and worked in London, Lewes, Wellington, Manchester, Los Angeles and Tokyo. He is in a relationship with Japanese glamour model Hiromi Oshima; the couple have one daughter. Career Early career Mockasin was born in Newtown, Wellington in the autumn of 1983, and raised in the "dinky wee settlement" of Te Awanga in Hawke's Bay, to father Ade Hosford, a musician formerly of Autumn Stone and Philharmonia Orange. He had a "lovely" time growing up on a "vineyard" off the Pacific, which featured "lots of nice wines." Mockasin started his first band "The Four Skins" (named by his father, Ade "because there are four skins on the drums") while attending Havelock North Intermediate School in 1995. In 2003, after moving back to his birthplace in Wellington, Mockasin briefly played in a band called "The Hornery Stiffmen" (later to become a track title on "Please Turn Me into The Snat"), consisting of Blake Pryor (bass) (who later appeared as an actor in "Bostyn 'n Dobsyn") and Christopher Chalmers (drums), before forming his principal New Zealand group "Connan and the Mockasins", named after Connan's interest in making his own shoes. Playing alongside Connan were Ross Walker (upright acoustic bass) and Seamus Ebbs (drums). It was with this band that Connan relocated to London in May 2006 after releasing their second EP "Uuu It's Teasy". Forever Dolphin Love (2010–2012) The first release to bear the name "Connan Mockasin" was the 2010 LP, "Please Turn Me into The Snat", which was re-released as "Forever Dolphin Love" the following year. This album saw a significant change in style to Connan's previous work, and has been described by critics as "fluid", "meandering and blissful", "seemingly effortless" and "mesmerising". In a conversation about why he made the album, Mockasin said "It was never meant to be released...It was just me being silly, really, and Mum forced me to do it." Recording took place in his home in Te Awanga. The re-released 2CD version included a live recording entitled "Forever Dolphin Live", recorded in an apartment in London. It was at this stage Hosford put together an incarnation of the existing Connan Mockasin live band: Matthew Eccles (drums), Nicholas Harsant (bass), Sam Dust (keyboards) and Rory McCarthy (percussion). Caramel (2013) Mockasin and band toured with Charlotte Gainsbourg as her live band after Mockasin composed the song 'Out of Touch' for her 2011 album Stage Whisper. Connan Mockasin toured with