What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.
My brother and I have always found comfort in listening and playing music. It’s definitely something that came very naturally for us. It was always something we did just because it made us happy.
At first we just learned tunes we liked until we found out about the musicians who record in their bedrooms at home. We thought well if they can do it so can we! We then started buying up all the recording gear we could get our hands on and just recorded ourselves all the time. Eventually we started inviting friends to play our music live and it just kept growing from there.
Here is our Bio though:
Mantra Love is defined by a sleek nouveau rock ‘n’ roll finish. The music created by brother duo Derek and Fabian Silva takes inspiration from the classics, borrowing from the now cult underground acts of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, and their sound and songwriting resonate the same feel and authenticity while still covering new ground and making the band relevant within the contemporary cultural-zeitgeist.
The brothers each embody a key aspect of traditional rock stardom. Derek is the enigmatic frontman while Fabian takes on the role of the well-dressed, flashy guitarist. The impeccable style and sound of the group mesh the worlds of glam and underground rock with a particularly luminescent feel.
With the debut of their self-titled EP back in 2015, the outfit has remained active in the regional touring circuit in Texas, with Mantra Love becoming a familiar name throughout Houston, Austin, Dallas, and beyond. With the release of the hit single “Strawberry Milk” in 2017 and the successful completion of a west coast tour, the duo decided it was time to begin work toward the creation of new material. Since then, the brothers have stayed busy at their home studio meticulously crafting the next new pop-rock sensation.
The result is the group’s forthcoming EP “U Called?” The new release tosses out the older, more ethereal psychedelic influences for a sound that is calculated and precise, fully perceptible without the unnecessary haze of the modern psych sound.
Provide us with some info about your latest release…
Our latest release is a single named “Another One” off of our upcoming EP, “U called?”. It’s 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.
My brother and I originally recorded a demo of this song in their practice space at the time with a drum machine. Later we re-recorded the song with Gil Castillo on drums and Zane Armstrong on keys at home and after tracking it ourselves, Ty Robins mixed and mastered the song in his studio along with us.
Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?
I think as we play music and get older we continue to realize that our main influences aren’t necessarily the artists and famous people we idolize but instead are family, friends and ourselves. There is a lot to be gained as an artist or person in general if you can look inward and find inspiration from within your own life including the people you experience. It’s like a never ending source of energy for you to tap into.
In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?
I would describe our sound as very eclectic. We are a part of the generation that grew up with the internet at our fingertips. Our taste and influences know no bounds and change all the time. I think our music really reflects that. We like to think our music sound fresh to most people because we simply try to write songs we like without thinking where they fall on the genre spectrum.
Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…
Three desert island albums would be The Strokes – Is This It?, Tame Impala – Innerspeaker and Novos Baianos – Acabou Chorare
Three desert island books would be The Alchemist, Fight Club, How to Survive on a Deserted Island
Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?
That’s a hard one to answer. They are so different. On one hand you have a closed off environment where you can experiment and create new sounds and songs. You can definitely go deeper inside your own mind in the studio. On the other you have an environment that has all the energy of the music and the fans coming together to create an unique experience. Live shows are more about sharing and experiencing life together as the music supplements that group experience. I can’t really say I have a preference. Both are great in their own ways.
Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?
Ummm not sure how funny it is but we played a show on a lot of LSD one night and the show went great… until we were outside on a busy street taking forever to load our gear. This random drunk dude, started taunting us throwing beer at us, trying to take our gear out the van. It escalated to the point where he decided to try and fight us and our friends for our instruments. I’ll just say getting into a fight while you’re tripping is definitely how you have a bad trip. We had to go find some trees to lay under to calm down. I swear those trees were talking to us through it! Weird night…
Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?
Right now I would say “Another One” because it’s the newest song we have released and I am just really excited to be sharing music again after our hiatus. Don’t really think I can tell which one is most unique. They are all unique to me in their own ways. I’ll let everyone else take care of that.
Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?
Sure! We have another single planned to be release in June 2019 along with a video. Our EP comes out in July 2019. After that we will be playing shows and we have much more music on its way as well so be on the lookout!
Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…
What did you eat today for breakfast?
Very cold pizza.
Curated by: Christos Doukakis
Recommended listening:
Connect with Mantra Love: