Mandy Moore 'Covers' New Bases
By Charles Karel Bouley, 10/26/2003
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Mandy Moore has just released a new
album and is looking forward to two major movie roles in the
coming year. Not bad for a new artist -- but considering she is
only 19, the agenda is remarkable.
And, like most 19-year-olds, Moore is growing up and venturing out -- personally and musically.
Her third Epic album, "Coverage," a collection of 12 cover
songs, is a coming-out of sorts for the singer-actress. In
fact, the Oct. 21 release is such a personal statement that she
vowed to record it on her own.
"I just kind of went and did it," she says with a laugh.
"The label knew I was in the studio; they just didn't know what
kind of record I was making. I was apprehensive about the
concept and wasn't sure they would like the idea."
Moore admits that an album of covers from an artist who
hasn't worked in the music world too long was risky. But she
says, "I felt passionate, so I wanted to finish it and present
it complete so people couldn't say, 'Maybe you should have done
that song or this song."'
The idea is to introduce the covers to an audience that --
given Moore's primary demographic of teens and pre-teens --
might not have been born when most of the songs originally were
recorded. The first single is a cover of John Hiatt's "Have a
Little Faith in Me," which Moore says turned into another
statement of sorts for her.
"'Have a Little Faith' was the last song I recorded, and I
was so nervous because the original is so wonderful," she says.
"I discovered parts of my voice that I never had before. So
'Have a Little Faith in Me' is a testament to that."
Epic certainly has faith in Moore and this album -- and for
good reason. Her 1999 debut, "So Real," went platinum. (The
album was reissued the following year as "I Wanna Be With You"
and went gold.) She has had a solid track record since, with a
slew of movie roles, a near-constant presence as an MTV
personality and high-profile ad contracts with such companies
as Neutrogena.
Moore contends that she is not worried about comparisons of
her interpretations with those of the original artists, having
tackled songs by such heavyweights as Joan Armatrading ("Drop
the Pilot"), Cat Stevens ("Moonshadow"), Blondie ("One Way or
Another") and Joni Mitchell ("Help Me").
"It's for people to decide what I add to these songs, not
me," she reflects. "I just wanted to sing them. The songs are
all genius and perfect to begin with, so I didn't feel the need
to do something completely different. I wanted to hold true to
the songs."
The album was recorded in a garage studio behind producer John Fields' house, which she says was a priceless experience.
"It is the first album that has my complete, 100% stamp of
approval," she says. "I love the last record, but this was my
passion and my pet project. It was a collaborative process with
John Fields. On this one, as a person and an artist, I found my
voice.
"I paid for the record; I wanted to go out on that limb,"
she says. "It was so low-key, it wasn't an $8,000-a-day studio,
which gave us a chance to explore without a lot of pressure."
Moore will promote the record until early next year, when
she returns to the movies. "Saved" and an untitled film will be
released in 2004, and she is looking at new scripts.
So what's the ultimate goal?
"Family. My work is not my life; my family is my life. I
have to make time for it all, and I've been so lucky that I
have been able to so far. As for my career, you don't have to
decide whether to be an actress or a singer anymore. I'm a bit
of both, and I'm having the time of my life."
Reuters/Billboard
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