Connan Mockasin

Connan Tant Hosford, better known by the stage name Connan Mockasin and sometimes credited as Connan Hosford, is a New Zealand musician, composer and record producer. Critically acclaimed and described as "a psych-funk oddball...a contrarian", Mockasin has been credited with the 21st century crossover of psychedelic and indie music, and praised for his unique and isolated approach to songwriting.Born in Newtown, Wellington and raised in Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay, Mockasin grew up between rural vineyards. The son of a musician, he went to school in Havelock North. He gained his stage surname from his childhood habit of making mocassin-like shoes out of sheepskin and old motorbike tyres. He moved to Wellington at age 20 to further his music career, and played in various bands until the formation of Connan and The Mockasins in 2006. They relocated to the United Kingdom the same year, and Mockasin was pursued by record labels before returning to New Zealand in 2008. He released his debut solo album in 2011, Forever Dolphin Love, to critical acclaim and success particularly in Europe. His second album, Caramel, was released in 2013, and was described by Pitchfork as "stainless world that is both unsettling and fitting". Mockasin has released a string of albums since then, the latest being 2021's Jassbusters Two, the "sequel" to his 2018 album Jassbusters. Additionally, he has scored and produced his own films, such as a visual interpretation of Jassbusters and Bostyn 'n Dobsyn.Mockasin's music is known for its unconventional subject matter, themes, styles and instrumentation; he has been positively labelled as openly "weird", and a pioneer of "trippy, mutated soul". His international success is notable for by far eclipsing his success in his homeland. Artists who have expressed admiration for him include Beck and Radiohead, the latter of whom he toured with in 2012 in a sold-out Australasian tour of Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Those who have cited him as an influence include Beach House, Tyler, the Creator, Nilüfer Yanya, James Blake and Charlotte Gainsbourg, the latter two he has since collaborated with. Blake has acclaimed Mockasin as a personal friend and mentor, saying "having him around always makes me feel like I could do anything."Connan Mockasin has also worked with Laurence Arabia, Liam Finn, Dev Hynes, Mick Fleetwood, and MGMT, as well as his father on the 2021 album It's Just Wind released through American label Mexican Summer.He has lived and worked in London, Lewes, Wellington, Manchester, Los Angeles and Tokyo. He is in a relationship with Japanese glamour model Hiromi Oshima; the couple have one daughter.