The fast-paced high octane music is not for the faint of heart, but with humble undertones the captivating power of lead singer Leigh Bursey is incredible, there is no denying that Project Mantra delivers. We have the capacity to watch and be avid music listeners and you want to people watch Project Mantra, you’re not forced to listen but instead drawn into the message.
“The album is a concept record about someone who rediscovers the same passions that they lost along the way to adulthood, and now has to struggle to find a balance between who they are underneath and who they pretend to be.” – Leigh Bursey
Having had the privilege of watching the four-piece band is a treat, to say the least. Project Mantra is Leigh Bursey, Steve Hamilton, Justin Steacy, Mike Paquin and together they are able to bring a destructive presence to the show. Moonlight Over Vagabond the follow-up album to 2016 Fusion Manifesto takes on distinguishable sounds. The pace is right and can be heard in the song “Scream For Me.”
With a dedicated fanbase so inspired by Project Mantras work that it is inked on them for life, you need not worry about whether or not Project Mantras influence is being heard.
The folk-rock is accompanied by sweet melodies to the point that their passion is building the community in an insightful and articulate way, Project Mantra is so skull crushing cool, there is definitely substance when speaking about Project Mantra. Having had the privilege of talking with lead guitarist and frontman Leigh Bursey has given me direct interaction into what he and the music is all about. To sum it up in one word, poetic, but to also expand on the interaction you could feel the charisma as he told me “music needs an anecdote” in reference to artistry, it landed in a very heartfelt and warming place because not only did it validate what he was doing but reaffirmed my purchase of a life dedicated to writing. What are you going to do with the talents or the gifts that you have been given and how are you going to work on developing them?
Wisdom comes from experience and you have to be experienced to handle pain.There is pain in Project Mantras music, maybe that has something to do with the lead single, but when someone knows the pain you see how they wear it, the mantra project is not necessarily in pain now but is still sharing the experience of how to handle it. ‘Scream for me’ is not a cry for help but at its very essence a display of what pain can do to a person, perseverance, and determination through that pain gets you places and that translates in how one creatively expresses themselves. The sound quality is exceptional, it is where it needs to be when consuming music sourcing from pain at 3 am. As Leigh suggest come and take a walk with me through the forest and the fires, let’s see where we end up.
“Maybe the Moon” is at its core a folk song that has rock elements, the layering of music is jolly as fuck because life and love are like fuck buddies, sometimes they get mad at each other, sometimes they go see someone else but at the end of the day they are still buddies looking to fuck. The harmony and the imagery is something to fall in love with, I like this – like a lot, maybe I have secretly become a groupie but nonetheless I’ll be a fucking groupie to good music, just don’t see me getting any project mantra ink anytime soon…?’
It is a change of pace, you need a change of pace to music and there is variety to Project Mantra.
Right now Project Mantra represents my best pick up line slaps ass “you’ve got depth to you girl.” So at the very least Project Mantra gets a pat on the butt for a job well done.