Listen up everyone on the Left Bank, it is almost Friday which means it is one of the best days of the week, if not my life. I’m so close to achieving inbox zero I can feel it, and to top it all off, we have an exclusive stream of Mantra Love’s new EP, U Called?
Told you it would be a good day.
Houston-based Mantra Love is sleek nouveau rock ‘n’ roll, created by brother duo Derek and Fabian Silva. They take inspiration from the classics—borrowing from the now cult underground acts of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s—but also make it totally theirs.
The new album tosses out their older, more ethereal psychedelic influences for a sound that is calculated and precise. I can’t get past how good “Another One” is, or how the track “IDC” gives me nostalgic vibes circa The Strokes era, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll need to listen to any other band now that I’ve discovered Mantra Love. And, I still have four other tracks to go. Look out world, I’m unstoppable.
The band took a moment from their busy lives to give us a breakdown of each tune, its influences, and what it’s all about. I think this brings the album to life even more—experience it all below.
Another One
Another One is about someone who always has an alibi for every time they disappoint you. You know they are lying and just telling you what you want to hear so you pretend to be pleased with their excuses for the sake of being nice. You would rather be told the truth than have to listen to lie after lie.
Derek and Fabian originally recorded a demo of this song in their practice space at the time with a drum machine. Later they re-recorded the song with Gil Castillo on drums and Zane Armstrong on keys at home and after tracking it themselves, Ty Robins mixed and mastered the song in his studio along with the brothers.
Feels
Feels is simply about being in your feels. The kind of feelings you get when you overthink or run into problems in your life. When things are too good to be true. In your feels. We thought about replacing the drum machine with live drums like the other tracks but we enjoyed the way the drum machine added to the overall sound of the song.
The brothers recorded a demo which actually became the final version of the song.
IDC
IDC is about when a person consistently uses you. They are an emotional vampire sucking you dry of every bit of empathy you have left until you just don’t give a shit anymore. You have given them all you can give and still they don’t ever return the favor. It’s always a one way street with them and you are just over it.
Trying to Relax
Trying to Relax is about being lazy and always talking about doing something but never actually getting off of your ass to set your goals into action. We spend a lot of our time chasing things that won’t mean a damn after we are gone from this world so why not spend your life doing what you want to do when there is so much potential inside us all to make whatever we want to happen, happen.
The demo of this song was recorded in Derek’s apartment and later re-recorded (after fleshing out the song more from what they had in the demo version).
XO
XO is about those feelings and thoughts you get when you see someone you still love after a break up. It’s hard to put those feelings aside to resist any temptations that may still lay inside you. You may want to grab that person and kiss them but you know what lies at the end of that road… disappointment and heartbreak. It’s about overcoming those urges and breaking the cycle to change your life for the better.
Listen to the entire EP here.