Hailing from Melbourne’s inner suburbs comes Mantell, an indie rock quartet set to take on the city’s ever-evolving music scene. The band offers a fresh take on the genre with an alluring mash up of diverging guitars, harmonious base lines and classic seventies drumming, contributing to their unique and modern edge.
A blend of dulcet and upbeat tunes which pay homage to influences including Big Scary, The War on Drugs and Radiohead make up the self-described ‘racket’ that is Mantell. The band had humble beginnings as two brothers jamming in their suburban garage, soon joined by a cousin and a high school friend to complete the outfit.
Officially formed in 2013, Quintin and Connor Tuan, Brayden Filippone and Sam Reader experimented with different styles and utilised an array of techniques before they reached their signature sound for their debut EP thirty two.
The opening track Lulu was recorded at their home studio in their garage over the period of a week with a mix of vintage instruments and analogue recording equipment. Mantell’s take on old school recording techniques is a nod to the music that the boys hear on their favourite albums. Matt Stapleton (of Magic America) mixed the song and helped shape the sound with his unique approach to post production processing and effects.
Lulu captures the carefree essence of youth through a nostalgic lens, with the lyrics creating an evocative narrative. The track drew some of its inspiration from the jangled guitar sound heard in Hockey Dad tracks such as ‘So Tired’. The outro features a guitar solo reminiscent of The War On Drugs- a sound which you can sing along as well as you can a vocal melody.
Left to their own devices, the boys were able to showcase their flair for all things music as they wrote, recorded and produced thirty-two single-handedly. The process spanned over a year in their home studio/garage and the final product features five original songs which highlight their originality and versatility as musicians. Their hard work has been rewarded with Mantell achieving local and interstate radio airplay and interviews. The band is enjoying growing popularity as they play packed out shows at renowned Melbourne venues including The Workers Club and The Penny Black.
The future looks bright for Mantell with the young band set to continue gracing Melbourne’s music stage with their high-energy performances while they fill their spare time workshopping and recording new music.
Following the release of their EP on October 5th, Mantell will be hitting up The Retreat Hotel in Brunswick to play their launch gig for thirty two on October 16th.
The ‘thirty two’ EP by Mantell will be released 5th of October.
About Author
