keeping it weird". Stuff. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Feature – Connan Mockasin: Quietly Famous". NZ Musician. Retrieved 9 February 2022.