EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Mabes

Stage Right Secrets caught up with Mabes to chat about her latest EP and what she’s been up to while in quarantine. Read our exclusive Q&A below.

• Congrats on your EP! Did you do anything to celebrate the release?

Thank you very much! A toast with glass of Prosecco in the sofa in my quarantine dressing gown – rock n’ roll.

• Most of the EP was written in Nashville, did that play a part in the overall vibe of the record?

Yes, there is a sure contemporary country vibe that runs throughout, especially ‘Slow Drowning’

• Did any song not make the cut that you would I have liked to see make it? 

There is a song called ‘Too Young To Love’ that was almost on the EP that asks the question ‘if you can be too inexperienced in life to really know when you’ve found love.’ This song seemed to sit better on it’s own and I’ll be releasing it soon as my next single.

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• You have a visualizer for the EP, how did you go about creating the visuals and concepts?

Once I had decided on the EP and 4 songs, I realized I wanted to create something abstract and thought-provoking that could be digested like one piece of art or a short movie. I wanted each song to represent part of my my teenage years but all link to each other as a full body of work, a ‘fly on the wall’ view into my world. I have always been obsessed with 70’s culture, both in music and aesthetically, and I naturally love to express myself through fashion too. That direction ultimately just felt right, as the music is earthy and echoes earlier artists that influence me in a tasteful nostalgic way (I hope!)

• Do you have a favorite line or lyric off of the album?

“I’m alone in a crowded room and it hurts like hell”… (from ‘Keeping The Noise Down’) perfectly sums up the mental turmoil and loneliness I felt in my teenage years. I think maybe more people feel like this than we realize.

• As a songwriter, what makes a good collaborator or co-writer for you?

I like to bring little melodic ideas, lyrics and phrases to my sessions, which are recorded in thousands of voice memos on my iPhone. The perfect collaborator is like a catalyst helping me set the vibe and tone but not write over me. They filter out the good ideas from the bad and understand my artistic vision, style, and sonic goal.

• Most of the country is in quarantine, what have you been doing to pass the time? 

When the lockdown was announced, I unconsciously put pressure on myself to ‘make the time count.’ I told myself I would be exercising every day, writing new songs in abundance, learn to produce at home; but the pressure was counter productive. Forcing yourself to do something takes away the freedom and enjoyment. So I write songs and play guitar when the feeling and inspiration comes.

• Do you find it harder or easier creatively at this time?

Much harder to be motivated and inspired. I’ve been watching a few Netflix series and films which has been giving me inspiration for songs but nothing is as good as being around my creative friends and being in the room with writers and producers to bounce ideas off. I miss the studio and gigging so much!

• What else can fans expect from you this year?