(Photo by FilmMagic/FilmMagic)
“Just follow your heart and know that it’s going to lead you to the right place.”
Mondo Cozmo is the performing name of Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Joshua Ostrander. His music boasts the bold, expansive sound of the likes of Arcade Fire, Bob Dylan, Beck and various hip-hop artists.
But his sense of purpose might be what is most remarkable. It’s a lesson for us all.
While Mondo Cozmo has just released a fantastic new third album, This is for the Barbarians, Ostrander has been in the music business since 2000, fronting indie bands such as Laguardia and Eastern Conference Champions.
In 2015 he decided to try his luck as a solo artist, coining a mashup of his dog’s name (Cozmo) and the John Waters comedy, “Mondo Trasho.”
In April 2016, Ostrander released the single “Hold on to Me,” his first release under the Mondo Cozmo name. His second single, “Shine,” arrived in September of that same year and peaked at number one on the Billboard Adult Alternative chart. Soon after, his first solo album, “Plastic Soul,” was released to critical acclaim.
The Philadelphia-raised musician was rocking it. Appearances on Jimmy Kimmel, touring with Spoon and Vance Joy, everything seemed to be clicking. He started writing and recording his second solo album, “New Medicine,” in 2019.
And then, like for all of us, the world seemed to careen off a cliff in March of 2020.
“I wrote that record [New Medicine] specific for the road,” he said. With the world shutting down and Ostrander debating what to do with his new tunes, he began thinking of others, knowing he couldn’t tour. It’s truly part of his purpose.
“’Let’s just put it out,’ and, you know, people might need music right now,” he reminisced.
That act of chivalry and empathy also produced an unexpected new fan.
(Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic)
“I was really depressed for a couple of months,” remembered Ostrander. “I was pretty down, and then one Sunday night, I’m watching TV with my dog, and my phone started going off. All these text messages started coming in. There’s this New York Times article about Bruce Springsteen putting out a record during the pandemic. They asked him what music excites him right now, and lastly, he said, “I like this guy Mondo Cozmo.”
Just imagine if Ostrander hadn’t released his second album with such incredible songs, including “Black Cadillac,” “Come On,” and “Drown in Love.” Thinking of others in a horrible time—such as the pandemic—helped existing fans fight through the trauma while building new fans, including the likes of the Boss.
Ostrander teaches us a lesson: go ahead and love what you do as a career, but it helps to be thinking of others throughout your hours of effort. By thinking of others and being empathic, you never know what might come your way in a positive return.
Ostrander digs even deeper to help shine a light on relationships, social causes and love on the new album. He touches on Jan. 6, 2021, Black Lives Matter, George Floyd, climate change and a host of other anecdotes that implore the need for loving relationships.
“I’m at my best,” he continued, “when I take every chance I can to tell anybody ‘I love them.’ It’s something I took away from the pandemic as well. I write what I know, and I write what I love.”
“I’m not the coolest cat. I don’t care. I write. I love that’s what I do. A lot of people won’t use the word ‘love,’ and God bless them. They’re probably way more successful. But I don’t care. I come back to it because I think that’s all there is in life. I think love is it.”
While Mondo Cozmo may be new to you as a musician, it is evident Joshua Ostrander is a seasoned human being full of compassion, artistry and love. It’s everything we should be as leaders on this planet.
“The thing I’ve learned the most from the past two years,” he reflected, “is not to take any of this for granted.”
Wise words indeed. As Ostrander writes in the closing song “Lord” from his new album:
Lord, can you hear me?
Through these hours of tireless waitin’
My love
Well, it’s waitin’
My love
It’s here, waitin’
My love
Well, it’s waitin’
Watch the interview with Mondo Cozmo in full below or listen to it via the Leadership NOW podcast.
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Check out my 4th book, “Lead. Care. Win. How to Become a Leader Who Matters.” Thinkers50 #1 rated thinker, Amy. C. Edmondson of Harvard Business School, calls it “an invaluable roadmap.”
