Rich. Ethereal. Raw. These are just a few words that seem all too fitting for Ashford-based Mosa Wild. The four-piece band are Jim Rubaduka (Lead Vocal/Guitar/Keys), Alex Stevens (Guitar), Edwin Ireland (Bass), and Charlie Campbell (Drums).
Rudabuka and Stevens worked together previously on The Intermission Project while they decided whether or not they would go to a university. A year later, the two added Ireland and Campbell to the outfit, and the intermission was over. The band shifted their focus to a fresh, new direction and Mosa Wild was born.
The name Mosa Wild pays homage to Rudabuka’s grandfather, whose name is Mosa. The name is reflective of the band’s style – both personal and connective, experimental and expansive.
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Mosa Wild’s debut single, “Smoke,” is a fantastic display of artistry and emotion. The track is polished, yet at the same time so incredibly organic and real. The lyrics are hauntingly poetic, and highlight feelings of loss and a love that could’ve been. The essence of the song is captured in the lines “We both said it’s a beautiful try/I’m gonna do my best to get to you.”
Rudabuka’s vocals are deep and poignant as they dance over celestial synths and gentle guitar swells. The song intensifies in a powerful bridge and culminates in a final chorus with distorted guitars soaked in reverb, crashing drums, and the other band members passionately declaring the lyrics.
The song comes to an end rather abruptly and with the final notes still lingering in the air. I was left feeling melancholy and incomplete, in a way. But I think that’s what really lies the at the core of this track, and what's so powerful about the instrumentation and lyrics – that feeling of wanting something more, of knowing there’s got to be something else. Mosa Wild does a great job conveying these emotions, of making you really feel something.
With such an incredible debut single, they’ve set the bar pretty high. I’m so excited to see where these guys go from here.
