For On The Record, we caught up with indie-rock outfit Captain Mantis, who caught our attention with their dynamic mix of fiery riffs, funky grooves and melodic hooks in their brand new EP, Vice Market. Emerging from the underground scene in Monterrey, Mexico, these four musicians first came together as a high school band before life pulled them in different directions. Years later and with a whole set of life experience under their belts, from earning degrees to starting families to climbing the career ladder, this quartet have come back to their roots with a desire to revive this creative project. Now vocalist Checo, guitarist Pato, drummer Charly and bassist Ignacio are making their comeback statement with this new four-track EP. Channeling the spirit of classic guitar-driven rock while adding fresh twists inspired by an eclectic range of influences, from Tony Iommi to Parliament to The Beatles, this collection of songs walks that line between nostalgia and reinvention. It really does feels both familiar and daring, and of course we wanted to know more. In this special interview, we go through the origins, inspirations and the personal journeys behind Vice Market.
Welcome to Unrecorded! For those who aren’t already familiar with Captain Mantis can you introduce yourself?
Ignacio: Hello, kind readers. We’re Captain Mantis, Checo (vocals), Pato (guitar), Charly (drums), and Ignacio (bass). We’re just some monkeys banging pots and pans until something sounds good.
This project started as a high school band and was revived later in life, so what was the turning point that made you want to do it again?
Ignacio: It’s that itch that makes you want to revisit a project. Each of us spent some time getting our respective degrees, some getting married, and dedicating time to life in general; but in the back of our minds we’ve always felt that we had some unfinished business.
You’ve just released your new EP, Vice Market, so how do you think this record stands out in the indie-rock space?
Ignacio: Indie-rock and pop music in general has moved away from the guitar as the dominant instrument, or if it dominates it’s heavily processed so as to not make it sound like a guitar; I believe that Vice Market (consciously or unconsciously) draws its vibe from earlier eras where a typical guitar sound was at the center stage. This doesn’t mean we’re closed to the idea of experimenting with our sound in the future. It’s just that right now we just want to play without overthinking, and it comes out sounding like the music we grew up listening to.
Your influences stretch from Tony Iommi to Parliament to The Beatles, so how do you bring together these different genres and sounds in your music?
Ignacio: As I just said, we just play and work on songs. It’s almost always during the post mortem that we realize things like “Hmm, this riff sounds like Sabbath”, or “That vocal line reminds me of something The Beatles would do”. Sometimes it’s others who make these observations first.
What would you say was the biggest challenge when recording this EP?
Ignacio: It was recorded mostly during after-office hours, so the main challenge was the balancing act between our daily work routines and afterwards getting into the required recording studio mindspace. Sometimes it felt like a surreptitious double life.
Let’s talk about your individual roles in the band. Ignacio, you’re the typical “listen to anything” type, so what was the strangest or most obscure influence that appeared in your songwriting here?
Ignacio: Don’t know about obscure, but Galatea is through and through my attempt at an early Genesis guitar arrangement. I just love the way they layered three distinct arpeggiated guitars and the effect that created. Even the mellotron part is inspired by Tony Banks’ solo in Can-Utility and the Coastliners.
Pato, can you take us through how you balance fiery guitar riffs with more melodic strings?
Pato: It’s an intuitive process. I’ve learned over the years the value of reeling it in and letting the song itself ask for what it needs. If the song needs an energy boost in a certain part it’ll be obvious, that’s where the Iommi bag of tricks comes in.
Charly, what’s your process in creating rhythms that walk the line between funky grooves and harder rock?
Charly: The music I grew up listening to was either funk or rock, so it comes naturally for me to blend both. I usually follow the bass lines closely because I like the rhythm to feel groovy, but at the same time I want it to hit hard. That’s why my sound often combines those two styles—keeping it simple and tight around the bass, while adding strong accents with the guitars. In short, I like to play with power but always grounded in a groove.
And last but not least Checo, as a self-proclaimed Beatles superfan, where do you think the Lennon-McCartney magic sneaks into these songs?
Checo: Never lose sight of the hook. Your song can have weird time signature changes and strange chords, but if you forget the hook you have nothing.
What’s next on the horizon for Captain Mantis?
Ignacio: Short-term we’ll be doing some local club gigs. Also, even though Vice Market’s songs work well as a self-contained EP, I’ve always seen them as side A of a full-length LP, so we’ll keep working on that.
You can also listen to the title-track ‘Vice Market’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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