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Track-by-Track: MOSKITO Dissect Their Rifftastic New Mixtape ‘BAD LOVE’

Fire-powered English quintet MOSKITO joins us for a track-by-track rundown of the sick-ass riffs on their ‘BAD LOVE’ mixtape.

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MOSKITO, photo by Steven Haddock

How about some sick-ass riffs to guide you through the day? That’s what you’ll get with MOSKITO, a fierce, fire-powered English quintet who have made quite the arrival over the last year. 2022 was really their first year as a band, and in that time they won over fans, one by one, with their workmanlike, old fashion approach to touring and playing live for anyone who wants to come.

2023 is off to an even better start, with the release of their first collection of tracks, the BAD LOVE mixtape, which came out on January 27th. This release includes their 2022 singles “Sweet Fruit” and “517,” the two tracks that really helped this group start to blossom last year. The mixtape has been described as a book of short stories that doesn’t include any happy endings. Within this doom and gloom are many unconventional musical digressions that the band venture down. Things may get harsh at times, but within that roughness is a beauty and a shining example of solid, cohesive indie punk.

To get a better sense of the writing and recording process for the BAD LOVE mixtape, we are joined today by the band for a track-by-track rundown, offering us the thought process and the details behind the recording of this impressive new batch of tunes.

1. “MOSKITO I”

“We wanted something to set the scene for the whole mixtape, so when the idea of having a short bit of dialogue came about, we knew what we had to do. We wanted something that portrayed the views of our town in the form of a short story, a story that shows people they fear what they don’t understand. Originally, Joe had written the first couple of paragraphs, but after we read it, it felt like there was more to say, to which he came back the following week with the finished product.

“Recorded masterfully by his dad, Jim, the background music you can hear is some leftover magic from the recording of ‘painkiller.’”

2. “Gone With The Girl Next Door”

“The debut release of the Mozzy saga – episode one, ‘GWTGND’ kicked off with a last-minute spur of inspiration two weeks before the studio. It was one of those songs that were written in 20 minutes which we had the pleasure of recording with Tom Mitchener. Lyrically, it explores themes of succumbing to temptation, questioning the status quo. On stage, this one is a stomper and it was the first song where we witnessed people singing our songs back to us.”

3. “Miss Me”

“A track that can resonate with people who have been through heartbreak and come through the other end with a point to prove. This song, along with ‘Bloodshot,’ has probably been floating around the longest and to finally release it into the wild feels like a weight has been lifted. The song has changed more times than we dare to think and has come from a place which I think is fair to say that everyone in the band has been through. ‘Miss Me’ is what happens after every failed relationship when you have anger and hate to feed from, sometimes it’s the only thing left. Live this song has been used to grab the attention of crowd.”

4. “Sweet Fruit”

“This was the first song to be produced and recorded in-house which allowed us to spend more time getting weird and wonderful with tones and sounds. It definitely feels like a pop song with a darker Mozzy twist. The song opened up a lot of doors to get a bit experimental with the music video. No fruit was harmed in the making of this video.”

Artwork for the album ‘Bad Love’ by MOSKITO

Artwork for the album ‘Bad Love’ by MOSKITO

5. “Bloodshot”

“A song full of twists, turns, tangents, and unhinged chaos. One which has also been on the back burner for while, ‘Bloodshot’ is another self-produced effort which lyrically has taken inspiration from individuals who enjoy their nights out a little too much. Some of our influences are quite apparent in this song which includes Nirvana, Slipknot, and Nothing But Thieves.”

6. “517”

“This song is like pissing at the seaside; it starts in one place and ends in another. It’s like a letter to your ex, full of optimism, pride, resentment, confusion, jealousy, loathing, and a desperation to prove them wrong. ‘517’ is the ultimate revenge bod.

“The music video is a compilation of live footage from our sold-out hometown show which was stitched together by our wizard videographer Steve, showing all the chaos that occurred that night. This track brings out a feral, primal anger at live shows; we love it!”

7. “Don’t Touch My Baby”

“A pop song gone wrong. The second song we recorded with Tom Mitchener, this is a short vengeful screamer that’s over before it starts, but delivers a message loud and clear. If this song was an animal it would be Jon Snow’s dire wolf. This has been the closing song in our sets for the past year, meaning it has been the perfect chance to leave every piece of remaining energy on the stage.”

8. “painkiller”

“A complete departure from the whole mixtape. ‘painkiller’ is the curtain call, the resolution and acceptance of BAD LOVE. We’ve all been there, bad love isn’t something worth losing sleep over. As the lyric states, ‘You never know what’s round the corner creeping up on you behind.’ Self-recorded with a Steinway in a church, it perfectly captures the marriage of acceptance & self-love.”

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