Post-Everything Band Mantis

Mantis call themselves a "post-everything" band, and this describes their music quite perfectly. On the 27th of November, they released their brand new album "Glint". I now had the chance to talk to them about it.

The project from Belgium has signed with Dunk!records. Beginning as a three-piece, they released two EPs in 2016. In 2017 their fourth member joined the band.

Now complete, they started recording their debut album "Magnolia". With a suitcase full of music and inspiration, they played festivals like Dunk!, Roadburn, Rock Herk, and Vivid and left their audience speechless.

When I checked out their live show from the 2019 Dunk!festival, my heart started beating for Mantis. When I became aware that there would be a new album, it made me more than happy. One of the pre-releases from "Glint" made it to my "12 Songs for December" music list – two days later, "Glint" was released on Dunk! records.

There is only one thing I can say about it: If you haven't listened to it yet: Do it now!

Anne: Hi! Thank you very much for taking the time for this! How are you doing these days?

Remote band meetings

Mantis – "Glint"

Mantis: We're doing okay, considering the situation. Obviously, we would be happier if we could see each other in person instead of on Microsoft Teams because we miss each other. There's a lot of gaming, watching Netflix and hanging on the couch going on.

Anne: You've just released your second album, "Glint". Congrats on that! It's wonderful! Are you happy with the outcome of your work?

Mantis: To be honest, we've never been happier with a release than this time. Of course, you're meant to say this, but we mean it. We love how the physical record has turned out, thanks to the amazing people of Dunk!records

This time, everything fell into place, the artwork by talented photographer Giulia Sebastiani, the graphic design by our own Robin Todde and the silkscreen print on the D-side.

Apart from how it looks, we also think you can hear the hard work we put into it. We were much more focused in the studio, and I think we've grown a lot in how we're approaching our songwriting.

Anne: What's your favourite song on "Glint" and why?

"We all have different musical backgrounds"

Robin: This is a difficult question to answer; it varies from member to member. For me, it would be 'High Drought/Low Well' because of the cello by Laura Tavormina, and that main riff, which blasts through everything.

Ruben: For me, it's 'Altamont', because I feel it takes you on a journey, and I love the guest vocals which Jacques Nomdefamille from Heisa has added to it.

Filip: My favourite would be 'Stereo No Aware', because of the groove. But I think it depends on my mood, some days I prefer other songs on the album.

Anne: You said, that you like As I Watch You From Afars giddiness and Russian Circles brutalism as well as LCD Soundsystem's light funk. When listening to your songs, I can sign this. Would you say that these musicians are your biggest influences? Are there others that are important for you?

"We like Caspian, Converge and Alcest"

Mantis: We all come from different musical backgrounds, and we like a lot of various bands. You might not be able to hear them directly in our music, but I think that, on some level, all those influences make their way into the songs. We asked everyone in the band for their 'influences', and we've come up with an eclectic list of bands such as Caspian, Frank Ocean, Converge, Wilco and Alcest.

Anne: You've composed part of your new album "Glint" in cooperation with Jurgen, your former bass player. Later your newest member Thomas joined the process. I can imagine it quite inspiring to see your work from so many perspectives on the different stages of developing a record. Did it have a particular effect on your album working together with both of them?

Mantis: It is quite inspiring, and we also like to cultivate an environment in which it is possible for someone new like Thomas to come in and share his perspective on the music. The studio was already booked before he joined, so he didn't really have a choice in the matter, but he immediately came in with a broad perspective on the music which we had already written. We think that's the difference between Jurgen and Thomas. Jurgen was more focused on his lines on songs, while Thomas might be a bit more malleable, but he keeps a more focused perspective on the broader record.

Anne: Whose voice am I listening to on the track "Altamont"?

Dunk!festival has a great atmosphere

Mantis: Our good friend Jacques Nomdefamille, who is actualley the singer and bassist of Heisa. They also released a new record during the COVID-lockdown, so give them a listen.

Anne: You played a show at Dunk! in 2019. I talked to Andrew from Solkyri about the unique atmosphere at this event, and we agreed that we both love it there. It is quite different from other festivals. I love the people, the food, and the lunch breaks with the bands at the youth hostel. Everyone is so lovely and kind and in a good mood. What do you think makes this place and event so unique? What distinguishes it from other festivals?

Mantis: The overall atmosphere makes it such a great festival experience. You feel there are real music lovers at Dunk!; it's not just an excuse to get drunk and dirty. We noticed this when we opened the main stage during the 2019 edition. Our festival experiences so far taught us that opening bands draw small crowds, but the tent was filled with people at Dunk!. And after our show, this crowd moved into the woods for the next band. That's a great feeling for an artist. Also, we enjoyed the eighties-music that the Dunk!fries guys started blasting after the shows.

Anne: Will we meet you there in 2021 or 2022 or whenever COVID lets us do festivals again?

Mantis: Whether it be as a performing artist or as visitors, we will undoubtedly be at the next Dunk!festival.

Anne: Do you enjoy working with the Dunk!team?

"We're all keeping busy"

Mantis: It's the greatest. They really spoiled us with this record. Our producer Jannes is part of the Dunk!family, and we feel he has become a member of our little band family as well. We always have productive, fun and drunk times with Jannes. He's the best.

Anne: A mantis or praying mantis is an extraordinary and powerful insect. How did you come up with the idea of naming your band after it? Or does it have another meaning for you?

Mantis: It doesn't have a specific meaning for us; it was just the name we first settled on. After a while though, we became adamant that it's pronounced the Dutch way, so "Man-tis" (as in the German "Mann"), not "Men-tis".

Anne: How do you spend your time now that we're all under lockdown? My mind pictures these colourful images of musicians that are sitting in their home studios writing songs all the time. But I'm pretty sure it isn't as easy as it seems at first thought?

Mantis: We all keep busy in our way, everyone is recording some ideas to the best of their abilities, and we'll see what we'll keep when we start writing the next record. Not all of us have access to a (home) studio or recording equipment, but we try to develop creative solutions such as sampling. Also, we recorded a socially distanced live session during the first national lockdown, which you can find here:

Anne: Do you miss playing live on stage and going on tour a lot?

"Not being able to play shows feels weird"

Mantis: Yes, of course, it is what we like best about being in a band. It feels weird to release a record without being able to promote it by playing shows. We really can't wait for the return of live music.

Anne: When did you play your last show?

Mantis: We were lucky to play a show in between lockdowns last September, at Muziekodroom, the best local venue. It was a lot of fun, but it still felt off, especially for our kind of music. We don't write music to sit down and calmly enjoy a drink. So we hope the situation returns to normal as soon as possible.

Anne: New band member in 2017, two albums in three years. There's a lot going on for Mantis. What's up next?

Mantis: We're delighted to hear this because sometimes we hear it has taken us a long time to release new music. Considering we all have day jobs, we would argue we keep a steady stream of new material coming. For our future, we aim to start playing live again, to write a new record, and to create that cookie company we have been joking about for so long now.