Curly Mojo

Some songs are built for the dancefloor. Others are built from survival. For Far North Queensland artist Curly Mojo, ‘Roads Walked (DANCE MODE)’ manages to be both. Beneath its infectious hooks and uplifting energy lies a story of resilience, family, trauma, and finding purpose through adversity. After enduring multiple cancer diagnoses and navigating one of the most difficult periods of his life following a serious accident involving his daughter, Curly Mojo channelled those experiences into music that aims to inspire, heal and connect. In this candid conversation with Tsk Tsk Magazine, he reflects on the personal journey behind the song, the power of dance music to carry emotional weight, and why hope remains at the centre of everything he creates.

‘Roads Walked (DANCE MODE)’ feels emotionally heavy beneath its huge hooks and dancefloor energy. Can you unpack the lived experiences and emotional headspace that shaped the song?

That's a great question and comes with its challenges but I'll give it a crack. Roads Walked (DANCE MODE) was written during one of the hardest times of my life and can be heard in every word.

From the age of 29 to 40, I was diagnosed with six serious forms of cancer and one not so serious. I decided to take some time off with my family and we went camping to a remote station in Cape York. On the first day, my little girl fell into a fire and suffered burns to 7% of her body. She was helicopter evacuated out and then flown by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to Townsville that night.

It completely changed all of our lives and we still carry some trauma from the experience. My little girl is fine and our family has recovered well, but from those coals Curly Mojo was actually born. Although it was the hardest time of my life, I believe most things happen for a bigger reason if you make it through to the other side.

It made all my personal struggles with cancer, brain surgery, nearly three years of chemotherapy and long waiting periods feel like a grain of rice compared to watching your little girl go through something like that. I'll never forget it.

Matilda healed without any skin grafts, which felt like a miracle. Her strength gave me the fuel I needed to dream again and leave a legacy for my family. I feel ready to share my story and music in the hope that it inspires people, creates connections and gets people grooving.

You handled the writing and recording process yourself at Silent H Studios in tropical FNQ before collaborating with Austin Leeds in Miami for mixing and additional production. How did that international collaboration help elevate the final version of the track?

Austin Leeds has great production talent and mixes and masters like a Jedi. He can do what I can't in those final stages, although I'm in the process of learning because I approach life with an "every day is a school day" attitude.

He's been great to work with, but for my next album I'll likely go with an Australian-based producer for mixing and mastering.

There’s an interesting contrast in your music between introspective lyricism and highly uplifting production. Why do you think dance music can sometimes deliver emotional messages more powerfully than stripped-back songs?

I think dance music has a big impact because so many people listen to the genre, and I genuinely love writing and performing it.

My roots are in playing guitar, singing, bass and drums, but I love writing across different styles and don't want to be limited by genre. It's probably a nightmare from a marketing perspective, but you've got to make the music you love and write from the heart. That's the only way I know how to do it.

Being an independent solo artist who creates a full-band sound across multiple genres gives you a lot of creative freedom. How would you describe the Curly Mojo identity, and what ties all the different sonic influences together?

I believe my identity as an artist becomes clear when you listen to the music. Music takes everyone somewhere different, and I think that's the true power of it.

Perspective is everything, and every listener is guaranteed to take something different away from a song. When I started this journey, I didn't want to copy anyone else's sound. I wanted to create my own identifiable tone. I think you can hear a lot of influences and little flashes of inspiration throughout the Curly Mojo sound, but it's ultimately become its own thing.

You’ve built strong grassroots momentum through live performances, radio support, and community connection across places like ABC Radio, Ozindi Radio, and venues including Tanks Arts Centre and CITYSOUNDS. What have those experiences taught you about connecting with audiences in an authentic way?

It's taught me that fans and genuine connection are everything. The support given by fans is one of the main reasons artists keep moving forward during the difficult periods.

It's also taught me that I'm definitely not a three-hour cover artist. I have huge respect for the people who do that, but it's just not for me. Everything I write is original and comes directly from my life experiences. Turning those experiences into words and then music is what makes me happy. Through that process, I realised playing other people's music was never really going to be my path.

You mention that a ‘ray of hope’ is needed in the world right now, especially in the final verse of the song. Looking at both your music and your personal journey, what does hope mean to you in 2025, and how do you channel that into your art?

It's actually very easy for me to put life's experiences into music and art. In fact, without doing it I feel empty.

For the last four months I've been recording a new full guitar album that's due for release next year, which is a little exclusive for you. It's the best work I've ever done. Not because I want to diminish anything I've done previously, but because I refused to settle for anything less. I believe the songs are powerful and incredibly strong from start to finish.

One of the tracks is called Fire Burns Better and it's about what happened to my daughter Matilda. It's difficult to get through that song without breaking down, but I get stronger every day.

Without love, hope and a dream or two, humans don't live well in my opinion. If you're struggling, talk to someone. If you're doing well, help someone else. If you're feeling lost, go back to the country and reconnect with what's important — family, friends, our beautiful land and the ocean.

For now though, it's all about Outside Mine. I can't wait for people to hear it. It's a full electronic version of Inside Mine and includes the bonus track Missn Hurts Remix. Both are being released on 7 August 2026.

I truly believe these songs are all a little different and offer listeners an emotional journey. I hope they resonate with people around the world. At the very least, they're likely to get you shaking your booty, which is a win for me.

Please check out my socials, YouTube channel and Spotify. Much love and thanks for reading, listening and supporting independent music.