In Conversation With #183 - Manta
Manchester based artist Manta has just released his sun-kissed debut EP ‘Confined Spaces’ via Lab Records - which is five tracks of effortlessly beautiful melodic bedroom pop.
Speaking on Confined Spaces Manta says, "Confined spaces I think sums up the EP perfectly because everything at the time just felt so ‘confined’. Mentally stuck in a head space, worried and overthinking everything, then physically being in a lockdown spending days on end alone unable to see family and friends. Each song on the EP means a lot to me and helped me through different emotions I was going through, so I feel like it’s a perfect project that sums up lockdown for me."
Confined Spaces is an exciting 5-track collection that marks Manta out as a talent to watch. The EP is the sound of an artist announcing themselves after time spent perfecting and honing their sound.
He took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Manta, how are you? So your debut EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
I’m great, really happy that the EP is finally out! Some of the songs are nearly 3 years old so it’s crazy that they’re actually finally out in the world!
It is called ‘Confined Spaces’ - what is the meaning behind that?
It’s called Confined Spaces because everything around the EP felt confined. It was written during lockdown when I was confined to my bedroom and my small shed to write music. Due to lockdown it caused me to feel very low and overthinking how long things would last with the only escape from it all being music. So confined spaces I felt summed everything on the EP perfectly.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
It was all written recorded in my bedroom even the music videos were all in my uni bedrooms aha. First story that comes to mind is when I was recording the music video for Thoughts of Yesterday, I bought a bath tub off Facebook marketplace, managed to get it to my bedroom (top floor of a uni house), filled it up and fell 3 feet into it. All my housemates were dreading me doing the stunt thinking I’d break a whole through the ceiling and flood the house. Luckily, I didn’t though and all went smooth.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
I feel the key themes are lockdown and influences from the Spotify playlist Lorem because that’s what I was listening to mostly when making the EP.
If the EP could be a soundtrack to any film - which one and why?
I’d say the film Juno because it’s my comfort film and I’ve watched it too many times to count
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
Probably just the chorus of Thoughts Of yesterday because it’s one of my favourite tunes I’ve ever written.
Now the EP is out there - what next for you?
I’m currently working on my next project getting together songs for another ep improving my sound and style.
