Mandrake Handshake isn’t just a band; they’re a technicolour whirlwind where krautrock, art-pop, and a dash of flamboyant charm swirl together into something truly unpredictable. With anywhere from 7 to 10 members at a time (including a dedicated tambourine maestro), this Oxford-Buckinghamshire collective is known for live performances that stretch the senses. Fresh from headlining the BBC Introducing stage at Truck Festival and with their latest single ‘King Cnut’ out now, they’re set to hit the road with Del Amitri in December (yes, you read that right).
Welcome to the world of “Flowerkraut”—it’s wild, wonderful, and gloriously mind-bending.
Hey! Who are Mandrake Handshake and how would you describe what you do?
Mandrake Handshake are cool, fun-loving squadron that dwell in London and Oxford. We’re a psychotropic neo-phonic, electro-stomping groove machine. We currently have 3,694 members. Wait. that’s a typo it’s more like 8 or 9.
How did you come to exist?
Row (guitarist, long hair etc.) received a divine vision in a flash of green or purple light at Green Man 2018. It told him to ask a bunch of his friends from uni to join a band to play the songs he’d just started writing. Since then it’s gotten out of hand and our application for tax-free cult status is currently pending at the Department of Art and Culture
Who were your first musical obsessions when starting out?
Two words. The Brian Jonestown Massacre (okay, four words). They were the original aesthetic and the spirit of Anton still burns strong in all of our brains. As we developed, the influence of krautrock and Stereolab has taken hold and now we’re some heathen mix of the two.
You’ve described your sound as “Flowerkraut” – who else do you think sits in that sub-sub-sub-genre?
I guess the idea is that no one really does and that’s why it’s fun. But we’d invite The Soundcarriers if they’d want to be involved. Also Kikagaku Moyo if they wanted to #rip.
Your latest track ‘King Cnut’ is out now, what’s it about?
It’s about revenge being served cold. You’re calm and collected, waiting for the time to strike. It’s about ‘ice-cold power’, if you will.
While you’re not quite on the scale of The Polyphonic Spree, there are quite a lot of you – what’s the smallest stage you’ve played?
We played at Truck Store in Oxford and there were as many band members as there were Limited edition Record Store Day Releases on the shelves. We had tambourine players on tables and everything. Shout-out to those lovely rooms like The Castle Hotel in Manchester and The Loft in Portsmouth. Your stages are small, we can’t fit on, but boy we fucking love you.
What do you think people will remember most about your shows?
Someone described our last show as more like an ‘experience’ than a set of individual songs. And while our sets are a bunch of individual songs, we want people to remember that feeling of being lost, confused, and maybe even a little bit happy.
Who would you love to work/tour with now?
We’ve heard Frank Zappa is making a comeback from the grave. Really pushing to get on the bill for that one.
What’s the last most helpful piece of advice you’ve had?
If you’re trying to kick serve, make sure you throw the ball over the right shoulder to impart adequate spin.
Famously, mandrakes scream when you pull them out of the ground. What makes you scream?
It’s probably better to ask what doesn’t make us scream. Just before we go on a show we like to routinely scream at each other’s faces to get in the correct frame of mind.
Mandrake Handshake is Row Janjuah (lead guitar/vocals), Trinity Oksana (lead vocals), Elvis Thirlwell (percussion), Joe Bourdier (drums), Rudy Mae Symonds (backing vocals), David Howard-Baker (saxophone/flute/keys), Moogieman (modular synth/keys), Scott Custis (rhythm guitar), Charlie Arrowsmith (rhythm guitar/comet), Jake Kavanagh (bass).
Main photo: Jeanie Jean
Inset photo: Marieke Hulzinga
LIVE (supporting DEL AMITRI)
December
1st – Newcastle, Boiler Shop
3rd – London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
4th – Leeds, O2 Academy
5th – Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
7th – Norwich, The Nick Rays LCR, UEA
8th – Bristol, O2 Academy
10th – Liverpool, O2 Academy
11th – Manchester, Albert Hall
12th – Sheffield, Leadmill
18th – Aberdeen, Music Hall
19th – Perth, Concert Hall
20th – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
22nd – Glasgow, Barrowlands
23rd – Glasgow, Barrowlands
Find Mandrake Handshake online
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