AUSTIN, Texas – Anthony Watkins II moved to Austin as a web designer and part-time gig musician, but after getting a taste of “The Live Music Capital of the World,” it didn’t take long for him to ditch the computer job and become a full-time musician. Music has always been a part of the 34-year-old’s life, but it took becoming a Texan for Watkins to realize it was his purpose. 

• Austin-based artist Mobley learned numerous instruments at a young age
• Switched from a career as a web designer to a full-time musician 
• Staying connected with fans via social media during coronavirus pandemic 

Going by the moniker “Mobley,” the one-man-band has spent the last five years touring all over the world, performing alongside big-name acts and writing music for the likes of HBO, FOX and NBC. Between his energetic, lively performances, his skill on numerous instruments and his ability to connect to an audience with powerful, introspective lyrics, there are many reasons why Mobley is quickly becoming a rising star in the Texas music scene.

“I grew up a really, really shy kid,” said Mobley. If you merely watch the artist perform, it may come as a surprise that the confident singer you see on stage is an introvert. “Even now, when I’m not in business mode, I’m pretty shy and quiet, and so I always feel very cognizant of how much space I’m taking up.”

Mobley spent his childhood moving from country to country with his military family. His exposure to different cultures and influences began broadening his curiosity and creativity at a very young age. 

“My mom says when I was about 2, I heard some orchestral recording, and I asked what a certain instrument was. When she told me it was a violin, I said I wanted to play that.”

Age 2 was a little too young, but around the age of 5, Mobley says his parents got him his first violin, and he officially began his musical journey. In middle school, he began learning how to play the trumpet, and in high school, he picked up the guitar. Drums, piano, bass guitar and anything you can create a rhythm with followed soon after. Surprisingly enough, Anthony Watkins II never imagined becoming a professional musician, but Mobley’s undeniable talent and his respect for the art has taken him front stage and center. 

“At this point, it’s such an integral part of my life and such a fundamental part of how I experience the world,” said Mobley. “It’s a lens through which I understand myself and the things that are happening around me.”

Growing up shy gave Watkins a keen sense of awareness and the inability to turn a blind eye to social injustices.

“When I’m on stage, and there’s a room full of people, and I’m the only person who’s allowed to talk - I don’t feel entitled to that,” said Mobley. “It feels like a privilege and a responsibility, and it would feel irresponsible to get up there and not have anything to say other than ‘pay attention to me.’”

Mobley’s respect for the world, other people and social justice ring loudly in every song he creates. Through his inspiring and introspective lyrics, the Austin musician gives a voice to the voiceless and delivers a call to action.

“I think a really important function of art is to inspire people, to have something meaningful to convey when I get up there and to give people transcendent experiences,” said the artist. “More than ‘this is the job I do,’ or ‘this is how much money I make,’ ‘this is where I live’ - but experiences that make them feel alive and really human, that tap you into something more important.”

For the last several weeks, Mobley has spent a great deal of time processing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Like a lot of people, my initial reaction was kind of a bewildered one,” said Mobley. “As the reality and the magnitude of it becomes clearer and clearer, a lot of that bewilderment and confusion has been replaced by a very profound and sad frustration with the people responsible for creating and running the world that we live in.” 

Sheltering in place hasn’t stopped Mobley from sharing his gift. Although he’s not performing on a stage surrounded by thousands of people, his new weekly livestream on YouTube and Instagram LIVE has been keeping him connected with his fans. 

 “I think there are far too many people who are just utterly naked to the danger of this pandemic,” said Mobley during last week’s livestream. “Poverty, homelessness, job insecurity, making health care contingent on employment - those are all components of the pandemic that are hurting a lot of people in pretty stark and terrifying ways that are completely optional. It’s just deeply sad to consider the incalculable suffering that will result from that fact.”

Even with as much uncertainty that still exists, Mobley says he continues to see glimpses of hope for change.

“I think a lot of people are having eye-opening experiences as a result of the social disruption,” said Mobley. “It’s my hope that we can transmute that frustration into action that results in systemic, sustained change in the way that we do things. That’s my emotional, internal response to the pandemic, and hopefully by the next time that we talk about this, we’ll be living in a very different world.”