Australian hip hop artist Mantra has just released his third studio album Telling Scenes, the first on Ten To Two Records the home of Seth Sentry and Grey Ghost. With the album already spawning two successful singles Bradio and anthem Loudmouth, as well as the darker ‘Break Tradition’
the album certainly showcases how high Mantra has raised the bar.
What were your food influences when you were growing up and what kind of food did you eat at home or with your family?
My mum and dad lived separately when I was growing up and they had totally different approaches to cooking. Mum was heaps more traditional and cooked that real hearty, comforting soul food with lots of love in it. Mad stews and curries and pastas and the best roasts I’ve ever eaten in my life. Dad was a bit more experimental, a bit more fancy. He would cook lots of funky asian style meals and every now and then a really mean steak. Either way, I was well fed.
How was your diet during recording ‘Telling Scenes’, did you cook while you were in studio or was it take away 24/7?
I try not to eat too much take away while I’m in the studio but sometimes it can be hard to avoid. When you’re arriving at the studio at 10am and not leaving til 10 or 11 at night, a quick dodgy meal is often the only option. That said, me and Ptero_Stylus who mixed the album would often do a mad long session in the studio and then go hit up a massive pub meal and have a few beers to wind down. Brilliant.
What sort of tour van munchies to you plan on taking on the road for your ‘Telling Scenes’ album tour?
I love me some tour van munchies. For real. My favourites at the moment are tamari almonds and black sesame rice crackers. I’ve never tried crack but I swear to god these snacks are far more addictive. I can bring home 5 packets of each and they’re gone by day’s end. Recently on tour I’ve been loving fresh, juicy oranges too. They keep you hydrated and keep your energy up, both of which can be tricky on the road.
What type of food do you hate, and what is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever eaten?
All my best food stories come from a trip to China I took in 2010 to work on a big art project over there. I was with my homie Monkey Marc and we went to this place that had an item on the menu called “Sensation in the Dirty”. We had to order it just for the name. Turns out that was a bad idea. It was some kind of liver stir-fry thing and no-one in the crew could stomach more than a mouthful. On another occasion we ordered a notorious dish called “Stinky Tofu”, which actually tasted delicious, though as it’s name suggested smelled like absolute death. The smell would best be described as a perfect marriage between hot garbage and a toilet at Big Day Out.
What type of food do you make sure to avoid before a gig or going on stage?
I had a pretty bad run in with an Indian curry once. I ate it about 45 minutes before going on stage with a band. About 5 minutes before the set, there was an emergency of epic proportions and the band actually had to start without me because I was in the men’s room at the venue, praying for my life. What was worse is the door on the cubicle didn’t lock, so most of the time I had one foot up against the door so nobody would walk in and see the frontman of the band they’d come to see in the least flattering position imaginable.
Imagine for a second you can request anything on your rider for your upcoming album tour for ‘Telling Scenes’. What food and drinks would you put on it?
The first thing my dream rider would have on it is probably a kick-ass charcuterie board. I’m talking French cheeses, cured meats, fois-gras, white anchovies, green Sicilian olives, the works. Probably not the best stuff to be eating before a gig, but seriously dope stuff. If I ever thought I could get away with it I’d request it for sure. Other than that I’d probably ask for a really nice, smooth single malt. A Glenmorangie or Glenfiddich around 12-15 years old. I’ve been loving a Japanese whiskey called Yamazaki lately too. Definitely a pipe dream though.
What has been your biggest cooking disaster to date?
When I was 18 I was babysitting my little brother, who was 2 years old at the time. He was a bit of a handful at the time and I was trying to cook him dinner which was proving quite difficult. I took a hot saucepan off the stove and put it down on this bright blue plastic chopping board. As I did my little bro came in screaming and running around like a madman so I had to calm him down and when I went back to the saucepan, it had completely melted the chopping board and they were now completely stuck together. They’re still stuck together and completely unusable to this day.
Where’s your favourite music venue to eat at in Australia?
That’s a tough one. The Espy in Melbourne has a pretty rad kitchen, as does Republic Bar in Hobart. Anywhere that does really good quality pub fare is good by me.
What music do you like to play when you’re cooking?
I listen to all sorts of different music when I’m cooking, I think it depends on what I’m making. I often put up Facebook statuses saying something along the lines of “I’m cooking tuna steaks with lime and coriander salsa, what’s my ideal soundtrack?” I always get some interesting responses, most of which I ignore but there’s always some gold in there. Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding, Billie Holiday and CW Stoneking are my usual go-to’s.
What is one meal you could not live without?
This is probably cliche as hell, but it’s totally my mother’s roast lamb. Cooked slowly with heaps of garlic and rosemary, perfect roast potatoes (crunchy as hell on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside), roasted red peppers and whole cloves of garlic. But the star of the show is mum’s signature gravy. I’ve never tasted another sauce exactly like it. Nobody knows exactly what she puts in it. But I know it includes vegemite.
Telling Scenes is out now on Ten To Two Records
Mantra Tour Dates:
THURSDAY 19 SEP – FLYRITE, PERTH – 18+
FRIDAY 20 SEP – MOJO’s, FREMANTLE – 18+
THURSDAY 3 OCT – GREAT NORTHERN, NEWCASTLE – 18+ *
FRIDAY 4 OCT – ANNANDALE HOTEL, SYDNEY – 18+ *
SATURDAY 5 OCT – BEACHCOMBER, TOUKLEY – 18+ *
FRIDAY 11 OCT – THE EVELYN, MELBOURNE – 18+ *
THURSDAY 17 OCT – TEMPO HOTEL, BRISBANE – 18+
SAT 19 OCT – SOL BAR, MAROOCHYDORE – 18+
SAT 26 OCT – ED CASTLE, ADELAIDE – 18+
