Today we’d like to introduce you to Mowgli.
Mowgli, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Mowgli. I am 23 years old, I was adopted from an orphanage called FANA in Bogota Colombia when I was an infant, I grew up in a Christian pastor’s home outside of Seattle in a rainy town called Maple Valley. I dropped out of high school as a troubled youth in 10th grade and started street-performing in downtown Seattle every day.
Later after getting sent to wilderness therapy in Utah at a program called Open Sky, I ended up living in a car and driving around Utah to play gigs. In 2019, I stumbled upon Logan and was gifted an internship job at Whysound. A small venue and studio space right downtown in Logan. Later that year the owner quit and gifted me the opportunity of reopening the company with my name. So at 19, I signed a business license, Whysound Records LLC. A record label in Logan was built by musicians to help musicians find the opportunity to take the next step.
I’ve since used this resource to meet so many lovely talented people and formed my band Guava Tree. A Psychedelic Fusion experience with a fresh sound inspired by all my friends. Guava Tree is for everyone, we play anything from Bossa Nova jazz to grungy reggae you name it! Our mission is to raise everyone’s vibrations that hear us play. We’ve been touring the west coast in our diy grassroots way and playing in the incredible music scene of Utah making as many connections as we can bridging gaps between the scenes of different cities and states on the west coast for our friends.
It’s been so amazing to be a part of a movement of people my age making sounds about the world today, so many amazing artists working so hard in the scene here it is an honor to be a part of it all. I’ve been able to use Whysound as such a good resource to help so many artists doing the same thing I am. It’s exciting to see everything grow! Recently, I was asked to help open a new all-ages venue in Ogden, a kombucha company (called süntea) has a space for a small music venue and has hired me to help start it up! The space is called The Boiler Room and is a dry bar with kombucha on tap, this will be another great resource for the bands of Utah and surrounding states to build the scene!
With all the amazing growth I’ve seen in Utah’s music scene, more bands committing to the lifestyle, getting on the road, recording music, and SNS exploding with the Kilby Block Party, it is incredible to see the music industry thrive so much. It’s cool to see teamwork, the music industry doesn’t have to be a competition and it’s nice that it doesn’t feel that way so much in Utah. I’ve been able to make music my full-time job with the support of so many people doing the same.
This year, Guava Tree is looking forward to releasing our first full-length LP on 4/20, it’s going to be called “Joint Custody”. It’s a big upgrade from our past releases and we are so grateful and excited to share it with everyone! Very excited for what is to come!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not a smooth ride, I’ve been homeless a few times. Been in rehab for eating disorders. Life has its ups and downs and It can be hard balancing the time spent working on art but every time I’ve ever hit the bottom, I just always am pointed in the direction of music.
And every time I keep playing, more opportunities to live and survive arise. Even playing on a street corner has always been enough to keep me fed and warm. It’s the community of artists that keeps me inspired to do more and go deeper into my artistic process. Music is my religion, following music takes me to so many places I’d never imagined myself being, music takes care of me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make music, I play guitar, drums, piano, bass, percussion, and I sing.
Since moving to Utah, I’ve played with over 35 bands on stage in all different kinds of roles and all kinds of genres some of the lists include, Sammy Brue, The Painted Roses, Nicholas James and the Giant Peach, Cardinal Bloom, Courtney Lane, cannibal queen, little barefoot, Casio ghost, sunfish the list goes on.
I love to play even moments before any band’s set I have many times and will always want to hop on stage and play with my friends in their bands!
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
My advice for anyone starting in the music industry is to “Be on the Scene”. The best way to be a part of the scene is to go out and be a part of the scene, be at as many local shows as you can, listen to local bands, share people’s music, and admire the work of our peers.
Pay attention to the things you like and don’t like at the shows, go meet the people in the bands, jam with everyone, play with musicians that are better than you because it will push you, play the open mic, sing for ur friends, always play music.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mowgli._._
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/TJFHHwqL3uM?si=tZYzjNkZZFedf9j_
Image Credits
Connor Wolfley, Jay Dunford, Rob Sagers, and Maddison Eyre
