Leonard Mynx - There's no hope in happiness

Desolate and melancholy, Leonard Mynx's music seems steeped in the same aridity and pain that mark the frontier settings where his stories take place, yet it also reveals a great openness and an untainted candor in the lightness of its melodic threads and in the patient polish of its arrangements.

We spoke at length with the young American singer-songwriter, who didn't hesitate to open up his heart to us and showed us a precise, remarkably lucid vision of music.

You release music under the name Leonard Mynx, but your real name is Greg Cardi. Do you have Italian roots?

My father's parents were from Calabria. In the neighborhood where I grew up there were a lot of Italian-Americans, as well as plenty of people of African, Polish and Irish descent. Italian-American culture played a big role during my youth, right up until my father's death. Back then the neighborhood was changing, and there weren't any clearly defined boundaries between the different cultures. It was a real "melting pot", that mythical American concept. I've lost touch with some members of my father's extended family. I was his seventh child.

Why did you decide to use an alias? Where does it come from?

Leonard is actually my real middle name. It was my maternal grandfather's name, and he had an enormous influence on my life. He taught me values that nowadays seem to be somewhat endangered. I've been called Greg or Leonard my whole life, so when I chose a stage name, I used Leonard as a sign of respect toward my grandfather. I'm not entirely sure where Mynx came from. It most likely emerged from some hazy rainy night in a smoky bar.

How would you describe your music?

I'd describe it as the neighborhood I mentioned before. A kind of melting pot. It has a distinct heritage but picks up plenty from other places along the way. It's immigrant music.

Your lyrics are dense and emotional, melancholic and at times bitter. What themes do you prefer to deal with? Do you prefer talking about yourself or telling other people's stories?

I like telling human stories. They often end up being a bit tragic, I suppose. It seems to me that despair, melancholy, anger and loneliness are necessary emotions. Without them acting as a counterbalance, joy and exultation don't mean anything. I firmly believe that "sad" music makes us happier. It makes us stronger and more introspective, if we let it. Happy music doesn't make people happy. It simply reaffirms happiness. The song is an incredible art form. More than that, it's a primordial form of communication that crosses boundaries built by man. The song is the pinnacle of expression. Folk songs, real folk songs, have always made me think and feel (emotions). A lot of the time they deal with stories of defeat, pain, abandonment, jealousy, anger and longing, but they always carry an undercurrent of hope. Hope comes from the perception of those emotions. There's no hope in happiness.

People who are content don't aspire to anything. They're people who don't hope. Why would they? They've already got what hope represents. Hope is the human spirit's will to overcome its worst periods. That's what folk songs do; they may seem sad on the surface, but once we dig into them and live them, they turn out to really be prayers of hope. I don't try to write songs that come out a certain way. That's up to the song. Honestly, I feel like I have no control over it. Once the song reveals its intentions, I just try to stay out of its way.

What kind of emotions inspire you to write music?

Any emotion can inspire me to write or play music. It can be any feeling or experience that provokes a sensation. Seeing a man sleeping in a doorway wrapped in sheets, or the last leaf swaying on an oak tree. Anything can spark inspiration. I'll tell you this: that feeling usually comes at some of the most inconvenient moments. It can get in the way of living an honest life and can damage relationships with other people. Songwriters are slaves.

You've been working with Adam Selzer for a long time, and you've been a team since the very beginning of your musical career. When and where did you meet?

I first met Adam when I went to record "Vesper". I'd heard a lot of the projects he'd worked on and loved his organic sound. I was also a big fan of Norfolk & Western (rip) and of Adam's songwriting. It was really easy to work with him, and we were on the same wavelength about how to approach "Vesper". We got along well and became friends. He taught me a lot about recording and about putting together interesting arrangements. He and his studio are in high demand for good reason.

Have you ever talked about making a record for his label, Hush?

As for record labels, I've had a few conversations and offers from various people, but since the role of the label, whether major or independent, is less clearly defined today than it's ever been, I've just gradually gone my own way. I realized that would be the best thing for me, so I could build personal connections with people instead of sitting idle hoping a label would have the time or the inclination to do it. So far it's worked for me. I'm not against signing with a record label, but it would have to be the right size, and we'd need to see things the same way. I know a lot of people who are signed to a label, and about half of them are doing great, while the other half has nothing but horror stories to tell.

Where do you usually start when writing your songs? Does the writing process begin with the lyrics or the music? Do you write your songs on guitar?

There's no set way. Sometimes the songs come all at once, lyrics and music together. Sometimes one comes before the other. I used to need a guitar or a piano to write with, but now all those sounds live in my head, so I guess you could say I can write anywhere.

In 2009 you released your first album, “Vesper“. What can you tell us about the process behind that album? What was your experience of recording it in the studio?

