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The Mentalist Collective are a group of songwriters and multi-instrumentalists; all contributing their own distinct styles of songs to be developed further by the wider group. What results is a diverse sound that transcends multiple genres and flavours of music. Developed from origins of indie rock and folk music, members Brendan Christie, Scott Campbell, Robert Milne, Danie Urquhart and Ed Lobo experiment with a wide range of acoustic and electric instrumentation including ukulele, dulcimers, and harmonicas with plenty of vocal harmonies and gutsy electric guitars.
Beyond the music, the band is filled with passionate teachers and educators - Brendan and Robert both working in primary education, with Scott a teacher of early childhood and Danie a music/vocal teacher. Ed…well, Ed is a well-known Dunedin entrepreneur, always with a grand idea on the go. This inevitably has an influence on the music, as you will often hear lyrics inspired from childhood, philosophy and life in education.
About the single ‘Baby Girl’
Available to stream or download, ‘Baby Girl’ is a lush and moody ballad written and sung by Robert Milne with backing vocals from the collective, along with up-and-coming singer-songwriter and good friend, Lara Rose. Lara formed one half of country-folk duo, Tall Folk, and is now producing and performing locally with her band.
The song is a bittersweet reflection on the emotional rollercoaster that is parenthood; a deeply personal, poignant and befitting release, with all members of The Mentalist Collective now being parents (Brendan Christie is now father to a baby girl). ‘Baby Girl’, with its quietly throbbing intro and dreamy guitar strums often stops audiences in their tracks and commands attention. Lyrical imagery and metaphor bring the song to a crescendo before a simple yet angst-ridden guitar solo bursts forth like teenage rebellion.
About the single ‘Running Through Long Grass’:
Released September 2023. The song is a breakneck folk shuffle featuring Brendan Christie on lead vocals, with a chorus that will live in your head and is inspired by the grassy plains of Central Otago, New Zealand. Christie reflects: “As a kid I grew up with regular visits to Lake Hawea, long before much of the development had gone up beyond the waterfront. We’d camp in an old caravan and hut on a small section about ten minutes walk from the lakeside. Behind us were acres and acres of empty plains and farmland, covered in golden grass which had grown up to my knees, sometimes even higher. This song tries to embody how it felt to run through these fields, often alone, and how exciting and freeing it felt when I was young.” “Running Through Long Grass” has long held a cherished place in the band’s setlist as a dance-floor-filler and an epic anthem that commands attention and often has audience members singing along.
About the album ‘Signal Hill’:
The exciting debut album by The Mentalist Collective. Originally devised pre-covid in 2019 as an EP aimed to feature the band’s rockier, higher energy music, the album “Signal Hill” is the result of more than 4 years of evolution. True to the nature of the band and the collaboration between its five composers, it includes twelve tracks of everything from beautiful ballads (“Baby Girl”, “Fly Away”), to indie rock (“Realise With Me”), to gypsy folk (“Black & Red”), through to hard rock (“I’ll Make You A Star”). The title “Signal Hill” draws its significance from where the band records and rehearses in Dunedin, New Zealand. From the hill’s lookout you can see the majority of the city of Dunedin, as this album provides an overview of the diversity of The Mentalist Collective.
Composer/producer Brendan Christie says: “This album is the result of 4 years of hard work, having been recorded and mixed entirely independently and contains works that we are exceptionally proud of. We have been particular about supporting our local music industry as much as we can by having our work mastered and distributed only by New Zealand based options. It has been an exceptional learning experience for us and we are truly grateful for all the help from the community we have had in producing it.”
$15 public | $10 members | cash bar
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
80 Lovelock Avenue, North Dunedin, Dunedin, New Zealand 9030, New Zealand
