The Mentalist Collective

Band members: Brendan Christie (songwriter, vocals, guitar, ukelele, harmonica); Danie Erickson (songwriter, vocals); Simon Christie (songwriter,drums, vocals); Scott Campbell (songwriter, guitar, vocals, drums); Robert Milne (songwriter, guitar, vocals).

Brendan Christie is the Artistic Director and co-organiser of the Nook and Cranny Music Festival. The Mentalist Collective are a group of 5 songwriters based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Their music is inspired by genres from traditional to modern folk, country, pop and rock music with a rich depth of harmony and experimental instrumentation. The influence of all members create a wide variety of musical styles from simple acoustic melodies to full bodied rock songs. Known for regularly interchanging instrumentation, and even blindfolding their audience. The Mentalist Collective originally formed in 2008 under the name The Mentalists. Brendan joined the two enthusiastic song writers Scott and Seamus and shortly after released an EP "Here is a Tree, Where is the Sun?" At the end of 2008/early 2009, Seamus went to Auckland to study creative design, and Brendan went to London, eventually joining Latin Mestizo Ska band Reverso on lead guitar and releasing the album 'Radio Comfort'. Brendan returned to Dunedin in 2012 and returned to songwriting with Scott, and in 2014 were joined by a short stint with singer Eve. 2015 saw the group expand further, with additional songwriters added to the line up in Rob Milne, Danie Erickson and Simon Christie, creating a much larger collaborative mix of musical styles & influences. After years of writing and playing, they released their EP 'Mandala' in September 2018.

Discography: Mandala (2018) This is a Tree, Where is the Sun? (2008)