Josh Ostrander, the songwriter behind Mondo Cozmo, has seen his share of music industry surprises over the years. But few compare to the unexpected revival of “Shine,” his 2016 anthem that recently found a new audience thanks to Amazon Prime’s Reacher. The track, a staple of WXPN’s airwaves for nearly a decade, became one of the most searched songs on Shazam after closing out the show’s season finale.
“They asked to use the song a while ago. We said, ‘Yeah, take it,’” Ostrander said. “But you never know how it’s gonna be used. For it to be the last song of the season finale? They played the whole thing into the credits. As an artist, that’s the dream.”
The track, originally released nearly nine years ago, has since hit No. 1 in Canada, No. 2 in the U.K., and No. 11 globally on Shazam, with overall streams up over 1,000%. For Ostrander, the resurgence feels both surreal and validating. “People are hearing this song for the first time and reacting to it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter that it came out nine years ago. The feeling is there.”
The revival of “Shine” taps into a growing trend of older songs gaining fresh relevance through TV placements, known as syncs. It’s the same path that reintroduced Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and R.E.M.’s “Strange Currencies” to a new generation of listeners. For Ostrander, the power is in the moment a viewer feels compelled to know more. “To Shazam a song, you have to pull out your phone and ask, ‘What is this?’” he says. “That’s organic. It’s beautiful.”
Yet for independent artists like Ostrander, such breakthroughs are rare. He spoke openly about the financial realities of touring (“It’s freaking expensive, man”) and streaming’s uneven playing field. “If you go to a show, buy a T-shirt or a vinyl – that’s the band getting some money,” he said. Still, he views the sync as a catalyst: “It creates opportunities. Someone else might hear it and want to use it for something else.”
For Ostrander, the “Shine” revival isn’t just about metrics — it’s a reminder of the song’s enduring power. “This song is bigger than me. It’s something that spoke through me,” he said. “To see it get a second light? I’m just thankful.”
When asked if he’s allowed himself to celebrate, he laughed. “I don’t know how to feel. We’re all in shock. But hey, it’s good to be seen.”
Mondo Cozmo plays Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia on September 11 and the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Asbury Park on September 13.