A Candid Chat With Kavya Trehan & Moses Koul of MOSKO - The Band!

MOSKO is an avant-garde duo from Delhi comprising of Kavya Trehan and Moses Koul deriving influences from topics and subjects as diverse as Manga and anime to tea, independent drama and films. The band is an evocative cinematic experience with a hint of ballroom waltz, emotional subversion and copious amounts of noir. Read on to know them better!

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Kavya: Well, I’ve just graduated from LSR, and now I’m trying to make sense of what my future plans should be. Apart from the “real world” troubles, I’m a happy soul who makes music, paints when she feels like it, travels when she can and always keeps herself busy with something interesting or the other to do. 

Moses: I play for Kraken, Hyperion, L For Vendetta and of course MOSKO. I have a jarring fascination for and obsession with Mathematics, Physics, Paleontology, Cryptozoology, Conspiracy Theories and Finance..

Kavya, you're known as an 'impromptu singer/songwriter". Tell us how you manage to stitch words together into meaningful lyrics while performing?

Kavya: Yup. That introduction will probably be stuck with me forever. It’s actually really simple, I sing about things that catch my fancy, and when I’m going on about it, it becomes like a game for me to relive the experiences again. Since it all has to make sense to me, it also manages to fall into place for the listeners. Plus, I’m monstrous when it comes to memorizing lyrics, and always up for story telling sessions - thus “singer/songwriter” fits the bill!

Moses, tell us about your compositions, what goes into making those beautifully varied riffs & solos?

Whatever vibes hard with me is what ends up making the final cut. The riffs and solos in what I compose collectively have to sound cohesive and should have the innate ability to elevate the composition as it progresses. Not a contrived decision but I guess that’s what happens sub-consciously.

And when did you start playing the guitar, are there any other instruments you play?

Moses: Guitar, I haven't taken any formal coaching, self-taught. Apart from that I do play other instruments as well, including the Tabla which is the only instrument I've taken classical lessons for.

Kavya, tell us how the two of you met and how the idea of MOSKO came to being?

Kavya: I frantically made a call, found an extraordinary guitarist, collaborated with a percussionist and let things go with the flow at Ragasthan Music Festival and since then MOSKO has simply evolved with more talented artists on board with us. The idea of MOSKO came up with our initials, the feel of the word, and of course the logo was made then and there itself.

So Moses, you're involved in many musical acts of different genres. Tell us about them and how you adeptly manage to apply your guitar playing & composing to these different styles & sounds.

Moses: I don't have restrictions when it comes to the kind of music I listen to hence what I create is a consequence of that. You produce what you consume. All of my projects are sonically very different from each other and it gives me the freedom to create anything and it sort of tests all the aspects of my playing and ability to churn a variety of sounds and apply them in a conducive manner without a very tethered protocol hence making the very act of creating something very gratifying and enjoyable. In the end like I said before, it just has to vibe super-hard with me.

Tell us about your experience in the Delhi Independent Music Circuit.

Kavya:  Fortunately, I have been exposed to incredible people from the circuit that have pushed me or given me the opportunity to grow when it comes to music. I do however feel that there needs to be more respect given to the hard work that goes in for a band to function and survive.

Moses: Personally for me I think the environment is quite fertile. It’s been promising of late.

Where do you see it going & and how should it be improved?

Kavya: I’m a hopeful person. So in my ideal world, I see the youth taking over, infusing a strong culture of art and music, really building a family, and increasing the value of an artist. 

Moses: It will head wherever the collective work of the elements (The artists, musicians, organizers, audience etcetera) of this ecosystem direct it towards.

What according to you makes Delhi 'So Delhi'?

Kavya: Everything. The strange weather. The amazing food. The colours. The fights you might get into on the road. The music that refuses to lower down in the middle of the night— it’s a hub of awesomeness. 

Moses: It’s an amalgamation of all the subtleties.

What are your favourite places in the city?

Kavya: Hauz Khas Village, Shahpurjat, Jantar Mantar, Lal Qila, India Gate…To be continued. 

Moses: I have a preferential bias towards South, Central and parts of North Delhi.

Apart from singing, what other activities do you two indulge in?

Kavya: Far too many. However a few that I have taken mildly professionally are acting in theatre and on screen, doing print and television ads.

Moses: Plethora of them to list, right now I am going to indulge myself in another helping of tea. 

Tell us about some of your musical inspirations.

Kavya: Experiences. People I look unto. MOSKO’s band mates. 

Your favourite eating joints in the capital?

Kavya: ZO, in Haus Khas Village. Tonino in Chattarpur and Hachiba in Gurgaon. 

Most memorable instance in the city?

Kavya: Going to a school called Mirambika where playing in the rain was a rule when we were kids, sliding all over, rolling in the mud, playing football, realizing our clothes would have torn somewhere or the other, and so coming back to the class after visiting the costume room - looking like a mix of characters from Cartoon Network.

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