A SHORT BIOGRAPHY
With soaring guitar work, rich keyboard textures, hook-laden songs, and standout musicianship, The Mentulls, transcend genres, earning acclaim from both fans and critics alike. Their dynamic, melodic sound has garnered national radio play on BBC Radio 2 and Planet Rock, glowing press reviews, and a growing international following.
Fronted by brothers and founders Andrew Pipe (guitar) and Jamie Pipe (keyboards), who are joined by Ashley Walker (bass, lead vocals) and acclaimed drummer Henry Rogers, form a line-up brimming with energy, chemistry, and power. Together, they deliver music that is as emotive as it is technically accomplished, with live performances that are both electrifying and immersive.
On stage, The Mentulls have toured and shared festival bills with some of rock’s biggest names, including Wishbone Ash, Focus, The Stranglers, FM, Feeder, Walter Trout, and Bad Company’s Mick Ralphs. Each performance demonstrates their ability to win over new audiences with music that crosses genres and generations.
Albums such as Reflections and Recipe For Change highlight the band’s ability to craft bold, melodic, and richly arranged songs, earning strong reviews and admiration from peers.
With a revitalised line-up, The Mentulls are a band to watch—fresh, ambitious, and unafraid to push boundaries while honouring the spirit of rock’s golden era.
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A Back Story
Being brought up in a musical household, it was a natural step for brothers Andrew & Jamie Pipe to start writing music from a young age. Taking influence from the music they heard through their parents record collection, The Mentulls were formed in the autumn of 2008 while the two brothers were still in their mid teens.
Originally starting as a duo in and around their hometown of Guisborough in North Yorkshire, In initial concerts, the band were playing what Jamie describes as “mainly early original material, alongside covers of songs by Pink Floyd and other rock bands of the 1970s". An early appearance saw them opening for pop/rock stars Elliot Minor.
The by-now trio line up with added drummer, recorded several songs during this period, including a now scarce EP The Long Road To Home. Following the release of this EP, they took to the live circuit playing concerts and festivals across England.
In 2012 the band released their first album Time Flies, which received favourable reviews from several music journalists and publications. To promote the album the band toured in the United Kingdom and Netherlands, including several concerts with Focus, Bad Company founder Mick Ralphs and most frequently Wishbone Ash. In addition, major festival appearances followed suit alongside the likes of The Stranglers, Feeder & FM. Guitarist Andrew Pipe was also nominated for Young Artist of The Year in the British Blues Awards in 2012 & 2013.
By 2015, after near constant touring, the band released their second album Reflections via their own ProgBlues Music label to rave reviews. When reviewed in Rock Society Magazine, the journalist called Reflections "The best album I've heard this year by a country mile". Mastering the album was Ray Staff at George Martin's AIR Studios, who is best know for his work on many iconic albums by artists such as Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Genesis. The track Time To Focus also received airplay on BBC Radio 2. “It’s quite a feat" Andrew says, “to have a six and a half minute instrumental track to be played prime time on national radio”.
After two more years of regular touring in the UK and Europe, the band took a break in 2017 and immersed themselves in other projects like The Pipe Brothers Project which included the brothers working with members of 10cc, Jethro Tull & Gary Moore’s band.
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A Recipe For Change
With the brothers’ drive to soak up new musical flavours, writing for The Mentulls' third album Recipe For Change began, although ideas from several years before helped shape some songs. When talking to Prog Magazine, Andrew said that the album "became a concept album really without wanting it too" and features a suite of songs based around the story of someone with a hectic, pressure filled life who yearns for a simpler life in the country. The album which was mostly written and recorded during the 2020 pandemic lockdown meant meetings and writing sessions had to conducted over the internet. When asked in an interview for Classic Rock Magazine about this way of working, Andrew says, “For us, working over Zoom calls was more collaborative than usual, and it really paid off ”.
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The album's lead single Easy To Walk Away was released in August 2021, receiving airplay on Planet Rock Radio, with members of the music press praising the band’s revamped sound, incorporating influences of melodic rock and progressive rock.
The finished album, was released in October 2021, with the Recipe For Change Tour commencing in March 2022.
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The Mentulls 2025:
Andrew Pipe - Guitar
Jamie Pipe - Keyboards
Henry Rogers - Drums
Ashley Walker - Bass & Vocals
