“Dream in Colour” by The Manatees is a modern rock song that tackles the anxieties that come with growing up and trying to find where you belong in the world. We had the pleasure of interviewing The Manatees, and here’s what they had to say:
Q: I love the lively sound of “Dream in Colour”! What was the creative process like for this song and how do you hope listeners respond to it?
THE MANATEES: “Dream in Colour” was an idea we had been sitting on for some time. We had been trying to get it right for a little while, previously wrapping it up in a number of different arrangements and soundscapes. We had a few tracks of the EP written and a clear direction, so we decided to piece the scraps of “Dream in Colour” together around the rest of the EP, finally creating something we were really happy with. We put most of the early bits of “Dream in Colour” together isolated from one another. It wasn’t a conscious choice, it was simply because we were all living in different places. I do think creatively it maybe brought different things out of us, giving us a bit more space to experiment.
The song is about our fantasies overwhelming our reality, something I think a lot of us can relate to. I hope listeners feel the energy we felt whilst recording it, and the energy we currently feel whilst playing it. It’s a proper belter and we’re loving hearing people scream it back to us when we play live.
Q: Can you describe what a typical studio session for this song was like?!
THE MANATEES: Being able to go to the studio is always a really special day for us. It’s long hours, in which you have to remain pretty focused – but it never feels like work. A typical session includes an early intake of tea or coffee, followed by hours of tracking and tinkering. A break for lunch, in which we hold our customary competition for ‘best meal deal’, another intake of tea or coffee, and another five or six hours of tracking and tinkering. We record at HUMM studios in Bristol with our engineer/mixer turned good friend, Dom. Shout out to Dom and HUMM – the best studio in the West!
Q: What’s the origin story of The Manatees? How did the three of you (Jay, Tyler, and Miller) come together to form this band?
THE MANATEES (JAY): We’re all from the same sleepy town on the south coast, and grew up playing music together. There weren’t too many people around us who wanted to make music when we were coming through, so we all gravitated to one another eventually. I started the band with a few other school friends, who called it quits pretty early on, maybe they got fed up with me?? Searching for new recruits I settled for the other two. Miller couldn’t play a note before he joined. Fortunately, he’s gotten (a bit) better. Tyler was in the only other band our age within a 25-mile radius. Despite what we tell him, he’s actually quite good, so naturally, we pinched him for our own project. We’ve been putting out music one way or another ever since – long may it continue.
Q: I see you’re releasing the “Dream in Colour EP” on April 14th. What’s your favorite track off the EP? Why?
THE MANATEES: It’s really difficult picking a favourite track from the EP. We hold them all very dearly and love them for their differences. If I had to pick, I’d go with ‘The Sound’. It seeps attitude and the existential crisis it explores is something that still particularly resonates with me. It was the first release of the EP and I think it shows a lot of intent. We wanted to come out firing and I think it’s helped us do that massively.
Q: What are a few key aspects of the band’s musical roadmap for 2023?
THE MANATEES: 2023 will be the biggest year to date for us – this EP is just the start! We’re releasing more music and playing more shows than we’ve ever done before. It’s really important to us that we get out and play these songs for people!
Q: What would you like to say to your supporters?
THE MANATEES: Just a huge, huge thank you. The support we’ve had so far is half the reason we love doing this so much. If you’re new then get yourself down to the show and come grab a drink with us. Keep listening and see you soon.
Interviewed by Zoey King
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