This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Fairfield chapter.
I had the fortunate opportunity to correspond with Mandy Lee, lead singer from the up-and-coming band “MisterWives,” as she was recording in the studio this past week. Read on to learn a little more about MisterWives, some of Mandy’s beauty and food secrets, musical influences, as well as what it’s like to be the only girl in the band!
Her Campus: Tell us a little about MisterWives. How did you all meet and start playing together?Mandy Lee: MisterWives is a play on the mormon term “sister wife”. Typically a man marries multiple woman and they all become friends/wives however we flipped the genders and I married all the fellas making them MisterWives. They are more my brothers from another mother then anything else! We all met pretty serendipitously (boring too) through random ways. Et and I worked a block away from one another in the city, Will and I met through a mutual friend, Jesse played in a previous band with Et and Marc was our neighborhood bartender; he’s pretty great at getting me shwasted off whiskey gingers but even better at playing guitar!!! Et, Will and I came together first and started off demoing my songs in Et’s apartment (his closet made a great vocal booth) I had a gig booked at The Canal Room during that time and we needed a full band which is when Jesse and Marc stepped, more like danced, in. I’ll never forget that first rehearsal , we instantly clicked and the chemistry between us musically and the similar stupid humor was something we couldn’t deny. That’s what ya call love at first sight.
HC: What would you say MisterWives’ heaviest musical influences are?
ML: We all come from pretty different musical backgrounds yet still share the same taste. I grew up on lots of motown, Etienne on ska/reggae, Marc on folk, Jesse loves Jazz, Will loves Primus (the one thing we don’t agree on) Through all of those different influences No Doubt definitely unites us and is a band we look up to. Their vibe and sound is something we all love and admire!
HC: What’s it like being the only girl in a band?
ML: Let’s just say I carry a water gun and incense with me in the van at all times! The water gun is to shoot with because 5 guys against one lady aint fair and the incense are for, well, you can only imagine the lethal smells that almost kill me on a regular day to day basis. All jokes (that aren’t really jokes) aside, the guys are the most amazing humans on this planet. They perpetually make me piss myself of laughter, are incredibly giving and kindhearted, carry emergency tampons for me, AND we get to make music together. It doesn’t get much better than that!
HC: If you could tour with any band, which one would it be?
ML: If No Doubt decides to tour again, our wildest dreams would come true. Until then, Walk The Moon would be just as amazing.
HC: What’s your favorite vegan meal? Is it hard being vegan on the road?
ML: Foooood glorious fooood! Other than music my favorite thing to do is cook and eat! Picking one favorite meal is pretty tough but I guess making homemade dumplings is something I’ve been craving just about everyday since we’ve been home from tour. The process is so fun. From making the dough, to filling them with all sorts of scrumptious variations (currently into filling them with scallions, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, seitan, and spinach) to frying them in my wok, to dipping em in a sweet and sour sauce to eating a million! Never gets old. I’ve been vegan for about seven years now and it’s so easy at this point. It’s cool to see how there are options everywhere! Even if there weren’t I carry a hotplate with me on tour so I can cook whenever/wherever *said in Shakira voice*.
HC: What’s your favorite album ever made?
ML: The first album I ever bought was in second grade and it was the one and only Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You”. That’s definitely a favorite alongside, “O” by Damien Rice which has been played thousands maybe millions of times in my teenage plus years, No Doubt’s “Tragic Kingdom”, Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” and “Random Access Memories” by Daft Punk. I know you asked for one, but that’s impossible!
KG: Do you have any beauty secrets you can share with us?
ML: Being on the road for months at a time makes you FEEL AND LOOK LIKE A ZOMBIE. I like making homemade face masks to rejuvenate my skin. Throw an avocado, with a tablespoon of lemon, and a splash of apple cider vinegar in a blender and you got yourself a remedy for pesky inflammation, dry skin, and taste great if it accidentally gets on your lips. I just found out about dry shampoo since I live under a rock and it’s changed the hectic days of playing shows and doing press. When I don’t have enough time to wash my hair, I use it and it rids my hair of grease…lightening, go grease lightening!
KG: Favorite fall look -sweater or flannel?
ML: It’s gotten pretty chilly in NY and I’m sad to say farewell to my shorts but equally excited to bundle up in flannels, beanies, big scarves, and sweaters. Comfy clothes are the only way! I also was wearing a Hello Kitty onesie last night, yes in public, no I’m not embarrassed.
KG: What’s in store for MisterWives that we can look forward to?
ML: As I write this, I’m currently in the studio! We are finishing up our first full length album which will be out in February! We are so dang pumped to put out new music and are excited to have graduated from recording tunes in our bedroom and getting noise complaints from our downstairs neighbors to being in a legitimate studio! We also are going on our first headlining tour at the end of winter/beginning of spring, which couldn’t come soon enough. Maybe we’ll even put out a MisterWives vegan band on the road cookbook, who knows? As long as we get to keep playing/recording music and meeting amazing people along the way, I’m ready to do this til I die.