Seattle’s Mantraband to Release Self-Titled LP on April 29th

The synthy dance club vibes of Mantraband are the music baby of Matt Manges on drums (Circus Contraption, Annie Ford Band, Orkestar Zirkonium), Doug Arney on bass (Correspondents), and Sari Breznau (Flotsam River Circus, Up Up Up Crane Truck Circus, Future Fridays) on synth and trumpet, with the help of the Mantraband Friends Fellowship Society, a choir of true believers, on vocals. Unabashedly positive, Mantraband is here to uplift, unite, dork out, and get down.

Mantraband exists outside of criticism and taste, beyond genre or vibe, in a place of ecstatic, human, silly, release. The band’s just-announced self-titled record is for dancing in your socks, Risky Business style. For calming yourself when you’re freaking out, for letting go when you’re holding too tight, for pumping up, for letting loose, for peacing out.

From Seattle, Mantraband was born on a late-night stormy road trip; three friends driving to Oregon through the pounding rain with a busted defrost. The weight of adulthood pressing down, they started sharing mantras for getting through the day. A notebook appeared, and the pages filled up with variously nonsensical, unreadable, and profound snippets. The concept was then laid out – lengthy dance jams, with sing-along mantras that would stick with people, to help them get through. Shows that would feel like a self-help seminar on acid. A pseudo-cult with mono color clothes and a killer dance floor of people feeling free.

By the time the journey ended the plan was fully formed. Rehearsals started, songs solidified, and a policy of saying yes to all ideas emerged. The band became the house band for the Art Martyrs Relief Society’s annual showcase. A thrift store run and a bathtub of dye turned the monochrome cult clothes dream into a reality. A choir of friends were recruited to lead the crowd in singing the mantras, and people DANCED.

Two years of epically fun jams later, the Mantraband record was made. Instrumental tracks were laid down in a buddy’s home studio, with Doug doubling as bass player and recording engineer. Mistakes were made, fun was had, and eventually the Art Martyrs Relief Society got on board with helping to fund the final phases of the process.

Eric Padget at Noise Noise Ouch Stop Records recorded the vocals, Steve Fisk (Father Sound himself) was a perfect match for mixing – not only are his ears and production creativity legendary, Steve has a lifelong obsession with cult music and an encyclopedic knowledge of every fringy wingnut who ever laid down tracks.

You are invited to put on some clothes in a weird shade of baby blue, set aside your responsibilities for a minute, and join up singing and dancing your way free with the Mantraband Friends Fellowship Society. Welcome.

Mantraband ‘Mantraband’ album artwork