Interview: Mandy Moore Living, Breathing, and Tweeting Music

We love your cover of John Hiatt's "Have a Little Faith in Me". Of all the songs you have covered, do you have a favorite?

I am a ginormous Joni fan. I loved singing "Help Me". That was one of the only songs from Coverage that we incorporated on the last tour. It's great. If you have a great group of musicians that can handle the task of covering a song like that, then you are kind of golden.

Do you have another dream cover that you would like to do, that you would like to record?

I feel like I have covered that ground. No pun intended. I don't know if I am necessarily ready to jump back in. I think I was a bit bolder when I was younger.

You wrote your new album Amanda Leigh with Mike Viola (LAist Interview: Mike Viola). He told us that your friend Inara George introduced you. How did you know that Mike was the right person to work with?

I kind of knew immediately. I remember walking into his house with Inara and just loving him right away. His energy. His sweet family. Just everything. It was like...gosh. It was bizarre sort of how Inara had this great musical matchmaking skill. We just kind of hit it off right away in terms of the music that we both love. I happened to mention Ram. He went to his wall of records and pulled it right out. It is one of my favorite albums of all time. Cut to maybe 45 minutes later, we were in his studio and started writing a song together. It organically rolled into a very wonderful writing session. Before I knew it I was thinking, "Yeah this is the guy that I have to write the whole record with and I am going to make him produce it as well."

Of all the songs you have written for this new record, do you have a favorite?

I don't know, I kind of go back and forth. Going into the recording process, I thought it was one song, but now that it is all said and done, I really love "Indian Summer".

It sounds a little bit like a Carole King song.

Thank you. I love Carole King. We were kind of going for a Todd Rundgren sort of vibe on that song. That's what we were thinking going into it. It was the one song on the record that carried severe demo-itis for me. I loved the little crappy recording in my house of Inara and I singing it together with Mike playing the piano. It's a really sort of tinny garage band sound. It was kind of perfect, so I was scared going in how we were going to top my love for this demo and somehow we managed to.

On Amanda Leigh the song "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week" sounds like the kind of song that was fun to write and record. Where did idea come from?

It was sort of this tongue and cheek idea. Mike came to me with a musical chord progression. I loved it. We took this idea and ran with it. It's nothing to take to heart. It is not necessarily speaking to anyone or anything. It doesn't describe a place where I was at the time. It was just a fun idea. Recording it was a blast because we recorded the whole record at our friend's house in the basement. His niece and some of her friends happened to be visiting for the weekend. We sort of employed them to help us with hand claps. I don't think they knew what they were getting into. They said, "Yeah. Sure that would be so much fun." An hour later they were trying to get ready to go see a concert and I think we made them a bit late. Mike is a great orchestrator of all things that involve a group. Like group singing. You just follow his lead. His dancing kept us all on beat with the hand claps. Everybody's hands were beet red by the end. I don't think they realized what hard work goes into making records, especially with something as simple as hand claps.

You talked about working with Inara. Tracy Bonham sings and plays fiddle on the album too. Was it fun adding some more female energy to the sound of the record?

It was nice to have Tracy and Lori McKenna also came and sang one day. It was nice. I love Mike and Ducky, but for the most part it was just the three of us down there. So it was great to have some estrogen a coupe of days, to balance out the vibe there at the house. It was such a blast and I am such a huge fan of Tracy and Lori. To get to work with them and also have them play and sing on the record is a treat. I am a very luck girl.

You documented some of the recording sessions on your blog. What made you want to share that part of the process?

I guess because you feel so isolated and so sort of insular, in this little bubble, this little world you have created. I was having so much fun and I was so proud of the work. I was so excited about the work, at the time that we were doing it, that I wanted to share it with people. I think giving a bit of insight into that world and what's it's like- just a tiny little peek- is pretty harmless. I wasn't giving away a whole bunch.

It's fun to see that it wasn't some kind of tricked out crazy studio.

We recorded in a house. We got a bit stir crazy. We made four separate little trips to Boston. For the entire week or so that we were there each trip, we didn't really leave the house. We were eating and sleeping and breathing this music and this record. So I guess the blogging was about being stir crazy as well.

What film projects do you have coming up?

I have nothing in the can. As soon as the record is out and we have gone on tour with it, there are some film projects looming that start early fall.

You've also appeared on several TV shows, but we have to ask, what it was like playing yourself on Entourage?

I don't think I knew what I was getting myself into. It was just the start of the second season when I did my couple episodes of the show. It hadn't quite become the phenomenon that it is now. It was a blast. You sort of just jump in and have fun with everyone. It was like this tight-knit group. They are like family. You feel a bit odd infiltrating that vibe, but they were great. It is fun to be able to poke at yourself too and be a bit self deprecating, I guess.

You were a good sport.

Thanks. It is little bit hard when you can't dictate where the script is going and what your "character" would be. I remember getting that last script and I was like, "Wait, I break up with my fiance to get back together with Adrian's character and then I go back to my fiance?" I am thinking, good gracious those are not choices that I would necessarily make. I guess when you sign up for it you have to roll with what they write.

Speaking of fiances do you want to talk about yours?

I am a bit shy about it. I am very very happy but trying to keep it a bit more private I guess.

You have been doing some work with Stand Up to Cancer. How did you get involved with that organization?

They asked me back in September, when they did the huge telethon. I felt really lucky to be approached to be a part of that. It all unfolded from there. That is when I started working with them and I am going to continue working with them this year. It is such a gigantic cause and one that I am proud to be a part of. In one way or another, we all can relate to it. I am looking forward to continuing my work with them and to seeing what the rest of the year holds for me in term of my responsibilities with them.

What are some of your favorite things about LA?

I live by Griffith Park. I am a huge fan of the park and hiking. I take my dog up to the Observatory.

Do you have a favorite restaurant?

I live on the east side of town in Los Feliz. I like my hood. I probably go to the Alcove at least twice a week. That is one of my favorite little hangs. I like sitting outside. Everyone who works there is really sweet.

Favorite music venue?

I have seen a couple shows now at the new Largo. I really like it there. I played last month there with Ben Lee. It is always so much fun to see him play. That was my first chance to get to play a gig there. It was awesome, so much fun. I adore Ben and any opportunity to get to share the stage with him is one that I accept right away. He did a great job. It was fun. I just played a few songs.

You are playing at Largo on April 25. What do you have planned for that show?

We're still working through some great stuff. A lot from the new record but also some new twists on some older stuff. All I know is we are committed to having a blast that night. The string quartet is going to be amazing as is the instrumentation amongst my band. We may have a couple surprises but we're still working that out!

Catch Mandy on stage with Mike Viola and friends at Largo on Saturday, April 25. Her new album Amanda Leigh comes out May 26th on Storefront Records.