Jun 15, 2007

Exquisite voice ... and healthy gums

Former dental hygienist relishes her music career

By Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer

Music is a tough business, but, for Eleni Mandell, it sure beats dental hygiene as an occupation. The rave reviews she's garnering for her latest album, "Miracle of Five," should put a toothy grin on the face of the former dental assistant.

A beautifully bittersweet quality weaves its way through much of the music. But Mandell never wallows in painful emotions. She transcends them, just as she transcends genres.

The CD cover looks like a classic movie poster by artist Saul Bass. You won't see her posing with a guitar.

"It's my insecurity," Mandell said. "I feel a little goofy, if people see me with my acoustic guitar and think, 'Oh, delicate singer-songwriter, coffeehouse ...' and completely miss what I'm trying to do."

Mandell doesn't consciously set out to write a certain kind of song or mood. "I tend to be inspired by the same sorts of things, like love ... and love," she laughed.

These days, Mandell doesn't attempt to write until the inspiration is there. "In the Charles Bukowski documentary, on his gravestone, it says, 'Don't try.' When I saw that, I thought, 'God, that's a negative message. Shouldn't we all try our best?'" she said. "But when I apply it to songwriting it works for me. It took a long time of squeezing out lyrics that didn't feel natural and didn't make it onto the records, to accept that they will come when they're ready."

Mandell strives for subtlety. "I don't want to be too obvious. I like to say as much as I can with as few words as possible. I've been getting better at that over the years."

"Miracle of Five" achieves the intimate feeling Mandell sought. "The hardest part was waiting for it to come out, because I was so excited about it. It's always a little scary. You cross your fingers and hope people are going to like it."

Despite lavish praise from critics, commercial success has eluded Mandell so far. "Mostly I feel very lucky and enjoy each day as much as I can. But there are times when I think, 'I can't keep going broke for this. I don't want to go into debt, don't want to borrow money. I want to have a house.

"I sometimes compare myself to friends and think, 'They're doing so well ... why can't I have what they have?' But my overall feeling is - I'm having exactly the career I'm supposed to be having."

Raised in San Fernando Valley, Mandell is the antithesis of the stereotypical Valley Girl. In fact, her favorite performer wasn't Debbie Gibson, but Tom Waits.

"Although I had a really nice childhood, I had sort of a melancholy, poetic outlook," she said. "With most artistic people, you feel like an outsider and that fuels your creativity. I wasn't picked on, wasn't necessarily unpopular. But I definitely felt different. That made me a very good observer."

Just the other day, Mandell wrote a song reflecting on her early observations. "I was a little kid in the '70s, a teenager in the '80s. There were so many colors and sounds that I now am trying to recapture. I don't think I appreciated it so much at the time, but as I look back, there's something beautiful about the vast emptiness of the San Fernando Valley. There's plenty of room to dream in a place that empty."

For six years, she worked as her father's dental assistant. "I hated it, cried about it, was a big baby. But I learned a lot about teeth. I still have friends who come up and say, 'Look at my tooth, it hurts when I bite.'"

"I probably tortured my father a little bit," she said. "But we also had some great bonding time. I learned so much from him about work ethic and how to treat people well. I completely apply it to my life as leader of the band."

Her job also taught her the value of being an early riser. Even on the road, she awakens by 7:30 a.m.

Mandell enjoys many activities, including ballet classes, hiking, thrift store shopping and sewing.

"My parents raised me to be well rounded and interested in all kinds of art," she said. "They took us to ballet and musicals. My dad took me to see Doc Watson perform when I was a kid, and Albert King. They also woke us up at four in the morning to watch Halley's comet from the mountains and watch the space shuttle land.

"I get frustrated with musician friends who only want to talk about music. That can be really boring. There are a lot of other things out there that are interesting and actually fuel my love for music and ability to write creatively."

Her spirit and her writing continue to evolve. "As I get older, I enjoy myself more, am more comfortable with myself. I'm interested in seeing what happens the happier I get.
"Maybe I'll write silly, happy songs. Maybe people will want to dance to them. Maybe I'll lose some of my morose fans and gain some dancers, I don't know."

Through self-discovery, Mandell's vocal style has grown more assured. "When I started, I wanted to be able to sing low and not sound breathy or girly. I wanted to sound more like a man, because Tom Waits was my hero. It was ridiculous. Now I know what's too low for me, and I enjoy singing all over my range."

As for her current career goals, Mandell says, "I always really want to reach more people. It's rewarding to share this experience with a live audience that's enjoying it. It's indescribably wonderful."