Written by Chloe Ewing
Photography by Sophie Freckleton
It feels like these days I just can’t keep myself away from the doors of King Tuts, with ‘Summer Nights’ coming to an end, it’s business as usual for the iconic venue. This time, I was lucky enough to go down for the EP launch show for Mantel’s ‘Disconnected’. With support from Earth to Alice and Loon, who were only added in 2 hours before the gig.
Mantel by Sophie Freckleton
First on the bill were the wonderful Loon, who were our saviours for the day! Despite only being added to the bill for the night a mere 2 hours prior, the duet delivered an amazing set. I have never seen an artist perform live with a cello before, and all I can say is that I am beyond blown away. Based on the bands I usually listen to; Loon was definitely a taster for music I usually wouldn’t gravitate towards. Opening with the appropriately titled ‘Welcome’, the audience was fully lulled into the world of Loon. With the perfect balanceof vocals and guitar against the melancholic sound of the cello, each instrument played exactly what was needed to serve each song. It was without a doubt, the perfect way to begin the night. Throughout the night, the duet played 3 released songs and 3 unreleased songs, which they were practising when they got the call to perform! My favourites by Loon had to be dreamcatcher as it had amazing guitar tone and surprise elements of the harmonica. They had a by-the-sea feel to them, and I honestly love what they do blending the cello, harmonica and a mixture of interesting guitar work. Needless to say, I will be keeping an eye on the duo to see what they get up to in the future.
And you should too, check them out here:
https://www.instagram.com/loon__band?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Mantel by Sophie Freckleton
Next up was earthtoalice. The Four-piece band formed in Glasgow, following a solo project by singer and guitarist Alice, with the remainder of the band consisting of Adam on guitar, Santi on bass and Martin on drums. The band opened with ‘My Two Eyes’, followed by ‘I see your face in mine’, and I loved this song a-lot. The rich guitar tones vibrated throughout the entire room, with angelic vocals on top, and as the song continued you could tell it was building up to something great, and when the time was right the room went quiet, the instruments slowed before the drums kicked in and gave us the explosive chorus we were anticipating. Their set was filled with erratic chord progressions, heavy distorted choruses which were greatly reciprocated by the crowd. On the song ‘Bumblebee’, guitarist Adam brilliantly took over on vocals, further showcasing the bands virtuosity and versatility. earthtoalice are a phenomenal up-and coming band in the Glasgow scene at the moment and they are truly worth heading down to see them for their next show.
Check out their opening song here:
https://open.spotify.com/track/62vwNfdXPC40Cmmfgtkt66?si=4edb0000e4f4487e
Mantel by Sophie Freckleton
Finally, the time has come for Mantel to grace the stage. Mantel, a 5-piece band based in Glasgow. Alisa, Lauren, Owen, Fraser and Jake. They released their first single ‘Driftwood’ at the beginning of 2025 and released two more singles before the year was out. ‘Generator’ was announced as the single for their debut EP ‘Disconnected’, being released 18th September 2026. The cover of the EP was photographed in guitarist Fraser’s dads’ workshop. This place is very special to the band as back in the early days it was where they first rehearsed, squeezed in the attic with amps and a drum kit. Having learned some background on the band, I was even more looking forward to seeing what they had in store.
At last, it was time to hear the bands debut EP, live in full for the first time. It was a particularly special moment for everyone. The band opened with the heavy hitting first single from the EP, ‘Generator’ and it electrified the room. The crowd’s attention was instantly drawn to see the performance Mantel was going to bring.
Mantel by Sophie Freckleton
‘Don’t say my name’ was the third song played of the night. This must be one of my favourites from the band. It was mellow, but as the song progressed the fierce vocals empowered the song. The following song was also one I really enjoyed. Audience participation was at the forefront of this song, as singer Ailsa chanted ‘We’re going to the…’ and asked the crowd to repeat ‘Men’s club!!’ back to her. The last chorus was particularly interesting as the tone she deliveredduring that repeated line, was almost mocking and it added more depth to the song.
Mantel had amazing stage presence the entire night, and it was truly enchanting to see. Amid their set this particularly shone through as they included a cover of U2’s ‘Vertigo’, and they did this spectacularly. I was unfamiliar of the original song beforehand, but when they performed this song, I truly believed it as one of their own.
Mantel by Sophie Freckleton
In the latter half of the gig they played ‘Disconnected’ the moody title track from the EP, followed by ‘Driftwood’ and some exciting new songs yet to be released. Ending with the final song on the EP ‘After Dark’. The grungy tones and the empowering vocals returned to close out their set, and with it being the final song of the night, the crowd brought even more energy for the band, as everyone was on their feet, jumping around and giving it their all.
Check out Mantel’s debut EP below and if you want to see the band perform and hear some of the incredible songs live, they are supporting ‘Martial Arts’ at the Hug and Pint next month on the 27th November 2026.
https://open.spotify.com/album/17kwMTZOLX6gq56qS4gB4E?si=2egtqCEDQyy6d6gHserI2g