PRAYING MANTIS
Questions asked by Jon Wilde, added to Rock Realms 9th December 2010.
Praying Mantis is a hugely well regarded UK heavy rock act. Their latest album "Sanctuary" was out last year, and since then they've hardly stopped touring.
We caught up with Andy, Chris and Mike (left, middle and right) to find out how life is treating them at present...
Hi Guys, thanks for taking a moment to answer these questions. Hope you are well?
Chris: It’s a pleasure! Were all fine thanks Jon.
There seems to be a lot of love for you guys out there at the moment. How does being a rocker in 2010 compare to the other (couple of) years you’ve been a part of Praying Mantis? Is this a good time now for this type of music?
Chris: It certainly seems as though it’s a good time for our type of music ,and Journey's “Don’t Stop Believin'“ is testament to that. In saying that from the early 80’s to relatively recently I think it has been hard for rock/ melodic rock but perhaps that corner has been turned now, and if that’s the case then it would have been worth the very long wait.
Mike: I've only been with Mantis since 2006 but first, rockers never change as the music never really went away thanks to the likes of Dio, Maiden, Heaven & Hell, Journey, Anvil, Snake and many others. Yes, it's a great time for this type of music. New fans are coming on board all the time.
Latest LP “Sanctuary” has been out for a while now. With reflection how well do you think it fits into the Praying Mantis discography, and is there anything you would have done differently if you could go back to those studio sessions?
Chris: I think one of the key points is the production of Sanctuary. It is really clear yet punchy allowing the songs' messages to be delivered to their optimum effect. Its amazing how,if the production is not quite right, then the quality of the song, no matter how good, can be lost and some really potentially brilliant tracks can fall by the wayside.
Mike: I think it fits perfectly within the Mantis history, slightly heavier in parts but that suits the market today. I wouldn't change a thing as the whole band with Andy Reilly of Muse Productions set out to produce an album that touched many areas. It's also really quite addictive.
It deservedly garnered a lot of positive reviews. How did it perform in terms of sales, airplay and bringing in new fans?
Andy: The album has sold really really well especially in Japan and for the first time Mantis got lots of airplay in the US, which is obviously a territory we would love to break into. The song 'Restless Heart' was top requested track on a couple of large stations which was great.
Mike: It's still doing well even though we had a few distribution problems for quite a few months with many fans around the world chasing for a copy. The reviews were more than any band could wish for and yes, we have new fans in their teens. Can't be bad really.
You seem to have been flat out promoting the album ever since. Is that how it feels?
Andy: Feels great. The songs from Sanctuary feel really fresh when we play them live and we try and introduce different tracks for different venues with a mix of classic Mantis tracks.
Mike: Every gig has been fantastic, and to hear guys singing the Sanctuary songs back at me is a feeling you can't describe until you experience it.
Chris: We had a lot of help and support with the promotion from Sonia at SLW Promotions who did a fantastic job of helping the band promote the album after the release! http://www.myspace.com/slwpromotions
You played a lot of concerts on the back of “Sanctuary”. Any particular ones stand out?
Andy: For me definitely the Japan tour at the end of 2009 and Sweden Rock this year where we played a second set on the acoustic stage, which was a first for us but it went down a storm! We also have some great gigs coming up in the UK and Spain, Holland and Paris. It keeps rolling!
Mike: Japan was something I'll never forget. The work and effort that all the guys behind the scene put into making the shows something special totally knocked me out. Athens and Bologna were fantastic, though I do have a soft spot for the guys at Pacific Rock in Cergy France.
Chris: Japan has to be the one that stands out! But its great playing in the UK and building a whole new fan base playing festivals such as HardRockHell, Bloodstock and Cambridge rock etc.
Do you consider the live stage your natural setting, or do you share an equal affection for getting creative in the studio?
Chris: I think you do need the right balance. It is an amazing experience to play to an audience that are amazingly enthusiastic and know every word of your songs! Equally, when we are in the studio and a stunning piece of a song comes together, that puts the hairs of your spine up and possibly also give you a stiffy.....…. So a little balance between the two scenarios is just right.
