MOSAICS on Their New Song 'Different People' with James McCartney and the Road They Are Traveling

MOSAICS – a British rock band with indie elements, whose members aim to unite people through their music and actively participate in charity work. The band consists of two vocalist-songwriters, Stu Smith and Owen Castillo, drummer Josh Seetanah, and bassist El Modena. On January 31, they released their new song, "Different People", as a duet with British singer-songwriter James McCartney. The song is based on the autobiographical story of Stu and Owen’s move to London and the distance that had put in their relationships. Very soon, the band will perform live in London, where they will present "Different People" on stage. In an exclusive conversation, Stu, Owen, Josh, and El shared insights into the birth of MOSAICS, their collaboration with James McCartney, their charity work, and the meaning behind their band's name.

Interviewer: Let’s go back a bit and recall how it all began. When and how did you create the band MOSAICS? What inspired you to name it that?

MOSAICS: We’re a rock band based in London, but we originally hail from all over – from beautiful sunny Birmingham to plain old Italy. Stu Smith and Owen Castillo met at university in 2017 after a freshers event. Owen was drawn to Stu’s Stone Roses t-shirt and, one boisterous rendition of Sally Cinnamon later, Stu asked him to join his new band as a vocalist. Flash forward, and the pair moved to London, armed with new songs and two guitars, where they recruited drummer Josh Seetanah and bassist El Modena, striking up immediate and electric chemistry.

The name MOSAICS was a Stu Smith original. He spent the summer before university working as a lifeguard and was drawn to the mosaic images glimmering at the bottom of the pool. When it came to naming the band, this image struck him straight away, and there the name was.

Interviewer: Your song "Different People" is out now. Could you tell us about the story behind the creation of this track and how your collaboration with James McCartney came about? How long did you work on the song, and what meanings did you embed in it?

MOSAICS: The song was a work in progress for quite a while. Stu came up with the riff initially, in a very unusual tuning (definitely not borrowed from John Mayer). He took that to Owen, and the two of them sat in a small flat in South London, writing autobiographically about their move to London and the distance that had put in their relationships. When it came time to record, we had always thought the song would work excellently as a duet, as lyrically, the song always felt like two halves of a conversation from verse to verse. We were fortunate enough to have a mutual friend with James McCartney through our publisher. We had a chance introduction about six months ago and immediately gelled. After hearing James’ excellent EP, we mooted the idea of a collaboration and sent him over the demo for Different People. Since he and his team really liked the track, the next thing you know, we’re in the studio with James, laying down some frankly excellent harmonies and a really pensive second verse.

Interviewer: Why did you choose the 90s rock genre with elements of indie? What does this genre mean to you?

MOSAICS: All the music that our primary songwriters, Stu and Owen, grew up on was 90s and 00s British rock, so naturally, you write what you know. The massive choruses and introspective lyricism of that period – when guitar bands still dominated the charts – are still central to how we work. But of course, we want to keep things fresh, so most of that influence is structural and lyrical, while our actual sound is shaped by contemporary artists like Sam Fender, Wunderhorse, and DMAs.

Interviewer: Tell us about your participation in the Hot Vox: New Blood Isle of Wight Festival 2023 competition. You made it to the finals back then. What song did you perform, and what did this experience mean to you? What advice would you give to musicians who are planning to take part in similar competitions?

MOSAICS: Best advice from us would be: bring a crowd! The relationship between band and audience is so symbiotic – if the crowd is loving it, then the band will be loving it, and vice versa. Anyone judging your live performance will be able to feel that energy in the room. It’s crucial.

Different People wasn’t yet on the setlist then, so we were “playing the hits”, as it were. Technicolour and Jackie Brown went down particularly well. It was a great experience, and honestly, it was just really validating for us as musicians to make it all the way to the final against some really strong acts.

Interviewer: Which songs are special to each member of the band? There are four of you, and surely each of you has a favourite. Which song is it for each member, and why?

Stu: "Tears on the Underground" is my top pick for sure. It was written about a very visceral observation I had when I first started commuting to work in London. It really struck a chord with me about the spirit of a big city and how lonely it can seem. Plus, it’s really fun to play – especially when it builds in the second half! It always gets a great reception live.

Owen: "Weekend in Paris" for me. The first song Stu and I ever wrote together way back in 2017, our first song on TV, and – as first songs go – not a bad little number.

El: Our next (unannounced!!!) single is easily my favourite. So fun, so catchy, and it’s really exciting to play live. I’m super proud of the bassline in that song, and I think people are going to love it when we release it (soon)…

Josh: "Different People" is my favourite. It’s my first song on Spotify, but it’s also coming out at a weirdly ironic time in my life, so it hits me even harder now than when we first played it. I love that kind of growth – how it rhymes with the personal changes reflected in the song.

Interviewer: On February 14, you will be playing at The Stags Head, Hoxton. Tell us about your preparations for the concert: Which songs will the audience get to hear live on that day? What makes live performances special for you? Have you had any unusual stories during your performances? If so, what was it?

MOSAICS: We’ll be playing some familiar favourites and, of course, Different People, but we’re also dropping in a fair bit of new material! Some recorded, and a couple that were only written in the last few weeks. It should be an excellent night.

There’s no better feeling than pouring your heart out into a song and seeing a room full of people bouncing around to your words.

Interviewer: What projects are you currently working on?

MOSAICS: We’re mixing and mastering some new records at the moment, but as always, we’re constantly writing. As soon as this next batch of songs is fully cooked, we’ll be right back in the studio.

Interviewer: What role does charity play in your musical activities? You use your craft not only to bring music to people but also to support them. Can you tell us about the projects you've been involved in and any that might be planned in the future? If your listeners would like to take part in these projects, how can they get involved?

MOSAICS: We were really fortunate to do a live event in aid of Alzheimer’s research a few years ago in Lincoln, and most recently, we did an online live event for War Child through Hot Vox. Charity and giving back are so important, especially in this volatile world we live in. It’s been great that, despite our small platform, we’ve been able to use it to give something back and do some tangible good in the world.

Interviewer: What mission do you have as musicians? Why this particular one?

MOSAICS: We want to connect with people. Music is one of the most accessible art forms in the world – it’s universal and transcendental.

To be able to make music is such a great gift, and if we can create something that truly means something to someone, then we’ve done our job.

Portraits were taken by Sebastian Garraway. Pictures from the concert were provided by MOSAICS