Today we’d like to introduce you to Cherry Mantis
Hi Cherry, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Cherry initially started out with Justin King and Luí Saturn. We went to high school together and wanted to start a new group with Luí playing guitar and singing with more of an indie pop vibe. We have gone through quite a few lineups over the years. For a while the core consisted of Luí Saturn, Justin King, Jenna Del Cristo, Gabriel Roth aka Boy Rothling, and Michael Heatley. Gabriel went to the same high school as Luí and Justin, and Luí, Jenna, and Michael all went to UTA together.
In this time we wrote the majority of our first album and made a name for ourselves in Arlington with an especially big fan base from UTA. Eventually Jenna and her husband moved out of the state starting a family. This was great news as they were taking a big step in their lives. Jenna was a big part of Cherry Mantis and a key figure in the group. We are very grateful for her time and efforts. After Jenna moved we added our good friend (and Gabe’s fiance) Lelly and William Land to the group. We are happy to still be going strong and have much more music on the way as well as some cool shows coming up!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Starting out was a journey for sure lol. We went through quite a process finding our current lineup. We finally got the groove in 2018 when Jenna and Michael joined us. From then on it was honestly smooth sailing. We’re all very different individuals with varying tastes and backgrounds. But when we come together we’re all on one accord and love doing what we do. The biggest struggle we had was Jenna moving haha! But honestly Lelly and William were the perfect candidates to takeover. William and Jenna were close friends and Lelly has been a loyal fan and friend for years! They’ve added new flavors and ideas that we’re beyond excited to share with everyone!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We consider ourselves to be an Indie Pop/Rock band, but we definitely add varies elements in our music. We bring a unique blend of Math Rock, Jazz, and some R&B influences into our Indie Pop sound. A quite unique sound that when you hear it you know it’s Cherry Mantis.
We’re incredibly proud of the quality and quantity of music we’ve been able to put out over the years. From recording at UTA and The Kitchen Studios to now recording with Aaron Payton of Papertone Studios and Craezo King of Kingstone Studio we’ve been able to craft some fun and bop filled Albums and EPs!
We also pride ourselves on how much our individuality lends to creative writing and cool music. Michael being a Jazz professor, Luí and Lelly with their Indie Pop influences, Gabe’s Euro-Pop love and Justin and Will having a Gospel Church background all blend into an incredible experience you won’t see anywhere else!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Honestly it’s the Arlington music scene as a whole. Especially from the 2018-2021 era. That time period truly shaped us as a band. With the majority of us being UTA students that gave us a community that truly supported us. At first as friends then as fans!
On the creative side a special shout out to Aaron Payton and Craezo King for being the 2 engineers that took our music to the next level. Their ears, attention to detail and quick turnaround made it possible to have 2 EPs and an Album out within 2 years!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cherrymantis.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherry_mantis?igsh=a2kxZzV6amxkcTNl
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cherrymantismusic?si=ElmJjqM9owOvqGrj
Image Credits
Maia Tharp
