Swatkins & Moorea Masa feat. Former members of Turkuaz

Steve Watkins (Swatkins) is a ginger-bearded smiley keyboard guy. His music generally sounds like a good time. This exceedingly positive individual is a songwriter, producer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and a master of the talkbox, an old-school analog effect using his larynx and a vinyl tube to shape the sound of his keyboard.

Moorea Masa & Mood’s new album “Heart In The Wild: Side A” is an exquisite and heart-wrenching journey through Masa’s relationship with her estranged mother, a queer Black woman suffering from debilitating mental illness. Written and produced against a backdrop of global anguish and civil unrest in 2020, this record captures an unflinching intimacy that feels like sharing sacred moments with a lifelong friend. Masa delivers exquisitely emotional vocal performances, directly addressing her mother in warm, velvety tones accompanied by lush beds of harmonies and dreamlike textures. These are songs that reflect the personal qualities that Masa embodies. “Lion” shows her fierce loyalty and desire to protect women and other marginalized folks, “Butterfly” expresses her transcendent and transformative nature, and “Until Then” is a diary of loving someone no matter if they’re mentally able to truly love you back.

This EP is the first side of an upcoming full-length LP. Throughout the release process Moorea Masa & The Mood have been collaborating with mental health organizations who specifically are supporting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ folx.

Moorea has toured the world and shared a stage with artists k.d Lang, Allen Stone, Big Wild, Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive) The Motet, Nick Waterhouse, headlined tours in Europe, and supported other artists including Corrine Bailey Rae, Emily King, Lawrence, Bernhoft and more.