They say that you should never meet your idols, but should you work with them? For Nashville-based singer, songwriter, and producer Mokita, the opportunity to collab with Chris Carrabba from Dashboard Confessional was not one to be missed. This moment was also long in the making, as Mokita has spent his career studying artists, co-writing with rising and powerful names in music, and releasing projects like his Color Me In EP from 2022. His music spans genres and transcends emotions, which is why he now has over 450 million streams to date. With much ahead of him, Mokita was able to connect with Chris to create the monumental new single “It Was Real To Me.”
Capturing that early 2000s emo sound that Carrabba is known for, “It Was Real To Me” is a wistful ode to an important friend. Both artists blend moody acoustic guitar to their forlorn yet heartfelt vocals as they reminisce. Even though we might not know this friend personally, it is hard not to get emotional after hearing lines like, “Those words that were never said / The plans that we made that were never kept / That letter I never sent / And all of the time that I thought that we had left.” It brings about the main question of the song, “Were we ever in the same place? / It was real to me.” You can check it out below.
Telling us more about “It Was Real To Me” and working with Chris Carrabba, Mokita shares,
“This song is a dream collaboration for me. Growing up listening to Chris, working with him was an awesome moment. We had the initial vibe for the song quickly, and the production is super organic – several layered guitars to create a full acoustic track. Chris was so easy to work with and is an amazing storyteller. I’m so honored to be able to sing with one of my musical heroes.”
Chris also explains,
“When Mokita and I started messing around with some melodies, my thoughts begin to center on a friend who was a talented photographer and who was an important presence in the social group I came up in. Because this friend was always the one taking the photo, there are very few images of her in the pictures from our years as young adults beginning to find our way in this world. This is a thank you for making a record of our history together.”
You can listen to “It Was Real To Me” on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
Catch Dashboard Confessional on tour here.
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