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.