Eleni Mandell
The Los Angeles singer-songwriter talks about her new take on love, an aversion to MySpace, and the creative process behind her sixth full-length, Miracle of Five
By Emili Vesilind
Published: February 5th, 2007 | 1:04pm
Eleni Mandell is near-famous in her native Los Angeles. Still, after five albums and 15 years of working the club circuit, the statuesque singer-songwriter has yet to crack the national mainstream. Not that she minds.
At 37, Mandell is in a good way — flanked by a boyfriend whom she blushes at the mere mention of and a tight-knit community of musician friends, most notably her partners in side project the Living Sisters, Inara George, and Becky Sparks, singers for L.A.-based bands the Bird and the Bee and Lavender Diamond, respectively.
Over the years, Mandell has evolved from a moody, Tom Waits–style songstress into a sophisticated crooner, writing melodic indie rock songs framed by a retro, Americana feel. Shades of Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris are evident in the lilting Miracle of Five, her sixth full-length CD. Its songs unfold like a series of old postcards — most are brief and full of wistful affection.
I sat down with Mandell in January 2007 for a glass of wine and to talk about the album, her side projects, and why navel-gazing can ruin everything.
How did the creation of Miracle of Five differ from your past albums?
I took my time on this, for the first time. I thought I’d experiment with patience. I wouldn’t say I became a perfectionist, but I definitely was trying to really get my vocals right and have them be the centerpiece. It was recorded over a year, but if you string all the time together, it was probably only a month or a month and a half. In the past, I was making records and mixing in about three weeks. I think I wrote a lot of really great songs that I’m proud of, but I think sonically the records would sound better if I had taken a little more time.
You recorded vocals before anything else on Miracle of Five. How did that change the rest of the recording process?
I wasn’t changing my voice to accommodate other instruments. Even if you have headphones on or are in an isolation booth, it just changes how you sing. I think because of that, we were able to really capture that sort of “living room” sound. Adding drums and bass after — it just makes everyone play differently and pay attention to the vocals and melody. I just love what everybody played on the [album].
How do you write songs?
I’ve adopted a formula for writing, having done it for a long time — which is just to not, like, worry about it. I just let the songs come to me. I don’t try to force it. If I’m not feeling creative, I’ll make a dress [Mandell is an avid sewer] or try to write prose or something. It’s really great to try to constantly stimulate your brain and get inspired by other forms of creativity. Sewing can be really distracting. It involves a lot of math and geometry and problem solving.
I’ve read that you are sick of focusing on bad relationships in your music — true?
When you’re younger, I think in general people are a lot more self-centered, and part of it stems from insecurity and self-doubt. As you get older, you figure out who you are more and make better choices, you start looking outward a little bit, which is really great. I’m relieved that I can find inspiration outside of myself. One of my favorite things my grandmother ever said to me as a kid and called her complaining [was], “Why don’t you stop thinking about yourself so much?” It’s hard sometimes, but it works … It’s kind of interesting now, with the state of affairs in the world, I feel more and more at ease with where I am in my career and my life. I definitely hope for better and better things, but I feel like there’s more out there.
Has your current relationship changed the way you write music?
Being loved almost unconditionally by someone in a romantic way has definitely changed my life and my outlook on life — and my sense of hopefulness in general. The songs are autobiographical, but I think of them as snapshots. You stop into town, shake hands with someone, then you go away and write about it.
Do you like playing live?
I think it’s kind of what sustains me. I’ve been so excited lately preparing to tour and for the record to come out. I think that connection with the audience is really important. When you’re onstage and you can feel the audience is appreciating what you do and is being moved by it — it’s really a unique experience. I feel really grateful for that. [She laughs] I feel like I sound like a beauty contestant.
Tell me about your side project, Living Sisters. How did you hook up with those ladies?
I met both of them on scene. Becky and I met a few years ago and actually performed as the Living Sisters, just the two of us. And then I met Inara. I instantly liked her as a person and was blown away by her music. [The Living Sisters] is really one of the most fun projects that I have. I’ve always really craved singing harmonies. I don’t know how to describe it without sounding really corny, but it does sort of feel spiritual. We get dressed up really hilariously for the shows. Tonight they’re meeting me at my place, and Becky swears that she found three matching dresses that will fit us at a thrift store. Our songs are serious, but our look is not.
Do you worry about how youth-centric the industry is?
I [used to] get a little annoyed when people would ask my age but I really think it’s important for women to be honest about it. I realized how much things are changing. I’m in another side project called The Grabs with Nigel Harrison who’s the bass player for Blondie and the keyboard player for Lavender Diamond, and they’re both a good 10 to 15 years older than I am. And they’re just awesome and great musicians and have a really punk-rock attitude. I really think [age] matters less and less. Obviously in the Britney Spears world, it’s different.
Has MySpace and the Internet changed your game at all?
My MySpace page was started by a fan of mine. I was too embarrassed — I find anything that looks like you want to have friends really embarrassing. God forbid you should admit that publicly. I should be more tech-savvy, but I’m just not. My grandmother’s actually more techie than I am. I miss the typewriter.
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