Backstreet Girl Breaking Out

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Aug 26, 2000 Source: Kiwibox.com Submitted By: asiagrl887 By: Liz D., Senior Editor, Entertainment Posted: 8/24/2000 Mindi Abair is a rising star. She is a singer, a songwriter, and a musician. She is a blonde bombshell with a wild streak in her taste for fashion. She is a person with a high goal and the creativity, intelligence, and will to accomplish it. She is also just another girl who daydreams about the future, has problems with guys, and loves going out with friends. You may also know Mindi as “the Backstreet girl,” and the year she spent earning this title may just turn out to be the year that changed her life. Mindi grew up with music as a part of her life. She has been singing since she was two, and by the time she was eight she could already play both the keyboard and the saxophone. Music is all she has ever wanted to do, and now she is living a dream-come-true for anyone, which is to be able to make a living doing the thing you love most. Mindi has been on tour as a band member with everyone from Mandy Moore to Adam Sandler. She has been called on to play keyboards, saxophone, and percussion, as well as to sing. However, on no tour did she earn as much attention for her talents than she did on the last Backstreet Boys tour. The spotlight may have first shown on Mindi when rumors flew that the Boys had taken a (gasp) girl as a member of the group, but soon many Backstreet fans began to realize just how awesome Mindi is—and to become as big of supporters of her as they are of the Backstreet Boys themselves. The Backstreet Boys’ tour came to a close this past April, but Mindi’s work--and fun--was far from over. Instead of heading home, she headed off again right away with A.J. on his Johnny No Name tour, this time going it solo as the opening act! The fans loved her, and by the time she got back home and prepared a CD for release, tons of people were knocking down doors to get it. All this for an artist who isn’t even signed! I gave this super-busy gal a call in her Hollywood, California, home a few weeks ago to talk about her Backstreet girl experience, how all of this recognition is affecting her, and what she has been doing on her much-cherished down time after some pretty hectic touring. What struck me right away about Mindi was how incredibly easy she was to talk to. No formalities or “Oh, one second, my agent is calling on my cell,” or anything like that. Just 100% girl to girl chat—exactly the way we like it! One of the first things we talked about was her experience on the Backstreet Boys Tour. Mindi said it was an incredible experience in many ways, and while it was fun and exciting, it was also hard at times, especially when you are as enthusiastic about exploring new places as Mindi is. “The thing about being on the road that is hard is that you are always on. You never have a chance to turn off. You are doing so many shows, and whenever you are on stage, it is such a high. Then you get off the stage and still have that high going and never get to sleep. Almost every night you are on a bus to the next town and you try to go to sleep, but you want to see everything, go to the museums, go shopping. Then it’s time for another show and the cycle starts all over again.” That explorer’s attitude showed through even more when I asked Mindi what her favorite stop on the tour was. “We started the tour in Europe, and Italy was amazing! If I ever get married I want to get married in Italy. It is so beautiful and inspiring. Sweden was great too. I am very pale…blonde hair, blue eyes, the works, and so many natives of Sweden are like that that it was like instant acceptance. These are my people! Plus, there was water everywhere. I really like water. That was amazing. “Then there is the U.S. I love to go to Florida ‘cause that’s where I’m from. And New York…it’s like a shot in the arm. It’s like one big amusement park for me. You’ve gotta soak it in.” There was a thoughtful pause before Mindi added, “This is a gift I’ve been given, and I feel like I have to soak in the moment and see and do everything I can while I have the opportunity.” Despite the fact that touring was such an incredible experience, by the time Johnny No Name was over, Mindi was definitely ready to get back home to her friends and her songwriting. “What was the first thing you did when you got home?” I asked, expecting something like “SLEEP.” But sleep seemed to be far from the mind of this high-volter. “Kissed the ground!” Mindi replied at first with a laugh before telling me, “I live in this area where all of my friends have moved into as well, so I went and said “hi” to friends and started making