Purveyors of: Fuzzy music served with grit (without being “gritty”)
File next to: Babes in Toyland, The Cramps, Nancy Sinatra
Playing #WL14 Sunday, February 16 @ Sonic Boom Music (Annex location - 3:00pm start)

Annabelle Lee is nothing if not prolific. The Toronto-based singer/songwriter birthed her band Mexican Slang within the friendly confines of her attic. In the early going, the band was just her, with an assist to her computer/"studio". Songs were written, EPs were churned out, everything in quick succession. With minimal promotion, a slow buzz began to build. Before long, Mexican Slang had grown into a threesome (Annabelle met bassist Tony Rowlinson at a show, soon to be followed by his pal/co-worker Denholm on drums, a live entity and a prime local purveyor of smart, sexy rock’n’roll tunage — a less-calculated, more-raw Raveonettes is a good reference point, sound-wise. 2014 is going to see an Mexican Slang EP on Buzz Records plus Canadian and US tour dates. Not bad for outfit that started as one person channelling one idea. Cam Gordon caught up with Annabelle recently to see what's next in the evolution.

You've released four EPs under the Mexican Slang moniker in the last year and a half. That's an impressive clip! Was this EP-focused model by design?

Yes and no. The original idea was that I wanted to do four EPs in four months, as a songwriting exercise and a challenge. Keep mixing things up, getting my songs out there in shorter bursts. The funny thing is that I wasn't particularly a fan of the EP format going in. I had nothing against it, but it's not like I was inspired by other bands who had used similar approaches.

When you put out the first EP in August 2012, what were your ambitions in terms of notoriety, etc.?

There was no intent beyond wanting to express myself and to have something to share with whoever was interested. I put it on Bandcamp and shared with my friends through Facebook, but that's pretty much it. Before too long, a couple of blogs had written about it and things went from there.

How did you determine the tracking for each of the EP? In giving them a listen, they do each seem specifically grouped in terms of tone.

Most of the tunes are pretty current and were written specifically for each EP. Some of the songs are definitely more abrasive at times, but because everything was written with a release in mind, you can get a sense of the headspace I was in for each EP. There are differences in terms of inspiration from what I was listening to, thinking about and even basics like seasonality — you're going to be writing about different things in the dead of winter than you would be in August.

Some of the recordings are pretty lo-fi in nature. Again, was that by design?

Not really, but I guess it's going to sound like that considering I just recorded a lot of these songs directly into my computer in my attic. I'm talking just a single microphone — the one that's built into my computer! Later on, I did use a second mic to record some of the vocals but overall, it really couldn't have been a more basic set-up.

So it's been over a year since you released a proper EP. What's next recording-wise for the band now that you're a full three-piece?

We'll have something coming out soon on Buzz Records and yeah, this is the first batch of Mexican Slang songs written as a unit. The process has been really good. I like having different inputs and I think you'll be able to really hear what the guys are bringing to the table, while still not straying from our basic sound too much. The songs definitely have a different dynamic but personally, I think they're way better.

Mexican Slang plays #WL14 in-store event Sunday, February 16 @ Sonic Boom Music (Annex location - 3:00pm start)

- Interview by Cam Gordon (Completely Ignored)

Photo credit: Mackenzie Burgess