Mike: Both. Never thought I'd say that, as writing can be a tough demand but with Mantis, it's pretty much a natural progression with ideas. Love the stage work ;-)
You have a new single ‘Witch Hunt’ on the way out. What’s the story behind the writing and release of it?
Chris: Well the lyrics are about the burning of a witch at the stake and staged a few hundred years ago. Initially it was about any witch, but when we were trying to find appropriate video footage to go with the song we came across some great excerpts from the Joan of Arc films which seemed to go hand in hand with the Witch-hunt song. As many people may know , many individuals did consider her to be a witch.
It was released to partially coincide with Halloween, though I think we just missed it! The song was released as a free download on CDBaby and iTunes and is still available.
Mike: This song was around when we were writing for the album, we had quite a few to choose from and we weren't quite sure if "Witch Hunt" fitted. At the same time we all loved the song and decided that we couldn't let it go so we decided to give it some recognition during Halloween - http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/prayingmantis
That’s being followed by a new EP. Why the decision to release the EP, and what can people expect on it?
Chris: The release of Witchhunt was mainly to promote the new EP Metalmorphosis. This will be on our own label and will be a limited edition of only 10,000 copies due for release in February 2011 featuring some re-recordings of some of the classic Mantis songs , mainly taken from the original "Time tells No Lies" album. The tracks are Praying Mantis, Lovers to the Grave, Children of the Earth, Panic in the Streets and Captured City. We will be posting some sample tracks on our MySpace page very soon – http://www.myspace.com/prayingmantisrock
Mike: The band is quite a tough unit now and with some classic songs that will always come up live, we thought it would be great to record them as the Mantis we are now.
When should we be seeing a new Praying Mantis LP
Andy: I hope by the end of 2011 we are writing at the moment and are full of ideas.
Mike: Writing is under way so watch this space...
Will any new material be a continuation of what we heard on Sanctuary, or are you thinking about trying something out of the ordinary?
Andy: Well we think Sanctuary was something out of the ordinary! This was the first time I had written with Mantis and it was a very natural process so whatever happens will not be contrived or written to formula but just what we feel at the time.
Mike: It's hard to tell, the ideas come from all of us. If it sounds good, we'll record it.
How does Praying Mantis go about writing? Talk us through the construction of a typical song...
Chris: There are no doubt many ways an individual may go about writing a song. My general route is to write the basic outline plan of the song and then try to think of a drop dead hot melody line for the vocals. If it doesn’t come natural, then re-write the song again until you can get that butchers hook. Then with input from the rest of the band it’s plain sailing.
Mike: One of us has a blueprint of a song open to all options and ideas, where the rest of us will have an idea, possibly a riff, vocal melody line or words, then the emails fly. MP3s are sent to all with regular meetings at Chris' studio to record and pull apart what we have. At the end of that, a song emerges.
Is there a master plan to the path Praying Mantis takes, or do you guys take each day as it comes?
Andy: The master plan is to surpass the next frontier!...... there is no doubt that Mantis have been around for a large number of years but had not fulfilled the target objectives. It is only now that those inroads seem to be finally happening for Mantis. Better late than never!!
Any question you love being asked that I’ve missed? If so, what’s the answer?
Andy: Yes….. that is how many million albums have you now sold
Mike: Yes. We should be as big a Maiden
What are you up to once you’ve finished answering these questions?
Chris: I am going to try to write a section of a new song and hope that it gives me a stiiffy!!
Mike: Going to bed, I have an energetic two year old little girl who'll be up and ready for another day tomorrow.
Anything else you would like to mention?
Mike: Love and thanks to all the fans who are always there wherever we play, with some flying over just to say hi. Those guys are priceless and worth every inch of the journey.
Chris: From January the EP will be available to pre-order via our myspace page or merch@praying-mantis.com.
Thanks for your time!
Chris: It’s a pleasure! We are playing with the Tygers at the Agincourt Camberley on the 17th December if you fancy a beer! http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2401271457&ref=ts
Thanks again to the guys for their time. You can check out the Rock Realms review of their last album "Sanctuary" by clicking here. Keep an eye out for the new single and EP, and make sure you catch 'em live. You won't regret it!
Label: Frontiers
Artist's websites: Praying Mantis|MySpace
Promo: Rock N Growl
