"It's Been Good Fun, Hasn't It?": A Look Behind The Music As Moskito Reflect On Their Journey

Lincs-based Moskito are a self proclaimed "shouty boy band" [photo: Moskito]

Moskito are one of the few bands I can say I’ve seen grow from almost the ground up. First introduced to them back in 2022, it’s been great seeing the guys get the attention they deserve. Tonight, I’m in Peterborough, chatting to them and watching them play in the very same venue I saw them in roughly two and a half years ago. 

It’s a dark Saturday evening in November. The clocks having gone back, any sense of time gets lost around 5pm. It’s somewhere around 6pm though, and I’m waiting in Peterborough for an interview with Boston-based self proclaimed “shouty boy band” Moskito, who are headlining the Met Lounge as part of their ‘Fear The Fens’ tour. 

I arrive at the venue, and I go upstairs to meet up with the band. It’s a lovely atmosphere despite the incredibly sticky floors - we shake hands, we chat, it’s good to see the guys again. 

Vocalist Jake describes Moskito as a 5-piece “boisterous club night”, advertising it as a “good night out with your mates”. He isn’t wrong. A band that has found the perfect balance between loud, “shouty” music and high energy performances, it’s unsurprising that Moskito has grown impressively in the three years since they’ve been active. Guitarist Joe chimes in at this point, wondering if “people pay to watch [them] have a good time rather than actually having a good time [the guys laugh]. Just laughing at us”. 

Jake agrees, suggesting the audiences they attract “come for the comedy factor”. Drummer Drew adds that “it’s what makes us special.” Jake is quick to reassure that this isn’t all for laughs though: “we take what we want to do seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.” This is a good attitude to have, and it’s an attribute to the guys’ journey as a band. 

There are no feelings of ego or boastfulness [tonight], only an overwhelming sense of community and love

When asked about how the band started, Joe and Will look at each other, wondering how to put it. A long term relationship breakup resulted in the two writing “stupid, silly songs”, but then it quickly became “really good fun”. “Then we started recording some bits at the studio,” Joe continues, “and then we did some demos. We showed Jake. Jake cried. And was like, ‘I don’t care what you say, I’m being involved in this’”. 

Jake chimes in, adding that he then “slyly messaged everyone separately” suggesting they all meet up. Joe laughs and describes it as him “gaslighting everyone into the band”. Jake doesn’t disagree, instead sounding quite proud of the fact. Everyone is quick to agree though, that it was “the best thing he ever did”. 

“The band wasn’t fully formed [though] until we got Drew”, the guys note. “We had a couple of other people but, you know, it just wasn’t right and we knew it wasn’t right. And then when we got Drew, everything just kind of came together. It was like a different band.” 

Joe caps it off, joking that they were “just losers until then”. 

Moskito invite you to their "boisterous club night" [photo: Riley Edmett]

The band then look at how far they have come, noting the progress made, in what is in the grand scheme of things quite a short timeframe: “In three years, there’s pictures of us playing in front of 40 people at Voodoo [Lounge, in Stamford], and then 400 people in Carlisle, then like a thousand people at the Gliderdrome [in Boston] the other week. We’re nowhere near where we want to be and where we’d like to be, but if you look back with what we’ve done in three years, it’s been good fun, hasn’t it?”

Jake agrees, chiming in: “You have to take a second as well and just appreciate what you’re doing.”

And tonight is particularly evident of that. “It’s quite a bit of a full circle thing because our second show was actually here in the Met, as support for Call To The Faithful’s headline show.” What makes this more touching is the fact that Faithful are here tonight, supporting Moskito, returning the favour and still working together all this time later. 

"Keep going and never give up ... no one else can write the songs that you write for you"

At this point, Faithful vocalist Matt walks in, heaping praise on the Moskito guys: "I walked out that night two years ago thinking, ‘fucking hell, we’re going to be opening for them’”. There are no feelings of ego or boastfulness, only an overwhelming sense of community and love. This is what local music should be, not only supporting each other on stage, but also off. 

I’m cautious of the time now, wary of the fact that this needs tying up before any live music actually starts. 

When asked about the band’s plans for next year, Joe warns me that “if we told you, we’d have to kill you”. The Marlon Brando-esque impression slips away, and the guys go on to tease new music, as well as sounding hopeful about some “exciting things happening before the end of the year”. Not much is given away beyond this, but if the new songs live are anything to go by, any new material released will be just as killer as everything that’s come before. 

What's going on 'ere then? [photo: Riley Edmett]

And as for advice they would give to new bands starting out on their journey? “Keep going and fucking never give up. Don’t try and write anything because you think that’s what people want to hear. No one else can write the songs that you write for you.”

"If you look back with what we’ve done in three years, it’s been good fun, hasn’t it?”

“And always wrap up,” Jake concludes. “Yeah, that’s the best bit of advice we’re going to give you.” 

Moskito's latest release, G.R.I.M (Deluxe), is out now on all streaming platforms.