The recording of “Vesper” went really smoothly. It was easy to get along with Adam and we shared the same vision. I put together demos of the record with arrangements and ideas, and we just followed those when they worked, and dressed them up a bit in places. Almost all the musicians on that record already knew my music well, so everything came together nicely. I played and sang live as much as possible. The engineers don't seem to love that, but that's how those songs were meant to be made. Adam, though, was completely fine with it. He's someone who gets it. That's what makes him great to work with. It only took a few days to make that record.

How did you feel about the positive feedback you received from fans and critics after the release of “Vesper”? What were your expectations for that album?

I was a bit surprised by how much “Vesper” connected with people. It's an album with a difficult subject matter, and it's not especially catchy or upbeat. I think a lot of people only listen to the first thirty seconds of a song and then move on, unless it's by an artist they already know and love. “Vesper” is meant to be explored. It's not a casual fling. It's a long love affair that should be approached carefully and without rushing. Still, I was incredibly flattered that people held onto it and gave it a chance. It was a strange choice for a debut, or so people have told me. The incredible Audie Darling helped me carefully choose the songs, so I think she deserves most of the credit, or most of the blame. (smiles)

Do you think of music in terms of a “career” and a job? Is your goal to make a living from your music? Or do you see it purely as “art for art's sake”?

For a long time I didn't make any money from my music, and I never played to entertain people. I just made music. To anyone who WANTS to be a musician, I'd say don't do it. But if you NEED to be a musician, then do it. A lack of money is more than likely. I don't think of it as a job. It's nice to make money from playing and recording music, but I can't imagine giving it all up just because it isn't financially worthwhile.

Initially I'd planned to release all of those recordings, and “Le Petit Mort” was the first installment. But then I had to put things on hold, and some of the songs no longer felt like they represented me. The small release of “Le Petit Mort” was just meant to give people something new to listen to. It sold out very quickly and I never reprinted it, so that it would keep the value it was meant to have, and be a gift for those who were most devoted to my music.

Almost two years passed between “Vesper” and “Son Of The Famous So And So”. You went through a terrible car accident and other troubles. What gave you the strength to carry on? Did those events shape the mood of your second album?

“Son Of The Famous So And So” was recorded before I had the car accident last year, so the accident had no influence on the record at all. The final selection of songs, though, maybe has something to do with it. Honestly, “Son Of The Famous So And So” was an experiment. I mean, I recorded all these songs and then I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with them, how I wanted to group them, release them, and so on. Then I had to wait to put them out. I wasn't even planning on releasing them, because in the meantime I'd recorded new material, but some people insisted I should, so I did. And I just hope people find some value in the record. That's what helps me keep going – getting emails, letters and feedback from fans.

Your new album, “Son Of The Famous So And So”, was released in digital format. Why did you choose this format? What's your relationship with this modern way of sharing music? Is there still room for physical formats in an increasingly “web-oriented” world?

I used the digital format because that seems to be how people get their music these days. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It's an experiment. The “economics” of music are so different from what they were even just five years ago. “Son Of The Famous So And So” came out digitally mainly so I could get it to people quickly and cheaply. There are a lot of great websites designed to help independent musicians share their music digitally. My good friend Giuseppe Marmina (one of the founders of the Italian label Ghost Records, ed.) introduced me to bandcamp.com a while back. I think it's an interesting service, and musicians should use every tool available to reach their fans. Still, I really hope there's still room for physical copies of records. I think having a tangible “product” in your hands helps build a bond with the music, something digital music just can't do.

I think sharing music is really important, no matter how it happens. For years and years people have shared music by playing it live. Then radio and video helped spread it around. Sure, a lot of the time artists get royalties through those channels, but every single person reading this has, at some point in their life, had an album copied for them or a mixtape made without paying for it. I think giving people music for free is a great idea, especially when it comes in digital form. The thing is, the internet is so saturated with music, and so much of it exists with no regulation whatsoever, that I think at some point artists need to grasp the concept that people listen to their music without paying for it, instead of fighting a losing battle. They should try to make that work in terms of their own personal visibility. Musicians need to find a way to be rewarded by their fans that isn't record sales. Records don't sell like they used to. That's a cold, hard fact. Letting a fan have your music for free can only be a good thing for an up-and-coming artist.

On that note, what can you tell us about your “free music project”?

I started “Project Free” for the reason I mentioned before. I wanted the music to reach the people who could actually appreciate it. And I also wanted to know who those people were. I like having a personal relationship with the people who enjoy my music. I consider them friends, and I feel honored and grateful that people take the time to reach out to me, so I do the same and answer every single email I get. Sometimes it takes a lot of time and a lot of typing, but meaningful relationships don't sustain themselves without effort. I'd love for people to help spread my music, and I like letting them know it's great when they do. There's no doubt that word of mouth is the best way to get something circulating. And the internet has the biggest mouth of all!

