Mirel Wagner is a well-kept secret, and her self titled debut album was one favorite album of this page back in 2012!
A great and folk, singer-songwriter album, with Mirels guitar plucking and dry and closely mixed vocals as main ingredient, released on a small record label. Feel free to revisit dark yet beautiful world of Mirel Wagner here!
Then all of a sudden a few weeks back I read that Mirel Wagner has signed to SubPop, and had to check out if she would like to do a Q&A interview, and she did answer me back.
Welcome to the Read & Hear Q&A and enter the dark secret world of Mirel Wagner
Q: What are your thoughts about the advantages of being signed to a major label like SubPop vs being a recording artist on a smaller indie label?
*A: I try not to think about things like that.
Q: Your self titled debut was a dark but still very beautiful recording. I tried to describe the sound of Mirel Wagner to my readers and ended up with fictional genres like; doom-soul, dark-folk, goth-blues, minimalist-folk. How would describe your own sound?
*A: I try not to describe my sound.
Q: The lyrics on your debut-album is quite dark and there is much death, suicide, even and a necrophilia love song. If we sum it up is it correct to say it’s a concept album about death? Why this obsession about death?
*A: I don’t know if I’m “obsessed” about darkness or death. I just find these aspects of life interesting.
Q: Your songs are recorded very intimate. When you sing we can hear every little sigh, the click of your tongue and every time your upper lip is separated from your lower lip before you sing. How do you record your vocal parts?
*A: I just sing into a microphone.
Q: I read somewhere that some artists record in the dark while laying in flat on the floor to get a true intimate authentic laid back sound. What is your trick?
*A: I don’t have one.
Q: Have you started working on your follow-up album? Or have you been waiting until you have larger company, like SubPop, to back you?
*A: The follow-up album has been recorded.
Q: What can we expect from a forthcoming album? Is there going to be a new sound? Or is it still as intimate and beautiful as before, just you and your acoustic guitar?
*A: I don’t like to describe my music. I find it pointless and possibly harmful. You’ll have to wait and listen it for yourself.
Q: I do compare your music to Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash and Nick Cave – and female artist like Hope Sandoval, PJ Harvey and Liz Phair. Feel free to arrest me if I´m all wrong here. Is there any artists you are influenced by?
*A: Not really, not anymore.
Q: What made you wanna pick up the guitar, and start recording your own songs? Made you think I can do this, I can sing, and I can write songs?
*A: I have always felt that I need, want and can write songs. As long as I remember I have done it and enjoyed it.
Q: As always in my Q&A / Interviews I love to take a sneak into the artists record collection. What are your favorite albums? Feel free to mention as many as you lik
*A: I can’t think of anything
Thanks for your answers Mirel Wagner, great speaking with you, and look forward to hearing from you again when your second album is out!
Read and Hear 