The interview with Mantracoda from Adelaide, live @Fowler's Live   on Wednesday, July 8th for Emergenza Festival Australia:   

PLEASE TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR BAND: HOW AND WHEN WAS IT BORN?
 
MANTRACODA began many years ago for me after I returned from a solo tour of Germany, France, UK and Ireland. It was the concept of an outfit whose central core remained the same, whilst allowing other musicians to come and go, that really made sense to me after working with so many different talented musicians all over Europe. When I met Andrea, over 2 years ago I was stoked because she was also a multi-instrumentalist who has a similar musical outlook and vision to me with a passion for travel, creativity and adventure. Thus MANTRACODA was officially born.

WHEN DID YOUR INTEREST IN MUSIC BEGIN? AND HOW HAS YOUR MUSIC CHANGED FROM THE MOMENT YOU BEGAN TO PLAY TOGETHER?
 
I was fortunate to have been born into a musical family and I began playing piano and violin around the age of 6. It wasn't until I was 16 that I began my journey as a guitarist and writing my own original compositions. Since I began working with Andrea the music has not only evolved into ways that I had worked towards, but more importantly, in ways that I could have never imagined. Her Flute playing has completely opened up a new dimension for the music and I love it.

HOW DO YOU CREATE A SONG? (WHO WRITES LYRICS, WHO MUSIC, ETC...?)

 
I create a song when the emotion or inspiration rises from within and wants to become manifest and be heard in the World. I don't force the music or the lyrics, rather I allow them to come forth as and when they will. Generally the music comes first and then the lyrics, although sometimes I may have a line that keeps looping in my mind and I simply have to honour it and allow it to naturally evolve and expand as it will. Then I weave the music to suit or set the appropriate sonic landscape around the phrases. I truly enjoy recording the guitar and vocal tracks on our portable digital recording device and then passing it over to Andrea for her composition and further development. It's an exciting and thoroughly enjoyable process.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC TO PEOPLE WHO DOESN'T KNOW YOU?
 
I would describe my music as a sonic journey through a whole range of styles, genres and influences that call upon many different cultural feels. I would say that it's like a fusion between rock, folk, jazz, classical, contemporary and a whole range of styles with my own interpretation, emotions and musical understanding weaving it all together somehow. I would also say that we try to keep it as real, honest and organic as we can, whilst utilizing the technology that serves this purpose well. We try to keep it acoustic, even in the studio because to us.. acoustic is raw and honest and real... from the heart. 

WHICH BANDS INSPIRED AND INSPIRE YOU?
 
I find this question really hard to answer because there are just so many different bands and musicians from a whole range of cultures and from multitudinous parts of the World who have and still do, move me very deeply. To hone out a handful, to me would be disrespecting the rest.

TALK US ABOUT THE PECULIARITIES OF YOUR MUSIC!
 
The thing that I believe makes our music unique, are all of the nuances and movements within every song. It's like listening to stories that describe a whole range of emotional soundscapes within. The music paints a picture and is written in such a way so as to be accessible to everyone. It is laced with positive messages and resolutions to problems and the thing that I love about this, is that to listen to a song can be a private affair and really mean so much to so many people, in so many different ways. It can also be shared and the combination of both is truly awesome!!  We use a variety of different instruments which create something unique and yet we can perform with simply guitar, flute and vocals and still, the songs stand alone. We also record our own samples that we incorporate into our recording which makes the music very ambient and interesting in that respect. Our music is also 'All Ages' and I like that.

HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT EMERGENZA FESTIVAL AND WHY YOU DECIDED TO TAKE PART IN IT?
 
I think I heard about EMERGENZA through The Indie Newsletter that I am subscribed to. I thought that the opportunity to be part of the festival would be absolutely awesome. I have played around many parts of Australia and several parts of Western Europe. I loved every minute and we have just finished recording our latest LP called "Door to Amaze" and we got the masters back a couple of days ago and were blown away by just how amazing it truly sounds. We will be performing several songs off the LP and can't wait for the people to hear what we have done.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM EMERGENZA AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR FIRST EMERGENZA CONCERT?
 
One can only hope that through festivals and opportunities like EMERGENZA, that we get the chance to take our art, our skills, our performance and our love for the music that we create to the Global Arena. We want the World to hear the magic of what we do and we can't wait for our 1st EMERGENZA concert :)

Wanna enrol your band in  Emergenza Festival Australia? Click here!