Leslie Mendelson pays homage to classic songwriting on her Rykodisc debut Swan Feathers

“This is one of the tastiest pop albums of recent memory, and I say “pop” in the Carole King sense… No album of this genre has touched me so deeply. [Leslie’s lyrics] come alive in her delicate and courageous phrasing… [her] songs stick to you like swan feathers caught on rubber cement”-- Jac Holzman (founder of Elektra and Nonesuch)

Leslie Mendelson crafts vivid lyrics paired with subtle production on Swan Feathers, her Rykodisc debut set for release on June 30th. The album is already receiving widespread praise from industry tastemakers and represents Mendelson’s worthy emergence as a national recording artist. In addition to being a singularly expressive singer, Mendelson is an effortlessly charismatic performer and a songwriter of uncommon musical and emotional depth. She is a sensitive tunesmith with an uncanny knack for infusing even her darkest lyrical insight with a sexy playfulness.

Thanks in part to the influence of her father, a trumpet player and music teacher, Leslie became obsessed with music during early childhood, learning to play piano by ear and coming up with original lyrics and melodies. By her teens, she was writing personally charged songs in earnest and making her first attempts at recording demos of her compositions. “Doing music as a career was always my dream,” she recalls. “Whether that was a realistic goal or not, I didn't care, because music was always a safe place for me to go. If anything else in life was giving me trouble, I could always just sit down and play and everything would feel OK.”

In 2002 Leslie moved to NYC and became a fixture in Manhattan’s downtown music scene where she participated in the famed New York Songwriters Circle. She released Take It As You Will in 2005, a homespun, low-key indie release that won considerable grassroots acclaim. Among those who took notice was legendary jazz and R&B producer Joel Dorn, who became instrumental in bringing Leslie to the attention of Rykodisc and helping her win her current recording deal.

For Swan Feathers, Mendelson called upon the talents of veteran producer/arranger Rob Mounsey, whose voluminous resume includes work with the likes of Paul Simon, Diana Krall, Steely Dan and Brian Wilson. The album's eclectic supporting cast includes in-demand songwriter Steve McEwan, who plays guitar and co-wrote several of the album's songs with Mendelson; James Maddock, leader of the English band Wood, who also contributed guitar work; bassist Rich Hammond, who's worked with the likes of Nellie McKay and Raul Midon; and a pair of notable drummers, ex-Spin Doctors sticks-man Aaron Comess and renowned freelance percussion master Ben Wittman.

From the effervescent exuberance of “Hit the Spot” and “I See Myself with You” to the bittersweet introspection of “Easy Love”, “No Easy Way Out” and “If I Don't Stop Loving You,” Leslie’s songs are supported by organically soulful performances and spare, understated instrumental arrangements. “I'm really proud of these songs,” Mendelson states, “so it was important to me to get the feel right, and make sure that the emotion came across. To me, they're pop songs, so I wanted them to feel upbeat and to feel like they have a life, and I hope we got that.” The result is a timelessly resonant and emotionally honest album which recalls the classic work of vintage role models Carole King and Laura Nyro.