Connan Mockasin
Connan Tant Hosford, better known by the stage name Connan Mockasin, is a New Zealand musician, composer and record producer. Described as "a psych-funk oddball...a contrarian", Mockasin played a role in the contemporary crossover of psychedelia with indie music, and has been praised for his unique approach to songwriting.
Mockasin was born in Napier, Hawke's Bay, and raised in Te Awanga. He gained his moniker from his childhood habit of making mocassin-like shoes out of sheepskin and old motorbike tyres. He moved to Wellington at the age of 20 to further his music career, and played in various bands until the formation of a group called '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 has also worked with Lawrence Arabia, Liam Finn, Dev Hynes, Mick Fleetwood, and MGMT, as well as his own father on the 2021 album It's Just Wind released through American label Mexican Summer. Those who have cited him as an influence include Beach House, Tyler, the Creator, Nilüfer Yanya, James Blake and Charlotte Gainsbourg. He has lived and worked in London, Lewes, Wellington, Manchester, Los Angeles and Tokyo. He is in a relationship with a Japanese glamour model and has one daughter.
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- 2025-06-06T00:00:00.000000Z
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