Mob Rich Interview at Forecastle Festival

Interview by: Jewel Fiorillo

How did the two of you meet?

“We both moved to Los Angeles about eight years ago and we were both kind of just playing at local open mics at the time. He didn’t know anybody and I didn’t really know anybody either. We were playing the same open mic event night one day and had a mutual friend who was actually running the event. She had introduced us that night but we were both a little stand-offish at first and wanted to act cooler than we both were. But we very quickly became friends. We started hanging out and making music.” - Maxwell

“In LA everyone tries to act cooler than they really are. They don’t want to be a certain way or act a certain way. So we both kind of just chilled and read the room with each other before realizing we make a pretty good team and friend. It’s kind of funny now looking back at it how ridiculous it was”- Connor

“Connor had just pitched the idea of starting something together and we started writing music while we were hanging out and it just kind of took off from there.” - M

When did Music become a part of your life?

“Honestly I’ve been doing music since I was in the sixth grade and it’s been the only thing in my life that felt right. I felt like myself and I was good at it. I just stuck with it and then eventually it became a great way to express my emotions and any anxiety or depression I was dealing with. I feel like I speak for the both of us that music has helped us get out of dark places in our lives. We both have struggled with anxiety and depression, music is definitely an outlet for us to express those struggles.” - M

“I was a choir boy and with that being said I was the only guy in the choir. It made me feel special, like I had something different to offer. Eventually when I got older I got picked up as a songwriter in Los Angeles and that’s really where music became a bigger part of my life. Music was always super important to me and my cousin was a great part of that. My cousin and I always talked about starting a band when we were younger. He knew how to play instruments and it always was something I wanted to do. We still talk every now and then to make music.” - C

How was your experience performing at the Forecastle festival this weekend? In terms of performing or personal experience.

“It was honestly a great experience performing on the stage here. We flew in last night and we already have to leave pretty soon so we don’t get to experience much of the festival but I wish we could stay for longer because it looks amazing. At the end of the day it’s an amazing experience to be able to meet artists that you’ve already listened to and now you get to play at the same festival as them.” - M

“I second everything Maxwell mentioned, It’s surreal being a part of a line up with artists like Oliver Tree and DayGlow. Like one moment you are listening to their music and feeling so inspired by them. Next thing you know we are friends with them. I love the way festivals and live music bring artists together that way.” - C

What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about being in the industry ?

“Being an artist is a cool gateway to realizing that everyone is the same. Everyone is normal regular people, just some have a larger platform than you might have. I think while we have been growing in the industry I personally have noticed that which makes it less nerve racking to be me.” - C