introducing mascott

voice on the verge #30: mascott

It has been a shamefully long time since we last did one of these features, so it’s only fitting that the comeback is an extra special one. A going concern for over a decade, Mascott may be a rather less hidden gem than this column is used to but somehow, somehow, has flown beneath our radar until now. Over the years, Mascott-in-chief Kendall Jane Meade has adopted an open-house approach to her art with a career that boasts a credits list that could easily double as a Who’s Who in American indie rock, unsurprising given her notorious past as shouty frontwoman of ’90s rockers Juicy and as a touring member of Sparklehorse and Helium.

The third Mascott album, Art Project, marks Kendall’s UK debut and will be released on April 20th. Reveal Records seems like a natural home for Mascott given the many threads interweaving Kendall’s career with that of Joan Wasser and her As Police Woman bandmate Rainy Orteca, whose other bands Dead Air and Gramercy Arms are also signed to the label. Rainy pops up again on Art Project, alongside longtime Mascott members Dave Derby (former frontman of The Dambuilders, an early Wasser band), violinist Margaret White and drummer/percussionist Jud Ehrbar, with additional guest spots from 4AD signing Jennifer O’Connor (backing vocals on ‘Live Again’ and ‘Nite Owl’) and The Naysayer’s Anna Padgett (duet on The Carter Family standard ‘Wildwood Flower’).

Released in the US last November, the UK edition of Art Project includes a bonus track ‘Oh Peggy I’, bringing the total number of songs of dreamy, stately folk-pop to a nice round ten. The perfect-for-springtime ‘4th Of July’ is released as a single on April 13th, but our friends at Reveal have given Wears The Trousers permission to host the song as an exclusive free download for one week only (see below). To celebrate we whizzed off our sorely neglected 40-item questionnaire to Kendall, who swiftly returned her 20 chosen responses…

* * *

What’s your middle name? [yeah we know, but it's a standard question]

I proudly flaunt my middle name. It’s Jane. My mom’s name. I love it because my first name is a bit clunky, in my opinion. Jane rolls off the tongue with ease.

What’s your earliest memory?

I was four, and was trying to write a fan letter to Shawn Cassidy and choosing which photo of myself to send, and my brother was telling me it was a lost cause and I shouldn’t bother writing it.

Who was your childhood idol?

I think this might be common for American kids, but I used to idolise The Kennedys and would always be in the library at school, reading about the family and all the drama.

What were you like at school?

I laughed a lot with friends, but I was pretty insecure. Life got easier in college. I dove into music and loved it.

What did you listen to when you were growing up?

My Dad loved Elvis, The Beatles, Bob Seger and The Beach Boys. When John Lennon died it was a day of mourning in our house. I used to listen to Tapestry in my bedroom constantly on a record player. Then I loved ’80s New Romantic stuff and The Replacements. Big Patsy Cline phase. Power pop like Matthew Sweet and Teenage Fanclub. Then I dove straight into Dylan, Cohen, Joan Baez. The Band.

What did you want to be until you decided to become a musician…if you ever did ‘decide’ that is!

I was going to be a writer. I still am! I like it. But I write for a jeans company, nothing that requires me to take a sabbatical in Italy to get in the zone.

Which female musicians have most inspired you, if any...

My custom-made holy trinity of Joni Mitchell, Carole King and Margot Guryan.

Who was the first band you saw in concert?

It was the Beach Boys. My first concert by choice was Spandau Ballet. Those were the salad days, slowly being eaten away.

What would you tell your 18 year old self if you could go back in time?

It’s OK to be weird and to not look like a supermodel. You’ll find your way.

What’s been the best moment of your career so far?

Playing Union Chapel with Sparklehorse was so amazing. Seeing Europe for the first time and touring with Helium and Sleater-Kinney was so fun. Getting a good review in the New York Times. Writing with Dave Derby and getting our song on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. Being played on the BBC. Having a Mascott album come out in the UK is also a life dream.

How would you describe your new album in 10 words or less?

Crafted melodies and thoughtful lyrics with good musicians too.

If you chanced upon Aladdin’s lamp what three things would you wish for?

Less work, more laughs and a UK tour.

What’s your favourite song to cover and why?

I love singing ‘As Tears Go By’ – the Marianne Faithfull version. It’s so simple and so sad at the same time. I also love getting my soul on and singing Otis Redding’s ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’ or ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ by Bill Withers.

Which artist would you most like to work with – your dream collaboration?

I’d love to sing with Jeff Tweedy. I love all the cracks and spaces in his voice.

Do you have an instrument you’d still like to learn? What’s stopping you?

The flute is so beautiful to me. I don’t know what’s stopping me. I’ll blame it on the dayjob, like I do everything else.

What was the last good book you read and how did it affect you?

I wouldn’t say it was a good book but I read Skinny Bitch and promptly stopped eating most foods. Three days later I fainted in the middle of the night from lack of nutrients.

What are your pet hates?

Well, I can tell you what my dog Geronimo hates. He hates large Golden Retrievers and elderly people. He’s size-ist and age-ist.

What’s your favourite quote?

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”
– Dolly Parton

What’s your tipple?

I deeply love how you guys say “tipple”. So that said it is Pinot Noir or a no-salt margarita on the rocks.

What are your views on feminism? 

Ask Rainy Orteca. She’ll tell you.

* * *

Alan Pedder 

 

FREE MP3: Mascott, ‘4th Of July’

 

Art Project
01 Live Again
02 4th Of July
03 Press Play (& Then Repeat)
04 Red Flowers
05 Opposite
06 Dream Another Day
07 Like Letting Go Of The Sun
08 Nite Owl
09 Wildwood Flower
10 Oh Peggy I [UK bonus track]

UK release date: 20/04/09 

 

‘4th Of July’

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWlpvXuqie8]

Written by: Wears The Trousers magazine

Tags: alan pedder, anna padgett, dead air, gramercy arms, helium, interview, jennifer o'connor, joan wasser, kendall jane meade, mascott, rainy orteca, sparklehorse, the naysayer

This entry was posted on Monday, March 16th, 2009 at 10:50 pm and is filed under All A/V, feature, voices on the verge. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.