Amanda Warner, now known as MNDR, is coming to town with supergroup The Ting Tings. The songwriter was featured on Mark Ronson song "Bang Bang Bang" then broke out on her own. MNDR's electronic music is currently a part of Ultra Records stable of artists. Her single "#1 in Heaven" is inspired by the story of Patty Hearst. Find out about that her bear following in this Nunn on One interview.
Windy City Times: Hi, Amanda. Where in the world are you?
Amanda Warner: Right now, I am in Los Angeles. I just got done with a photo shoot. I am driving to San Diego for a show at House of Blues.
WCT: What does MNDR stand for?
Amanda Warner: It is a play on my name, Amanda Warner. I used it when I was a DJ in the Bay Area and have kept it.
WCT: It is very confusing, with Madonna using MDNA [as the title of her new CD].
Amanda Warner: I know. Even though she is the "Queen of Pop," I will have to say that I did it first, just on that one…
WCT: You are a solo artist. You fell into the biz from being a songwriter, correct?
Amanda Warner: I was a bass player for hire, keyboardist and songwriter. I just fell into doing this. Peter was the one that thought I should do an artist project.
WCT: Have you met The Ting Tings before?
Amanda Warner: No, I just met them last night and they are sweet. Katie had appendicitis and now she is much better. They put on a great show last night.
WCT: How was it working with Mark Ronson?
Amanda Warner: It was awesome. I love Mark. There are not words to describe what Mark Ronson is like. He is a truly lovely individual. With a producer of that level it is usually more formal. He is very casual and it is like making music with a friend. Often times we would just call each other and swing by the studio. It probably makes him very relevant and involved with new artists.
WCT: Your song "#1 in Heaven" has a fun energy, although it's about Patty Hearst.
Amanda Warner: The chorus actually takes her quotes after she was arrested for the bank robbery/murder incident. After she sympathized with her captor, this was the quote that she gave to the media: "Tell everybody that I am smiling and I send my greetings"while she in handcuffs. I thought that was rad. She was in a zone where she believed in what she was doing at such a level that she didn't give a shit about anything. Whether it was negative or positive, that was an awesome space to be in.
WCT: Is the name of the album going to be Feed Me Diamonds?
Amanda Warner: Yes, it is an homage to [performance artist] Marina Abramovic. It is also a song on the album, which I am really psyched about. It tells the story of the album. It is decadent at points, then tragic. They used to kill aristocracy by crushing up diamonds, put it in their food, and their insides would bleed internally. One of the hardest songs I have ever written came out of that. My manager told me to call the record Feed Me Diamonds, and I agreed.
WCT: Do you know when the album is coming out?
Amanda Warner: It will be out on Ultra Records this summer in the U.S. With the second single I will be making a video with Cody Critcheloe again, who did the first video. He designed artwork and the merch, so he is visual creative director.
Don't miss MNDR and The Ting Tings Tuesday, April 3, at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit www.metrochicago.com or www.jamusa.com; for more on MNDR, see www.mndr.com .