“I’ve been in love with love / And the idea of / Something binding us together / You know that love is strong enough.” This line is from “San Francisco,” by up-and-coming artists, The Mowgli’s; the song sums up most things you need to know about this band—they love you, and they don’t care if you know it.
The band is a collective of eight members: Michael Vincze, Colin Louis Dieden, Katie Jayne Earl, Matthew Di Panni, Josh Hogan, Dave Appelbaum, Spencer Trent and Andy Warren. I first heard of them when they were announced as the first band (along with UCR’s own Pococurante) to play at the Barn this school year. I listened to a couple of their songs beforehand, but what was truly inspiring about this ragtag group of musicians was the energy poured into their live performance.
As you may already know, the Barn stage isn’t very big, but they utilized it fully by ceaselessly moving and jumping around; there were multiple instances of Vincze swinging from the rafters above him. Songs such as “Hi There Hey Hello” (which transforms from a homely, little folk song into a raucous stomping, folk-rock dance party) and “Gambler’s Hall” (which keeps a mid-tempo but hopeful ambience throughout) showcase the power of the eight voices singing live in such a small venue. Their cover of “I Wanna Be Like You,” from Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” also evokes a great childish but hopeful energy.
One interesting thing to note about this band is that nearly all of their songs are cheerful—even songs with more melancholy lyrics. “Colin’s Song” features the line “I don’t speak when I know I won’t be heard,” and ends with the upbeat chant of, “Don’t go giving up.” Basically, if I ever need a band to cheer me up, it’d be The Mowgli’s. Their debut album “Sound the Drum” is full of these tracks that help bring the spirit of their live show to the record. Though their genre can’t readily be defined—they might be described as part-folk, part indie-rock, part-beach music and more—The Mowgli’s should definitely find a place in most listeners’ playlists.
Sometimes being overly earnest with a naive sense of optimism can get on people’s nerves—they’d rather you be realistic. In The Mowgli’s case however, it’s simply fun and games and love, and while that may seem idealistic, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
