Family is at the heart of Mo’Ju’s music. On their 2018 album Native Tongue , the Melbourne songwriter explored their Filipino and Wiradjuri heritage through stories of their grandparents. Their little brother, Stevie, is the drummer in their band and frequent co-writer.
Their new album has a special family connection, too: Oro, Plata, Mata is named after a 1980s film made by the singer’s tito (uncle), the director Peque Gallaga, who passed away in 2020, and features vocal contributions from his wife, Mo’Ju’s tita (auntie). “I wanted to do something in homage to him because growing up, he was one of the creatives in the family tree, and even though we weren’t super close, he was very beautiful to me,” Mo’Ju says. “He was always someone who I looked…