Q&A: Mindy White

A talented songstress and a genuine individual, Lydia’s Mindy White recently took some time out of her busy schedule to help launch our new Q&A segment and discuss her solo material and singing with Anthony Green.

It’s been almost two years since your band Lydia released their second record. What have you been up to since the band finished touring?

We’ve been working on the new record and getting ready to go into the studio, and in the meantime, I’ve been working on my own solo music.
 
Why did you choose to record a few demos of your own?

I’ve always done my own music, even before I joined Lydia. Just gradually throughout touring I’ve gained more knowledge about writing I guess and been working constantly on songs. It’s just so much fun. If I didn’t have a creative output, I’d feel like I was going crazy.
 
Can fans expect an EP or solo release from you this year or in the near future?

Yes! I plan on releasing a record of my own sometime later this year hopefully!
 
Any chance you’ll rock out on the keytar?

Don’t plan on it! But definitely regular keys, guitar, tambourine, handbells etc.
 
As a musician, how mesmerizing can the piano be sometimes?

I think it’s the most beautiful instrument besides the voice!

Your most recent material was a duet with Anthony Green. How was it doing a rendition of the Winter classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with him?

Well I have been wanting to do a Christmas song for a while, but they can come across as super cheesy. I’ve always loved “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and it’s more of a Winter song instead of just a Christmas song, so I thought it’d be the best one to do. When I imagined the male on the track I immediately wanted Anthony Green on it but never thought it might actually happen. It worked out and I couldn’t have been happier.
 
Are there any other musicians you hope you can record with sometime soon?

I’d love to work with idols like Jeremy Enigk, Chris Martin, Jesse Lacey, Thom Yorke…pretty far-fetched but I can dream, right?
 
How often do you write lyrics?

Everyday pretty much. Its weird, I don’t feel I’m very talented with many things, but writing has always just came to me. English was always my favorite subject in school cause of the writing and I loved finding new words to describe something. Melodies randomly pop into my head all day long. A lot of times it wakes me up from sleeping and I roll over to my phone and open my “Notes” sections and type in the lyrics and melody so I don’t forget it in the morning. I’ve even had melodies I’ve written in my dreams and woke up bummed out because I couldn’t remember exactly what they were.
 
Better lyricist: Emily Haines or Thom Yorke?

Oh, that’s hard. I think Emily Haines has better lyrics sometimes because they make more sense in the song, but Thom Yorke’s melodies and overlapping harmonies dominate hers. He can say two words in the entire song and you’re just like “my goodness”.

You’re known to be very communicative with your fans. Is it hard as a musician to respond to everyone who adores your music?

It is. I think it’s even harder to express how much you really really do appreciate it and care about your new friends. A lot of times you get swamped and it’s literally impossible to answer every question or reply, especially when it’s the same question cause it makes you think you already did reply. But I love meeting new people as much as seeing familiar faces at shows or messaging us. It means the world to me that people want to keep in touch and enjoy what we do.
 
Do you miss touring?

Yes! Sometimes I feel like I’m going crazy from being off for too long. I can’t wait to be back out again!
 
Have you written anything with Leighton lately?

We write a lot together. I usually have ideas for the melody and lyrics for the song. We just mesh our ideas or if one of us has a better idea for the song, we run with that one.
 
What’s one set of lyrics that mean a lot to you on a personal level and why?

The song “Now The One You Once Loved Is Leaving” from our last album Illuminate means the most to me because I wrote all of it entirely about my ex-boyfriend and what went on and how no matter how much it destroyed me, in the end he really hurt himself much more.
 

[What do you think of Mindy White and this Q&A?]

 

21 Comments

  • Jamie says:

    Cute as they come and twice as talented, can’t wait for what’s in store!

  • Joel says:

    Awesome , Can’t Wait

  • YES FINALLY says:

    it’s about time. lydia can eat a dick. she is the reason for their success

  • Amy says:

    Lydia is a great band, there’s no need for name-bashing. Mindy is such an amazingly beautiful, lovely laday. So excited for her solo album!

  • ALan says:

    Wow “yes finally” is an idiot. mindy white has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Lydia’s success. Sorry M but like she said she has written um? one song for lydia? Leighton and the boys do it all. the girl Lydia had before had a much better voice and it shows with how much mindy was on their second album. but she gets a lot of attention because she is super hot which is great for the band. if she puts out something solo people will like it not for talent but because she is a good person and hot. like i said sorry mindy love ya but gotta keep it real.

  • alison says:

    i just listened to your music for the first time tonight.. your voice is so absolutely beautiful!

  • King Fish says:

    Whats up with her eyebrows? lol

  • Connor says:

    alan your a tool lydia is nothing without mindy. songs like always move fast and this is twice now would be useless without her vocals and keys. leightons lucky people listen through his bland annoying vocals to hear 30 seconds of mindy. Her solo work is genious, dont hate on people just because they’re beautiful

  • Matt says:

    King Fish-
    You’d rather her have nasty huge bushy eyebrows? I think they look good.

  • Lindsay says:

    Man you guys need to stop bashing on everyone. To those of you who say the band would be nothing without Mindy: you should really go look back into the band’s past. Maria had great vocals, yes, but she had no presence. The band thrived on two separate occasions when neither women were a part of it. Connor-Always move fast was recorded on the first album with Maria on vocals and keys so you know.
    I think you guys all just need to realize that this a band made up of a collection of extremely talented individuals. Let’s focus on that and be happy for all of their success

  • ALan says:

    connor youre an idiot!! always move fast is not MINDY!!!!!!!! hahahah that is Maria de Sais the original girl. very good thoughts Lindsey i wasnt trying to bash but saying mindy has everything to do with lydias success is very very foolish. i am a big fan of the band and i like mindy a lot she just isnt even close to being good enough to put out a solo album. if she does it might be as good as her bf trying to rap.

  • Lindsay says:

    Hahahaha ALan that’s hilarious!
    And yeah, her vocals are good but amazing. No doubt she’s still a talented musician. What I like most about her solo stuff is that it sounds almost dreamlike and like a lullaby. It just seems different from a lot of stuff others are doing now.

  • Buddy X says:

    ahahahah King Fish – manbrows do it for ya i guess? girl’s a rocket <3

  • Mike says:

    conner never mentioned anything about who recorded what. go to a show you noob. and dont tell your dad how to fuck.

  • Dodge Rampage says:

    Alan

    Guess you must have been smokin some great mushrooms last night. Don’t know what planet you’re on but I think without Mindy Lydia is one and done!

  • Alan says:

    HEY guess what!!? Mindy QUIT Lydia. now we will see how good they are without her!? She will go nowhere in the music industry with the voice she has. maybe she can do another duet with A.G. to cover it up! She is terrible Lydia is much better off without.

  • thats cool says:

    man the band is amazing and will do fine with out mindy. but she contributed to them very nicely i hope that she does well as i know she will. and alan the fact that Anthony Green did a duet with her in the first place says what everyone else is thinking, your an idiot. oh and mindy didn’t record anything on the first album just illuminate, and if you listen you can tell. it has the same style and that makes the two girls sound the same.

  • Connor says:

    HEY geuss what!!? Mindy QUIT Lydia. And then Lydia announced it was breaking up like 2 weeks later. And now mindy’s in a band with two members of copeland. Alan as previously stated… Your a tool

  • Olivia says:

    here’s the link to “always move fast” (w mindy white version) i gotchya connor

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