MOSSPAW

Words: Keeley Thompson

Images: Charlotte Elsie (@charlotteelsiephotos)

The ocean readies itself beyond the shore. Urged on by the collective efforts of the sun, moon and wind, it swells with power and life as a zealous surfer surveys their horizon in anticipation.

One’s demise is another’s beginning. 

Time moves differently squeezing through the neck of a wave. Engulfed in shades of blue and green, senses and self are consumed and altered momentarily. Like falling with two feet on the same spot and finally, you can see clearly. A 10 second lifetime. 

A new one welcomed as the wave finishes its performance and sun kisses skin once again.  

This is Mosspaw. 

Shifting energetically between anticipation and arrival, Mosspaw creates music that colourfully soundtracks the journey of time's arrow to its target. Traversing the space between excitement and climax, Mosspaw’s music is equally breathless as it is calm.

Mosspaw is the musical project of Brisbane music heavyweights, Daniel Mahler (Vocals, Guitar & Producer), Sam Castan (Drums), Lachlan (aka. Swampy) Symons (Bass), Tyler Cooney (Guitar) and Benjamin Van Jole (Keys/Piano). Mosspaw is the antithesis to apathy, balancing tension and ease without banality.

KEELEY: As per usual, let's start at the start. Tell me the story. 

DAN: We started as Slowjoy and after that band ended, I had a bunch of music written that I felt I had to do something with. It felt quite natural, but maybe Sam has a more eloquent explanation. 

SAM: Well yeah, it started as Slowjoy. Daniel started Slowjoy with Tom Spurgin after their previous band Baskervillain ended, which is when Swampy (Lachlan Symons) and I got involved . The end of Slowjoy  felt quite unfinished, so we decided to keep going but now as Mosspaw. Tyler and Ben are long-time friends from uni (Jazz Music Institute) and so they joined us shortly after we started recording the album.

KEELEY: Favourite guitar riff or drum fill?

SAM: Okay this is a very hard question to answer but I’m going to give you an answer. I can’t say it’s 100% true because I’ll probably think of a different answer once this interview is over but here we go. 

Favourite drums is the intro on Songs for the Deaf  by Queens of the Stone Age. It’s awesome. And guitar riff, there are so many but one that’s held a place in my heart for a long time is the sludgy riff from Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin. 

DAN: Guitar riff would be No Quarter by Led Zeppelin. And drum fill/intro would be Lianne la Havas’ cover of Weird Fishes. It starts like Radiohead's version and then goes half-time and gives the tune a super different feel. The drum production is also very good. 

KEELEY: What is your favourite thing about being a musician and your least favourite thing? 

SAM: Well my most favourite is getting to create music. It’s something I’ve always loved and something that’s always been very important to me. It’s a never ending journey which is what makes it so exciting. 

Least favourite thing is definitely trying to monetize it. It’s hard. I don’t do it only for that reason, but it would be a nice bonus if I could. 

DAN: Most favourite thing would be the production  of the music. Hearing  a song progress through its stages and have something you can listen back to is very cool to me. 

Least favourite, social media. I’m an introvert and making content is not my strong suit. 

KEELEY: How do you delineate between a genuine creative idea and just everyday, creative person head noise? 

SAM: I don’t think I do that very well. I think it’s just always noise and sometimes things happen. 

DAN: Yeah, I think there’s always just noise happening. Usually my ideas sprout up while I'm playing/practising guitar, and I’ll make a voice-memo on my phone if I like it. Sometimes I’ll go straight into Logic and make a demo, but yeah, it can take a few visits back to the original idea to develop it into a song, or other times it’s all there in the first sitting. Sometimes the idea is average and doesn’t progress past a voice-memo too, which is just how it goes. It’s fun listening back to voice-memos when you’ve completely forgotten them and they surprise you.   

SAM: I agree with Dan. My thoughts tend to be mostly creative. Whether I capitalise on those thoughts is the real difference. I think whether I do or do not really depends on where I am at, both physically and mentally to be honest. 

I’m a bit of a daydreamer, and there is always a lot going on in my head. In fact, I probably need to learn to calm the storm a bit. 

KEELEY: What’s the best biscuit in the assorted cream packet? 

DAN: Kingston. Hands down. 

KEELEY: Correct answer. 

