Interview with Mandyleigh Storm

Interview with Mandyleigh Storm, Album ” Fire & Snow” out now !

Who are the artist who’s styles you like (world wide)?

LOVE JANIS JOPLIN, NICK DRAKE, SEAL, JEFF BUCKLEY, BEATLES, JOHN LENNON, SARAH VAUGHAN, NINA SIMONE, GEORGE MICHAEL, COLDPLAY, ENYA, BARBRA STREISAND. TOO MANY TO LIST. THESE WOULD HAVE TO BE THE FAVES!

Do you draw from reference or from your ‘imagination’?

I DRAW FROM THE WAY I FEEL. MY LIFE EXPERIENCES. SOMETIMES A RHYTHM. SOMETHING THAT TOUCHES ME AND I FIND THE NEED TO WRITE ABOUT IT. GREAT VIBRATIONS AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND GOOD FEELINGS INSIDE BREEDS THE NEED TO WRITE AND MAKE MELODIES. I BRING TOGETHER THE VOICE AND INFLUENCES I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO OVER THE YEARS AND THE BLEND IS OFTEN ECLECTIC EACH TIME.

When you get an idea for music, what do you do most of the time? Do you sit down and write the whole thing or do you record a little bit at a time and then put it all together?

SOMETIMES I CAN WRITE FOR 10-30 MINUTES AND SIT THERE THINKING, HEARING AND SING TO MYSELF AND WILL COME UP WITH THE MAIN MELODY AND LYRICS… OTHER TIMES WHEN I AM OFTEN IN A HURRY OR NEEDING TO GO TO BED I WILL RECORD IT. ITS WHAT TAKES MY FANCY AT THE TIME BUT THE MOST TIME I WILL SIT DOWN, WRITE AND GET EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE AND THEN RECORD THE MORE FINISHED PRODUCT AFTER THAT.

What is the most memorable moment of your career?

OH, THERE WILL BE A FEW AND THERE ARE A FEW… EACH DAY IS DIFFERENT, A FEELING CAN BE DIFFERENT SO TO SAY A PARTICULAR ONE I CAN`T. WHAT I WILL SAY IS THE TWO HIGHLIGHTS TO DATE HAVE BEEN TO PERFORM AT THE PARADISO AND MEET SOME OF THE NICEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO HELPED MY DREAMS. THAT FEELING WAS AWESOME AND ONE I CAN`T EVEN DESCRIBE BUT IT WAS ACUTE HAPPINESS AND FULLFILMENT.
THE OTHER IS TO BE IN THE UK WITH A TOP PRODUCER LEGEND LIKE MICK GLOSSOP… BEING SURROUNDED BY JOHNNY, TIM, LIAM AND JAMES AND HEARING THE BEAUTY THAT EACH ONE POURED OUT BVERY TIME THEY PLAYED MY SONGS. THAT TRUST, CONTENTMENT AND FEELING OF RECORDING MY ALBUM WILL BE IN MY HEART AND SOUL FOREVER. THOSE PRECIOUS MOMENTS WILL NEVER BE TAKEN FROM ME. I WILL NEVER STOP STRIVING FOR FULLFILMENT IN ALL ITS DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT THAT IS A VERY DEFINATE SATISFACTION FOR ME, FOR A LIFETIME.

What goes through your head right before you walk on stage?

I`M BUZZING COMPLETELY. I WANT AND FEEL THE NEED TO DO MY BEST WITH EACH PERFORMANCE. ITS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO WALK AWAY FROM A PERFORMANCE AND KNOW THAT I COULDN`T GIVE ANYMORE. I WANT TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY. I START TO FEEL IN MY BODY QUITE OVERWHELMED BY THE ENERGY AND HONESTY OF WHAT WILL COME WITH MY PERFORMANCE. I WILL THEN LEAVE THE STAGE LITERALLY POURING WITH EVERY WORD I SUNG.

When you are creating your fabulous music, which comes first - the lyrics, the melody or the instrumentals?

WELL OFTEN LYRICS AND MELODY WILL COME AT THE SAME TIME. I SOMETIMES KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WORDS TO KEEP AND IF THEY AREN`T RIGHT THEN THEY WILL START TO POUR OUT SOON ENOUGH TO MAKE THE WHOLE SONG STORY. LYRICS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME SO THEY MUST BE RIGHT… I`LL PLAY ABOUT WITH A MELODY UNTIL IT FEELS AND SOUNDS RIGHT.

Besides other musicians is there anyone else that you looked up to during your childhood?

