As MOJO’s editor since 2018, John Mulvey has redefined music journalism through technical musicology and historical excavation. His work connects today’s avant-garde to forgotten lineages – a 2023 study showed 68% of his articles reference pre-2000 recordings versus the industry average of 22%.
“The best music writing doesn’t just describe sound – it becomes part of the work’s ecosystem.” – From Mulvey’s 2022 lecture at Oxford’s Bate Collection
Mulvey’s 2018 ascension to MOJO editorship marked a homecoming for the publication’s ethos. His early work at NME (1994-2003) redefined Britpop coverage through incisive interviews that cut through industry hype. At Uncut (2003-2018), he pioneered the "album era" revival movement, commissioning 15,000-word features on Exile on Main St. sessions that became industry benchmarks. Today, his MOJO tenure synthesizes these phases – pairing investigative rigor with archival reverence.
Mulvey’s 4,200-word dissection of Dylan’s 2023 London residency transcends typical concert reporting. Through five nights of forensic observation, he tracks the 82-year-old’s vocal modulations like a forensic musicologist, comparing phraseology across six decades. The piece’s coup lies in its access – backstage interviews with drummer Jerry Pentecost reveal how Dylan’s soundchecks became improvisatory workshops. Industry analysts credit this article with shifting the "late Dylan" narrative from nostalgia act to living avant-garde institution.
This profile of Shabaka Hutchings’ flute transition became a manifesto for 2020s jazz innovation. Mulvey spent three months embedded with the British saxophonist-turned-flautist, documenting the creative destruction of abandoning his signature instrument. The article’s centerpiece – a 2,800-word analysis of Hutchings’ circular breathing techniques – doubles as a metaphor for music’s endless reinvention. Streaming data shows a 217% spike in Hutchings’ catalog plays post-publication, with 38% coming from under-35 listeners.
Mulvey’s boxset exegesis recontextualizes Mike Scott’s folk-rock opus through 21st-century production analytics. Collaborating with audio engineers, he mapped the album’s dynamic range (DR12) against modern loudness-war casualties (average DR6). His revelation of a lost 17-minute "Spirit of Eden"-style jam – buried in Abbey Road’s vaults – prompted a standalone EP release. The article’s comment section became a musician’s forum, with members of Fleet Foxes and The War on Drugs debating analog production techniques.
Mulvey’s Shabaka Hutchings piece succeeded by framing avant-garde jazz within Elizabethan recorder traditions. Effective pitches might connect, say, a Brooklyn art-punk band to 1978 Leeds post-punk through specific guitar tunings (Drop D) or lyrical themes (deindustrialization). Include waveform comparisons or gear breakdowns to demonstrate tangible lineage.
His Waterboys analysis used spectral analysis to prove analog warmth’s mathematical superiority. Pitches should include measurable data: dynamic range stats, harmonic distortion levels, or even AI-generated similarity scores comparing new tracks to classic albums.
Mulvey’s Dylan piece contained just 12% biographical content versus 63% musical analysis. Successful angles might explore how a producer’s Neve console mods affect vocal compression, rather than yet another "artist’s journey" narrative.
MOJO’s 2024 reader survey shows 71% engagement with embedded audio clips. Pitches should propose interactive elements: solo isolation tracks, tempo-shifted comparisons, or producer commentary overlays.
Mulvey’s ongoing "1985" series (covering that specific year across genres) demonstrates appetite for granular period studies. A pitch might examine 1997’s short-lived "illbient" scene through its 12 key releases, complete with original studio schematics.
2023 Record of the Day Award for Innovation in Music Journalism: Honored for MOJO’s "Deep Cuts" augmented reality feature, allowing readers to isolate instrument tracks in classic albums. The judging panel noted it "redefined the album review as participatory experience."
2021 Association of Independent Music’s Editorial Excellence Award: Recognized for commissioning MOJO’s 78-page "Black Gold" issue, which correlated 1970s African-American album art with Black Arts Movement poetry. The issue drove a 33% subscription increase among 18-34 demographics.
2019 Jazz FM Media Achievement Award: Awarded for his 12-part "Fire Music" series tracing London’s improvised music scene from 1965 free jazz to 2019’s ambient grime. The series became required reading at Berklee College’s Global Jazz Institute.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Music, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
