Description
"The anger and depression got to me, and I couldn't hold it in anymore; so, I got into a room with my demons, and we just hit record," shares indie singer-songwriter Leslie Mendelson. The resulting album, playfully titled, 'If You Can't Say Anything Nice' ,' is viscerally themed, imaginatively arranged, cinematically dynamic and textured, oozing raw elegance.
" I deal with depression and anxiety, and I've never really sang about it before. It also felt like what was going on with society was also affecting me, in terms of gun violence, the opioid crisis, and all hatred in the news and media. It felt like it was time to speak out," Leslie explains.
Leslie has released two prior albums, including her Grammy Award-nominated debut, 'Swan Feathers,' one EP, and three singles. Her first album exhibited a production sheen she opted to strip away on her sophomore album, 'Love & Murder.' Her latest, ' If You Can't Say Anything Nice ' ,' is a gutsy album that splits the difference between her previous albums in terms of production, but also features some garage-rock bluster. " The best time to make a rock n' roll record is when you're broke and pissed off, " she says, with a good-natured laugh. For the album, Leslie worked with longtime co-writer and guitarist Steve McEwan who co-produced the album alongside bassist and engineer Lorenzo Wolff.