SAM: I was also going to say Kingston. But if I had to choose a second one I’d say the rectangle cream ones. I don't know what they’re called though. 

KEELEY: Shortbread cream? 

DAN: Yeah Monte Carlo is a good second. 

SAM: Nah that’s mid. It goes, Kingston, Shortbread Cream then the Orange one. Scotch Fingers are good too.

KEELEY: Yuck! The Orange one? I really thought no one liked that. 

DAN: Yeah also Scotch Fingers aren’t in there. It has to have cream to be in the assorted cream packet. 

I prefer to go straight to the source and buy a packet of just Kingstons. 

SAM: That combination of chocolate and anzac biscuit is truly unmatched. 

KEELEY: Three desert island albums? 

SAM: God damn that’s hard. I’ve got like 15 in my head right now. But, if I’m there for possibly forever I’m going to want a variety. Let me think.

DAN: Alright. I’m going to say Songs for the Deaf by Queens of the Stone Age. The self-titled album by Lianne La Havas and Bone White Branches from Big Dead. 

In Rainbows by Radiohead is hard to not include though.

SAM: I’m still not sold on my answers but here we go.

Amputechture by The Mars Volta, Mockroot by Tigran Hamasyan and Meta by Car Bomb. 

KEELEY: What’s something everyone should or do at least once in their life. 

DAN: Grow their hair out, or count to 1000. It takes a lot of mind-power to get past the 700’s . 

SAM: Staying at Ric’s till they kick you out. 

KEELEY: I feel like their metric for kicking people out is really low though. How did you do it? 

SAM: Wait no I don’t mean because you’re being a menace. I just mean getting kicked out because they’re closing. 

KEELEY: Who inspires you musically, both personally and as a band? 

SAM: I’m going to give you the long answer, but it’s going to be the most accurate. 

I think inspirations change a lot as you get older, but each is as important as the other. The ones that inspired me to start music were Led Zeppelin, Primus, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Yes. Those four bands and their drummers were foundational for me and my relationship with drumming. 

I went to Jazz School and discovered a lot of Jazz fusion drummers like Brian Blade, Tony Williams and Art Blakey. That’s where I learnt a lot about more intricate drumming and soft, intentional touch and whatnot. 

My favourite drummer right now is Nate Wood. I wish he was my dad. I still love my dad, but I wish he was Nate Wood. 

DAN: For me growing up it was a lot of those classic rock bands that (likely) inspired a lot of other musicians and in particular, guitarists. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix. Then later it was Modest Mouse, Tame Impala, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age and the like. As Jazz entered my life I got more into artists like Yussef Dayes, Alpha Mist and Hiatus Kaiyote. 

As far as Mosspaw goes, I try to let go of writing in a particular style and just let whatever happens happen. I'm just happy to make music and let the chips fall where they may 

KEELEY: Tell me about the album! When’s it coming out, how do you feel about it and what’s your favourite song on the album?

DAN: Well we haven’t played live yet, but you can experience it for the first time on the 11th of February at The Bearded Lady We’re playing with Jerm and Pressure Maps. 

Albums coming out in April. Some time in April. It’s called Coaxial. It’s an eclectic bunch of songs but my favourite is probably Jaguar. 

Big shout out to Magoo, Marly Luske, and Joel Myles for mixing, and Marly for mastering . You’re all epic . 

SAM: Yes! We’ve got some more singles before all of that though! Something Dry coming out late January, Jaguar coming out late Feb and Isness in March. 

Honestly, this album is very exciting and I’m very proud of what we’ve done and what Mahler has written. My favourite track is probably Andromeda but I do love them all deeply. 

KEELEY: If someone was new to Brisbane/Meanjin, where would you tell them to go? Or what’s your favourite place? 

DAN: My house. That’s my favourite place. But I’m probably not going to let a stranger into my house so I’ll say Black Bear Lodge. 

SAM: I’ll say West End as a good general one. Good bars, good food, good coffee. Especially The Bearded Lady on the 11th of February. I’d definitely tell them to go check that out. 

KEELEY: What’s next for Mosspaw? What exciting things should people prepare for? DAN: Yeah so we got the singles and the album coming out. Single Launch on Feb 11th, album launch in late April, and then aiming to just do a bunch more gigs and keep on writing and releasing . I’ll say it again. February 11th at The Bearded Lady. Be there or be sad. 

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