Mainland

by: Kate Myers

We caught up with Corey Mullee to talk about the upcoming Mainland tour with The Wrecks, their inspiration, and new music.  Check out our exclusive interview and be sure to catch Mainland on tour this Fall!

Hey guys! So great to chat with you!  Can you tell our readers a bit about you and your sound? Give us a little insight into who you guys are as a band and what's important to you.  

Hey! Great to chat with you as well. We are Mainland. We’re three California natives who met each other in New York City and formed a band. We played a lot of dive bars in the city and wrote a lot of songs before we figured out our sound, but our shared tastes kept us together. Early on we realized that honesty was very important to our songs. The lyrics in our songs speak to real experiences in our lives and we know that listeners have felt many of the same things. Music is how we can connect with those people, and maybe let them see their own experiences in a new light.

I've been listening to your music all day.  I love how every song vibes together, but I still can hear very different and distinct styles/musical choices in each track that separates it from the others. One song reminded me of Hot Hot Heat in the early 2000's, while another made me think of Twenty One Pilots and the Arctic Monkeys. Is this intentional, or do you just pull inspiration from a lot of different sources?

We have really diverse musical tastes. We grew up on a lot of 2000’s music like The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, and Cold War Kids, but we also draw from a lot of modern music that’s playing on the radio today. Artists like Bishop Briggs, you can’t help but jam out to when she comes on. We also have a soft spot for classics, like Bruce Springsteen, especially the way his songs tell stories and paint a world for the listener.  

I really enjoyed your take on Don't You (Forget About Me). You could really tell you took it and made it your own. What inspired you to cover it? Are there any specific new wave/ 80's acts that you guys really like/are inspired by?

Glad you liked that one! Jordan Topf (lead voals/guitar) recorded that one himself. The idea was to cover a 80's song, but to give it the production of a Mazzy Star track. It was a total experiment.

After listening to your Outcast EP, I can't decide which track is my favorite! Whats your favorite one to play live vs. listen to?

Wait till you hear the new single “I Found God”. It’s available everywhere digitally and we’re pressing 7” vinyl for all the record collectors out there. The b-side is going to be a new song called “Hometown”

What about favorite gear? Anything you absolutely can't live without when you record/play live?

In the studio we are always adapting gear according to the setting. But live? We really rely on our Fender Twin Reverb Amps. They can be a bit on the hefty side but they are guaranteed to fill almost any room. Their clean tone is a great place to start from.

You posted recently about some new music coming. Any chance we'll get to hear some new tracks at your show in November at the End?

Yes, absolutely. We have a few new songs that no one has heard up until this point. And we’ll definitely be playing “I Found God.”

Well, thanks for taking time to answer our questions! Any last things you want to share with our readers before they go to see you at your next live show?

We put together a music video for “I Found God” that we’re really proud of. Our friends shot it using all real couples and if you love the song, you have to see the video. Can’t wait to be the in Nashville in just a few weeks!

 

"I Found God" - Mainland

Catch Mainland on tour this fall.  Tickets are on sale now!
*with The Score
**with The Wrecks  

10/23 Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge *

10/24 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar *

10/26 San Francisco, CA - Cafe du Nord *

10/29 Anaheim, CA - The Parish House @ HOB *

11/5 Columbus OH - Big Room Bar **

11/7 Nashville TN - The End **

11/8 Atlanta GA - Aisle 5 **

11/9 Tampa FL - The Crowbar **

11/10 Orlando FL - Backbooth **

11/11 Chapel Hill NC - Local 506 **

11/12 Baltimore MD - Metro Gallery **

11/14 Washington, DC - Songbyrd **

11/15 New York NY - Mercury Lounge **

11/16 Cambridge MA - Middle East Upstairs **

11/17 Philadelphia PA - The Voltage Lounge **

11/18 Buffalo NY - Studio at Waiting Room **

11/19 Pittsburgh, PA - Funhouse **

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