As a mom, Mandy Hand can’t really network out on the town like most local artists. She’s lucky she can make it to her gigs, and there’s been a lot of them during her nearly three decades of musicmaking. Still, she’s managed to develop a tight group of collaborators and partners in crime for her to be able to stick with music basically full time. With the breakup of her power-pop outfit Big Heaven last year, singer-songwriter Hand has gone solo. And she’s got the record to prove it. She released the EP Mandyland earlier this month on all streaming platforms.
Recorded with Taylor Tatsch at AudioStyles (Maren Morris, Cut Throat Finches, Jack Barksdale) and Clint Niosi at Orange Otter Audio (Broke String Burnett, BLKrKRT, Stem Afternoon), the five tracks bear Hand’s trademark ’80s-style rock.
“The EP makes me feel relieved, proud, and, after all the mixes, I turn it on Spotify, and it makes me feel something, and I love it,” Hand said. “I want people to relate. I want people to hear it and say, ‘Wow, I’ve been there’ and have the music itself move them. I really want to be listened to and be heard. I hope listeners think the album is fun to listen to and want to sing along, and if it reminds them of Big Heaven, I’m really proud of that, too.”
Inspired by a spiritual experience at the dunes of Monahans Sandhills in West Texas, Hand layers lots of synths and vocals together for an ethereal feel. When buttressed against some blistering rock guitar on a couple tracks, it’s all dynamically catchy.
Hand is in the process of building a backing band. Big Heaven drummer Sam Dobbin and bassist Jeff Zero are already on board. Now, she’s looking for a versatile lead guitarist and keyboardist. She’ll handle keys and rhythm guitar herself for now. Hand is looking at March to debut her outfit onstage.
“I decided that I really needed to put the band together to be seen more,” she said. “As far as playing solo and making decisions in the studio, I do like that because I have in my mind what I want.”