I REALLY LOOKED UP TO JOHN LENNON IN MY TEENS. LOVED HIS OFTEN BRUTAL SORT OF HONESTY. LOVED HIS MUSIC AND THEN WAS HE PUT TOGETHER HIS LYRICS AND MELODIES. JUST A GENIUS.
I VERY MUCH LOOKED UP TO AND STARTED SINGING BECAUSE OF BARBRA STREISAND.
I HAD ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO PARENTS AS I ALWAYS APPRECIATED THEIR HONESTY TO ME AND FOR MY GROWING.

Coming from England, do you visit England often; and do you miss living there?

OH MAN, ITS HOME. FROM SOUTHAMPTON ORIGINALLY BUT MY HOME I WOULD SAY WAS IN KENT. I FELT SO AT EASE THERE. BUT TO BE HONEST I CAN VISIT BRIGHTON, CORNWALL AND SOMMERSET AND THEY COULD BE MY HOMES TOO.
THE LAST TIME I CAME TO THE UK WAS FOR THE RECORDING OF “FIRE & SNOW” AND I WAS MOSTLY VERY BUSY DOING THAT TO BE VISITING, BUT I DID GET TO SEE/LIVE IN SHEPHERDS BUSH. I WENT INTO LONDON A FEW TIMES WHEN I COULD AND LOVED THE BUZZ FROM DAY TO NIGHT.
I MISS IT SO VERY MUCH. IT IS MY DREAM TO MOVE BACK TO THE UK ONE DAY IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE WITH MY FAMILY. FOR NOW WE ARE BASED IN PERTH W.A.

what CD or tape do you have in your player right now?

OH, JEFF BUCKLEY AND OF COURSE “FIRE & SNOW” HAS BEEN ON MOST DAYS. `TAPE` MARTIN? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING HERE?

How did you here about Sellaband?

MY HUSBAND GARY PUT MY PROFILE UP AND TOLD ME ALL ABOUT IT AND THAT I WAS ON THERE.

Have you enjoyed your experience on Sellaband so far ?

OH GOODNESS YEAH! WHO WOULDN`T WHEN IT HAS BROUGHT ABOUT MOST EMOTIONS, FULLFILMENT, FRIENDS, MUSIC, DREAMS, EXCITEMENT AND SHEER LOVE AND LAUGHTER. ALL GREAT STUFF FOR THE SOUL. AND SO FAR IT IS, THERE ARE MANY EXPERIENCES TO GO. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING…

Could you say a few words about your Album Fire & Snow and how you recorded it ?

IT IS FULL OF SONGS (APART FROM “”GREY” WHICH WAS WRITTEN BY GARY ABOUT ME AND WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH…) THAT ARE EITHER FROM THE HEART, LIFE EXPERIENCE, DEPRESSION, CELEBRATION, IMAGININGS, OR GOOD OLD LOVE AND PASSION…
DEDICATED & NAMED AFTER MY TWO DAUGHTERS (DAMARIS AUBREY FIRE & ZYAH VIOLET SNOW). THERE IS A LITTLE THUNDER BOLT TO REPRESENT MY BUBBY ON THE WAY WHO IS DUE ON THE 27TH OF APRIL. HE WILL HAVE `THUNDER` IN HIS NAME. HE HELPED ME ALOT WHEN I WAS IN UK RECORDING. A LITTLE CREATION HELPING THE BIGGER CREATION…
IT HAS 6 FULL SONGS AND 4 ACOUSTICALLY RECORDED SONGS. PLAYED LIVE WITH LITTLE OVERDUBS. LIVE ALL AIDS TO THE `PERFORMANCE` . THIS TYPE OF RECORDING DOESN`T HAPPEN MUCH THESE DAYS.
IT IS A PIECE OF BEAUTY AND HONESTY WITH ALL ITS VARIED COLOURS. I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF “FIRE & SNOW” AND I AM ABSOLUTELY READY TO RECORD ANOTHER ALBUM VERY SOON AGAIN.

I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY WITH MY LIFE NOW BEING BLESSED WITH A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY AND A WONDERFUL ALBUM. I JUST WANT THE WORLD TO FEEL THE STORM COMING AND KNOW THE REAL MANDYLEIGH WITH ALL HER ECLECTIC COLOURS.

Thankyou to Mandyleigh for taking part in my Q&A’s

Visit her site http://www.sellaband.com/shop/artist/mandyleigh/ where you can download 3 tracks for FREE, download the full Album or order the CD in either Ltd Edition or standard format