plans. I wanted to go my favorite restaurants…” Another playful laugh, “…yeah, basically friends and food!” “Living in Hollywood is not for everyone. Some people think I’m nuts, but I like it. I live right in the middle of the craziness. Friends call, and I can be there, anywhere, in five minutes. But then you can completely escape if you want to, too. Hollywood Hills is great. I usually go up to different places in Hollywood Hills to hike or just to sit and think and enjoy.” I asked Mindi if it was hard adjusting to a new schedule, but she said that she actually isn’t keeping much of a set schedule, which is one of the freedoms she is cherishing right now. “Sometimes I get inspired and stay up all night to write and sleep during the day. Sometimes I sleep at ten. I follow what I feel. It’s nice to have the freedom to do that, really nice not to have an alarm clock ringing. I feel very lucky that I can not have an alarm clock.” Instead, as she said, Mindi is now governed mainly by her inspiration as she works on songs for a second album. “Some of my songs I hear in my head, like radio Mindi. When I’m in a place where I can concentrate, I’ll write them down, like in my car. I’ll write down lyrics and a melody, then get home and figure out chords. Sometimes I go to a café and have a sandwich or something and write. I like to see people in the middle of life. I have a friend who writes on beach. I wrote a song with him the other day. It was the first time I ever collaborated on a song, and I was really neat. We just sat watching the people and talking about lyrics.” “Some may think I’m crazy, but I’m happy. Nothing makes me happier that to be able to do my own stuff,” Mindi added. “You said in your bio that you write about love a lot because that is what messes you up the most. Does that mean you have had sacrifice some special relationships to touring?” I asked next. “That is part of it, but not all. For some reason, love has just never worked out. Most people go on dates and it’s totally normal. Other people are like, ‘Oh, I went out with this guy the other night and he was really nice and I’m going to see him again this weekend’ and it’s fine and perfect. With me, there’s just always something that goes wrong, whether it’s the wrong guy, a bad situation, or going on the road. I have to say, ‘It was nice to go out with you a couple of times. Now I have to go on the road for six months…maybe I’ll see you when I get back?’ Not likely…” “Music has always been a love of my life…But can I really complain? Most people don’t get to do what they love everyday. I thank god everyday because I do.” Mindi does not have a record deal at this point, but that certainly does not seem to have hampered her. “I never much formal training until I went to college. “I gotta move to L.A.,” I thought. I just knew. I gave every band I was working with two weeks notice, packed up my car, and drove across country. I knew one person in LA from college and stayed in his house for a week while I looked for a place of my own. I was a waitress, did odd jobs, everything. I sat in with any band I could and played on street. It worked! People started hiring me, and on off time I always did my own music. That’s kind of how it happened. Then I started booking stuff with my band…It all worked like I hoped it would. “I feel like the Internet has been the incredible tool for people like me who weren’t born in the business and don’t know people. As far as getting a record deal, I would totally embrace that and love it and am working toward it, but right now I’m so fulfilled. Wow, what a dream! One day, a record deal will allow me to get to then next level. Right now, though I’m floored at how far my music has already come.” Mindi thanks the Backstreet fans for their support as well. She says she never imagined that they would reach out to her as they have, and she couldn’t be happier about it. “I’m doing it on my own, so I’ll know more when a label comes to me, and that make me feel really good. I’m doing what I love. This is what I dreamed all of my life!” When we spoke, Mindi was getting ready to hit the road again, this time for a twelve-day stint in Asia with Mandy Moore that the explorer in her was really looking forward to. There is talk of her appearing in the next Johnny No Name tour as well. If you would like to check Mindi and her music out for yourself, visit her site at www.mindiabair.com. You can see photos, read more about her background, listen to some MP3’s, and order her first CD, which I highly recommend. Mindi Abair is one rising star, straight from Hollywood, who may have what it takes to make it to the top. Comment on this item. 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