Get to Know: Mansionair

Sydney, Australia’s Grammy-nominated trio Mansionair is back again with a new single “MORE.” Recorded with UK producer Jon Gilmore who has worked with The 1975, the song is written in 5/4 time (five beats to the measure) to represent the overall theme of never being satisfied and always wanting more because it has a feeling of never really resolving and always feeling tense. The song was accompanied by a video that explores the ideas of the song in a meaningful and powerful way.

Watch the music video below.

Mansionair’s singer Jack spoke with Beyond The Stage (BTS) about the single and their band in the past, present, and future.

BTS: Why and when did you start making music? How did your trio get together?

We started making music together over a mutual interest in electronic music. Lach and Alex met first through mutual friends at a music festival in our hometown. They began producing beats together. At that time, Lach and I were planning to make some music together and he ended up sending me a track that eventually became “Hold Me Down.” We released it and the internet kinda took over. We decided to take the opportunity and continue to make music together.

BTS: What inspires your sound?

Having come from such varied musical backgrounds, we tend to take inspiration from anywhere. We’re really into movie scores and music that carries in your gut feeling. We tend to follow the rule that if the song doesn’t make you happy or sad it’s not doing enough.

BTS: How would you describe your music?

It’s taken a pretty big left turn for us now. We used to be quite a chilled-out electronic band, but having spent seven years touring together, we’ve moved closer to a full band set up. The music leans further into the rock realm now but with a more electronic attention to detail in the production.

BTS: Which one of your songs is your favorite and why?

I really can’t go past “Easier;” it was such a huge turning point for our band. We really opened up to each other and used music as therapy. It was such a stunning song from start to finish and the fact that it’s resonated with our fans makes it even more special.

BTS: What does “MORE” mean to you?

“MORE” means so many different things to me. When we wrote it, I found myself really stuck in accumulating all this useless shit for my apartment. I kept hoping that the next thing I bought would be the last. I spent a lot of the Australian summer of 2019 writing all these words down where I found myself unfulfilled and was just observing a lot of what society looks to for satisfaction. “MORE” for me reaches for less, finding ways to be happy with what you already have.

BTS: What inspired “MORE”? Personal experiences?

I put a lot of research into writing “MORE” – there’s lots of really interesting literature about the cycle of accumulation. At the time I was really reckoning with the fact that I kinda had everything I wanted or had imagined for myself in my younger years, but I still wasn’t very happy. We kinda wrote this song living the experience but it wasn’t till after we finished it that it really started feeling like an accurate representation of what we all were feeling at the time. Chuck the pandemic into that and it kinda just exacerbated our desire for things beyond what we can buy or sell.

BTS: What does your creative process look like? Is writing music spontaneous?

Absolutely, there’s this book I read once which describes the arrival of an idea like the wind through a field waiting for someone to catch it. Sometimes it’s sitting in a chair for 8 hours and waiting for something to click. I’ve read so much on the creative process and the only answer I’ve ever found any bit helpful is to sit down and write. Art is observation and response to the world around you. That’s my latest on the creative process.

BTS: What do you enjoy most about being an artist?

I love processing the world around me, making something beautiful out of shit situations. Being in a band has taught me so much about how 3 minds can make something truly great. I think that as an artist, you find ways to get to the most direct feeling that resonates with the largest amount of people. I really love that

BTS: What is your ultimate goal as a band?

Make the music we wanna make and have an audience that truly resonates with it.

BTS: Do you have any teasers for more new music?

I want to share that, but I want “MORE” to simmer a little. “MORE” really is the statement piece to this record, the chandelier in the middle of the hall that every other song looks to. That’s my teaser.

BTS: Do you plan on touring your new music?

Absolutely! We held out a year (like most bands) so we could tour this record. Touring is the best part of the process, the energy from the audience is the best feeling

BTS: What are the best ways for your fans to keep up with you?

We’re keeping up on socials and we have a mailing list on our website (mansionair.com). You can also email us directly at mansionair@gmail.com

 

Stream “MORE” here.

Follow Mansionair on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

 

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