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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Mokita Is A Man With A Message And He’s Ready To Spread It To The World

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Mokita Is A Man With A Message And He’s Ready To Spread It To The World

Mokita is an artist who is not afraid to speak out about real issues like mental health, healing, and the power of having a community. We love artists who don’t shy away from covering topics that might feel vulnerable but are so necessary to speak about. We think it’s really empowering and uplifting sometimes to know you’re not alone in your struggles, and that is exactly the message that Mokita is spreading with his new single ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ from his upcoming EP Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?

Image Source: David O’Donahue

We were able to interview Mokita and talk about his most recent single and dive into what we can expect from his upcoming EP. We also cover his musical inspirations and favorite artists. You can read our interview in full below!

Congratulations on releasing your new single, ‘I Can’t Help Myself!’ The single has a lot of references to mental health, personal growth, and community. How important is it to you to highlight these themes to your fans and listeners?
Yah, all those topics are definitely close to home for me. I’ve always enjoyed thinking and processing things through my songwriting, and these topics are things I spend a lot of time going over and working out in my own personal life. I love being able to share the things I’ve struggled with and have learned in hopes that it helps someone else or just makes them know they aren’t alone in their struggles.

You’ve spoken about the lessons you’ve learned about yourself and your mental health in recent years. If your fans could take away one message from ‘I Can’t Help Myself,’ what would it be?
I think just the title of the song, just being able to reach out for help. Just understanding that you can’t process and heal alone. Community is really important, and just close friends who know you and can support you. There’s so much more freedom in being vulnerable and admitting when you’re struggling with something.

‘I Can’t Help Myself’ comes from your new EP, Who’s Gonna Love Me Now? which we’re also really looking forward to! Judging from the single, the past few years have been pretty transformative for you and your growth. Is this a recurrent theme throughout the EP?
Like I kinda touched on previously, I’m always writing about things that are going on in my life; things that I’m working on or struggling with. A lot of the songs on this EP deal with doubt and faith, about reaching out for help, and just about searching for deeping meaning, within relationships and in your own personal life.

It seems like people increasingly want to see vulnerability and authenticity from artists and your music has reached and touched people around the globe. We’ve noticed you have a particularly big audience in Asia; what is it like as an artist to have that international reach and know you’ve impacted so many people?
Yeah, that’s always such a cool feeling; to be able to make music in your bedroom and then for it to reach people all over the world. It makes me care more about what I’m saying and what I’m writing about, for sure.

You said while you were writing the EP, you were listening to more folk and less pop music. How do you think this influenced your writing process in comparison to your previous releases?
I think I just wanted to add in some more organic elements to this cycle of music than I have in the past. I kinda wanted the focus to be on the words and on the message of the songs. It also changed some of how I approached the writing of the songs. Most of the songs on this EP were written on guitar or piano and then once I finished writing them I would go in and work on the production, whereas in the past I may have started with some production ideas and then worked the song from that.

We have a lot of folk fans here at THP. Can you recommend any albums or artists that stood out for you during this period of time?
I was listening a lot to the new Marcus Mumford solo album. I just loved all the instrumentation and the rawness of the lyrics and vocals. Big fan.

You write both for yourself and other artists, but it sounds as though music has been a big part of your life from a young age. Between starting piano classes young, having musical parents, and your dad being involved with Church, do you think having such a broad range of influences has empowered your approach to being an artist and your drive to explore a range of genres?
Absolutely. I grew up in the church, and so gospel music and Christian music were my kind of gateway into music. And then from there, it was going to the library and checking out any CD I could get my hands on, even if I wasn’t familiar with the artist, I was just so obsessed with music that I wanted to listen to everything I could. I just fell in love with so many different genres of music through my teens and then through high school. I love discovering new music, it’s still one of my favorite things to do.

Image Source: David O’Donahue

We love that your work is so genre fluent. Is there any genre you’ve not yet explored that you’d like to explore in the future?
I’ve always been really obsessed with soundtracks. I’m a huge Hans Zimmer fan and love learning soundtrack music on the piano. I’ve always wanted to score a movie. I feel like that’s definitely a big bucket list item for me. I’m really into sound design and the feelings that certain melodies or chords evoke, especially when they are matched with the visual element.

You’ve already collaborated with some of our favorite artists, like Charlotte Sands and Stand Atlantic. If you could pick any artist, present or past, who would be your dream collaborator?
My favorite artist of all time is Bryan Adams. So while it’s outrageously unrealistic, he would be my number 1.

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Speaking of collaborations, you recently opened for Augustana on tour. With the release of the EP next March, can we expect to see you on the road again anytime soon?
Yes! There is nothing planned but it’s definitely going to happen. I’m excited to play these songs on the road.

Lastly, what song on Who’s Gonna Love Me Now? are you most looking forward to fans hearing, and why?
Ooh that’s a tough one. I have a song on the new EP called ‘Names,’ and it’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever done. It’s very different from anything I’ve done before, but it just feels special to me. So that’s definitely the one I’m most excited for people to hear.

It was such a pleasure to get to interview Mokita, and we’re really looking forward to hearing the full EP! You can stream ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ on all platforms now or click here to go directly to Spotify! Keep an eye out for his EP Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?, which is dropping March 31st via Nettwerk!

This made us want to interview Mokita again and again. What a nice guy and a talented musician! If you want to read more interviews from The Honey POP, you can read them here. You can also find more of our interviews on our YouTube channel. Be sure to let us know your favorite part by tweeting us @thehoneypop or giving us a shout on Facebook and Instagram!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOKITA:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

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