I was just messing around with Photoshop. And what you see is the end result.

On your latest album (and also on the previous one, “Le Petit Mort”) there are a few tracks that seem to drift a bit from what could be considered your signature style. What can you tell us about that? Are you happy with the result? Do you enjoy experimenting with different sonic approaches?

I listen to and love every kind of music. If music has heart and soul, then I can appreciate it. I really don't care what genre it is. It was fun trying out some different sounds. But the main reason I ended up experimenting was that when I was ready to start recording, some of the musicians I'd chosen bailed on me. I'd already booked the studio and couldn't cancel, so I went in and recorded some random run-throughs of a few songs. Then Adam and I worked on them from there.

So I think these last two releases end up being made up of songs that are a bit odd and not always that cohesive. Maybe it was a bad idea, but it was still fun to mess around in the studio and try out different arrangements and approaches.

It seems like Portland has a thriving music scene right now. Do you feel like you're part of it? And which artists from that scene do you admire most?

Portland is exactly like any other place. There are wonderful, genuine people, and there are people who'd stab you in the back the moment they saw an advantage in it. I don't see my music as inspired or influenced by Portland artists or bands. I do what I do, regardless of whatever the most popular trend in town happens to be at the moment. As for the artists I admire, they're mostly the ones doing their thing for pure reasons, not to get scooped up by the music business. It might sound like a generic answer, but it's the truth.

There's no doubt your music has a fairly classic country-folk sound. Have you always listened to that kind of music? Are there other genres you're into besides that? And are you influenced by them in any way?

Yes, actually, I've always listened to country-folk. I was a huge fan of “pre-war” folk when I was a kid. Nobody I knew had the faintest idea what I was listening to. If I played them some old scratchy vinyl of that rustic music, everyone would look at me like I was crazy. Once, as a teenager, at a party, I took over the stereo and played Mississippi John Hurt's version of “Stagger Lee” something like twenty times in a row. People wanted to kill me. Anyway, I listen to a ton of music. Jazz, reggae, hip-hop, stuff like that. Those are genres full of passion. I never listen to whatever's playing on the more mainstream radio stations and that sort of thing. I've always been drawn to songwriters. I love writing, and I've written short stories and poetry my whole life. Long before I ever got into music. I even wrote a novel a few years back. So songwriters were always going to draw me in.

Which artist influenced you the most?

All the greats, obviously, like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, John Prine, Tom Waits, Hank Williams, George Gershwin, Neil Young, Duke Ellington, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Willie Nelson and their peers were a huge influence on me when I was younger. That said, it's obviously a short and incomplete list. Growing up, though, hip-hop - the good stuff, I mean - was King. Everybody listened to good hip-hop. Later on I started broadening my horizons and exploring other musical territories, and I was influenced by that a lot too. There's really so much great music out there. It just doesn't get any visibility because of a record industry that only cares about exploitation. That said, I've never tried to sound like anyone else when I write music. I know Kris Kristofferson, who once told me: “You've got to be unique”. And he knows what he's talking about.

Can you point us toward any artists worth checking out? And who are your all-time favorites?

All the people I mentioned to you earlier are definitely worth listening to, but that seems obvious to me. I believe, without a doubt, that I love Bob Dylan more than anyone else. People will think I'm crazy, but I believe his music from the last twenty years is better than most of what he did when he was younger. I don't think anyone will agree with me on this. All singer-songwriters, in any case, are doing nothing more than feasting on the leftovers Bob Dylan left behind.

If instead I have to suggest some music from the present, I can certainly point you towards some of my friends that people might not have heard of yet. And I don't give these recommendations lightly. Audie Darling, On The Stairs, St. Even and Tom Thumb are great artists I believe in and that I myself listen to a lot these days.

I'll definitely keep working with Adam. We work really well together, and I spend a lot of time with him anyway, regardless of music, so we might as well make music together too! We'll start working on a new album in April. I also already have a new record ready, which I recorded entirely on my own after being injured in the car accident. I think it's the best thing I've ever done. Not in terms of production, of course, since I could never match Adam's sound quality on my own, but because I believe the songs are the best I've ever written.

Do you enjoy playing live? And is there any chance you'll come play in Italy?

Playing live is what I love most of all. It's probably my favorite thing in the world, aside from the people I love.

I really hope to come to Italy in the fall. I've been really struck by how amazing and welcoming my Italian fans have been. In the meantime, I'm trying to learn to speak Italian. Any advice or help anyone can give me on that front would be much appreciated, and I'd be ready to return the favor by giving my all at what I do best.

(03/04/2011)

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