Today we’d like to introduce you to Luis Moreno, Justin King, Jenna Watenpaugh-Del Christo, Michael Heatley, and Gabriel Roth.
Luis, Justin, Jenna, Michael, and Gabriel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Justin King and I, Luis Martin Moreno, have been friends & have been playing music together for about six years. We met in high school and played in a rock band for years before we had wanted to start a band of our own. We wanted a band with a different sound that catered to the style of mainstream music while still showcasing strong musical ability. Naturally, the goal was to find excellent instrumentalists. It actually took us a bit of time to get to the line up we have currently. Gabriel Roth joined us on lead guitar a month into the project, but Michael Heatley and Jenna Watenpaugh Del Cristo joined us months later after we had played with a few other different members. Each member brought in their own unique style to make Cherry Mantis what is now.
Has it been a smooth road?
For the most part, it’s been pretty smooth. Honestly, we have all been in multiple bands and have played with many talented musicians, but this band is something special. We all get along very well and are on the same wavelength as far as our writing process and the direction of the band.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Cherry Mantis story. Tell us more about the band.
We are a pretty diverse group of people. Our ages currently range from 18 to 26, we all come from different backgrounds and cultures. Our taste in music definitely varies but has enough similarities for us to bring different flavors to the table. We, Cherry Mantis, would categorize ourselves as an Indie-Pop/Rock band, but we also have influences from Jazz, Prog, and R&B that find their way into our songs. This summer we are putting out our debut album, “Tasty Jams”, with our first single debuting on all streaming Services on April 25th!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Music is constantly changing and evolving. Though as we evolve as musicians, the genres we put ourselves in are ever changing. Every “genre” is melding with one another so we just see a future with a very diverse year unified music industry.
Contact Info:
- Email: cherrymantisband@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherry_mantis/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/CherryMantis/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/cherrymantis
Image Credit:
Maddie Patterson, Alex Tuft, Ashton Jackson.
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