Article Contributed by Big Feat PR
Published on 2026-10-28
Mondo Cozmo, the musical moniker of Philadelphia-born singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Josh Ostrander, today released “White Roses” a new collaborative single featuring My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. The song will feature on Ostrander’s fifth studio album, Sweet Forever, arriving November 20 via Last Gang Records.
The anthemic indie meets heartland rock’n’roll track is a somber reflection on life’s tough moments, which came about after “Jim’s manager heard the song and sent it to him,” Ostrander says of the feature’s origins. “He loved it, sent his vocal in. He's like, ‘Do whatever you want with it. I'm honored to sing on it,’ and I couldn't believe that.”
Jim James added, “so much fun singing on the super powerfully soaring, rocking 'White Roses.'"
FLOOD premiered the track this morning, calling it “a soaring heartland-rock anthem straddling the line between indie rock and Americana.”
Watch “White Roses” music video featuring a mannequin and strange young man here (if you dare).
LISTEN TO “WHITE ROSES” HERE
WATCH VIDEO FOR “WHITE ROSES” HERE
PRE-SAVE SWEET FOREVER ALBUM HERE
Sweet Forever marks a full-circle moment for Ostrander, bringing together celebrated collaborators, longtime creative champions, and the musicians who helped shape him from the beginning to create some of the most vital work of his career. The album also features acclaimed singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim on “Alabama,” continuing a career-long pattern of respected artists recognizing the power of Ostrander’s songwriting. Bruce Springsteen has publicly praised his work, while legendary producer and Garbage drummer Butch Vig has become a trusted friend and creative champion, offering detailed feedback throughout the recording process of Sweet Forever and personally encouraging Ostrander to keep pushing the material forward.
“At one point, he called to encourage me to push myself,” Ostrander recalls. “He doesn’t normally call; we usually just text. He was stern and direct. I think he wanted me to hear it in his voice. I took this as a sign that I was onto something. It really encouraged me.”
Also unexpectedly, in the spring of 2025, the Amazon show Reacher went deep into the Mondo Cozmo catalog and used his 2016 song “Shine” as the closing song of the season. “Shine” was Ostrander’s breakout track. It went straight to No.1 on AAA radio and caught the attention of Bruce Springsteen and landed him on the stages of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Bonnaroo and Governors Ball. Seeing the track catch fire again, instantly topping several charts, served as a lightning bolt to the singer-songwriter’s soul. Ostrander had a “light-bulb moment” and saw what people wanted and expected of him as an artist. And he got to work.
The first to emerge from this period was “Sweet Forever,” which Ostrander wrote in honor of his late dog, Cozmo. The heartfelt tune, which was written on piano, set the lyrical tone for what was to come and will soon be considered for guitar solo of the year for its ripping and transformative outro solo. The loss of Cozmo opened an unexpected creative floodgate. After completing “Sweet Forever,” Ostrander wrote 13 additional songs in just two weeks, digging into life, loss, and renewal while rediscovering the immediate, visceral rock sound at the heart of Mondo Cozmo.
“‘Sweet Forever’ was the first song I wrote after my dog Cozmo passed away,” Ostrander shares. “I wanted to write something for him that I could actually sing without it hurting every time. A song about missing someone, but also just being grateful that you got to love them in the first place. That’s really where ‘Sweet Forever’ came from.”
Sweet Forever also marks a return to his musical roots, recording the album in his Napa garage with members of The Cobbs, the Philadelphia band whose musicians first taught him what it meant to be part of a band as a teenager. Reuniting with some of his oldest friends brought an instinctive energy to the sessions. Together, they played loud, favored feeling over perfection, and chased the spontaneity of first takes, reconnecting Ostrander with the raw rock sound at the foundation of his artistry.
In a twist of fate, “Sweet Forever” sees yet another song of Mondo Cozmo close the wildly popular show. With the song closing season four of Reacher’s finale, making two consecutive season finales featuring Mondo’s music.
With the musicians who formed his earliest creative foundation beside him, some of rock’s most respected voices in his corner, and a deeply personal loss transformed into renewed purpose, Sweet Forever captures Ostrander arriving at a moment years in the making. It is both a return to his roots and a decisive step forward, filled with the urgency, vulnerability, and hard-earned joy of an artist making the album he was always capable of making. By digging deep with resilient lyrics in the face of adversity and rolling back the years with raw sound that touches a nerve, Ostrander isn’t just keeping the spirit of Mondo Cozmo alive; he’s producing the best work of his career.
Ostrander will also be taking the new music on his upcoming December headline tour. The tour kicks off on December 5th at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge and will hit Los Angeles’ Troubadour on December 13th, a hometown show in Philadelphia at The Foundry on December 17th, and New York’s The Sultan Room on December 19th. Fans can purchase tickets at www.mondocozmo.com/tour!
