Olivia Mancini: Press

Performer Magazine reviews "This Kind of Life"

Olivia Mancini and her relentless gang of bandsters, the Housemates, created anincredibly uplifting record that one can’t help dance and sing to. This Kind of Life is filled with cheerful, amiable, upbeat pop tunes, complete with strong stories, great vocals, amazing background harmonies, horn sections and bits and pieces of acapella.

The record hits its stride full force, with the opening track, “I Wouldn’t Worry,” showing the band’s great sense of charm and creativity. Olivia sings with a beautiful, sultry, sonorous tone,delivering her message with great amiability. The jangly guitars and horns return for “Crime Don’t Pay.” “Jealous Type,” a stirring highlight of the record, is a gem to behold. You’ll find a pinch of frightening and haunting qualities in the bridge.

Solid harmony vocals from the Housemates truly support Olivia’s presence. Each song is packed with punch, spunk and pure mayhem. It’s always a positive vibe, great for a dance club – and a sound perfect for a bar of 20- and 30-somethings.

Olivia Mancini succeeds in being “the life of the party,” with strong lyrics, passion and highly creative compositions.

From BigYawn.Net:

"To dislike this band you either have to be deaf or hate chocolate cake and cookies, possibly both."

DC Decider says...

Olivia Mancini handled the dissolution of Washington Social Club in the best way possible: by starting a new band. Trading her bass for a mic stand, the D.C. sweetheart began exploring her love of mellow indie-pop with support from The Mates (formerly The Housemates), which is a (mostly) rotating lineup of local musicians. This year's You Can See The Mountains From Here follows up on the exuberant melodies and twangy rock of the band's Chatterbox EP, showing that Mancini's musical prowess can outlast even her previous successes.

Local Listens After Hours Blog -Washingtonian.com

At just 2½ minutes, the song “My Old Ways” captures everything we love about rock music —from its rolling, train-engine rhythm and the light bounce of the piano to talk of old habits and “hundred-mile nights.” Even without the support of her usual brass accompaniment, DC native Olivia Mancini’s songs jump with the raw energy of great ska, always wrapped around her distinctive and melodious voice.

On “My Old Ways,” off last year’s Chatterbox EP, Mancini sings: “I’m drinking one tonight, but I’m gonna sip it slowly. / I don’t want to get so messed up as I did last night.” What could be a throwaway line for hundreds of bands is instead a sincere and simple moment tinged with regret and renewed optimism. The track, simultaneously full-bodied and intimate, could blare over a bar jukebox, fill a dance floor, or comfortably make its home inside a pair of headphones—a testament to Mancini and the flawless playing of her band, the Mates.

Mancini started the Mates—at the time called the Housemates—in 2005 with a group of musically inclined Arlington roommates. The band was a way to showcase her songwriting chops after a stint as bass player for the Washington Social Club. It’s been an emphatic success, to say the least. Whether it’s the bluesy “Jealous Type,” the swing-influenced “Radio Silence,” or the soulful and more experimental rock of “Let’s Do This,” the choruses always soar into a classic car-windows-down, foot-stomping-sing-along quality.

Make sure to catch Olivia Mancini & the Mates with fellow Local Listens alums the Moderate and Justin Jones & the Driving Rain at the Rock & Roll Hotel Saturday night. For now, read our Q&A with Mancini for details on the name change, upcoming releases, and why Chief Ike’s in Adams Morgan is the place to be on Tuesday nights.

Name: Olivia Mancini.

Age: “Dirty 30.”

Hometown: DC.

First song that made you want to play music:
“Hmm . . . I’m pretty sure it was the Top Gun anthem.”

First instrument:
Recorder.

Local spot to seek inspiration or write music:
“My living room in DC’s Logan Circle.”

Best local venue:
“I feel like we’re spoiled for venues now. Soundman Rob Curtis has the Rock & Roll Hotel stage dialed in, and Dennis Kane has done great things with the sound on the Black Cat backstage.”

Best bar to hear music:
“I’m a big fan of Tuesday nights at Chief Ike’s, where this pickup reggae/ska band plays every week. I don’t want to blow it up too much, but sometimes HR from Bad Brains sits in.”

Favorite local band other than your own:
“What if I still said my own? Ha ha, little joke there —glad you qualified the question. There are a lot of good bands in Washington. I’m lucky that we’re playing with one of my favorites, Justin Jones & the Driving Rain, this weekend at the Rock & Roll Hotel.”

Best thing about Washington’s music scene:
“There are enough really good bands that I have trouble choosing which one I like best.”

Worst thing about Washington’s music scene:
“So many people move away to New York. It’s not better there, guys. Come back.”

Craziest tour memory:
“Unfortunately, the craziest memories are also the haziest.”

Finish this sentence: “When not making music, you can find me . . . ”
“ . . . learning prog-rock solos to teach my guitar students.”

Rolling Stones or the Beatles?
“Different animals. If you haven’t yet, check out the Stones’ record Tattoo You.”

Digital download or hard copy?
“I still acquire both but lean toward digital for convenience.”

Rolling Stone or Spin or . . . ?
“Newsweek.”

Club show or festival?
“The only festival I attended with any regularity was the HFStival. Are they still doing that?”

When and why did the Housemates become the Mates?
“In a literal sense, the Housemates ceased to be housemates many years ago. The band name lingered while we searched for something that still represented us and our relationship to each other. One day, Ed said, ‘Why not just the Mates?’ I liked it, filed it away mentally, and a few weeks ago I overheard Kristin and Randy telling someone, ‘We’re in a band called the Housemates, but we’re not really called that anymore.’ I don’t know what possessed me—I probably just wanted to put an end to the debate—but I shouted from a different room, ‘Yeah, we’re called the Mates!’ There was about 20 seconds of silence, and then I heard them say, ‘Yes, we’re called the Mates.’ Then I made T-shirts so it couldn’t be changed.”

What’s the current lineup like? Has it fluctuated at all over the past few years?
“The current lineup is Kristin Forbes on bass, Ed Donohue on guitar, Randy Scope on drums, and my little sister, Julia, on backing vocals. Eventually, it’d be great to replace—not in spirit but in body—our old trumpet player, Dan Swenson, who we lost to Boston about a year ago. But would you believe that rock-and-roll trumpet players aren’t all that easy to find?”

Is there a Mates record in the works or any other side projects? If so, when can we expect to hear them?
“The Mates record is done! As is the Sleeping Secrets record! As well as Donny Hue and the Colors! It’s been a fruitful year for the Mates crew. I can’t speak for Randy (Sleeping Secrets) or Ed (Donny Hue), but I know I’m getting impatient about a release date. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the new songs hit MySpace fairly soon.”

When introducing your music to someone for the first time, what song do you play?
“I usually start by playing ‘My Old Ways’ because it’s upbeat and accessible and about being out late and partying. Once they’re hooked, I bring out the deep cuts such as ‘Deal Is Off’ (about an impending divorce) or ‘Weathervane’ (about losing direction in life).”

Favorite musician or band that sounds nothing like you?
“R. Kelly.”

On the Verge -- Olivia Mancini & the Housemates

Olivia Mancini & the Housemates
written by
Robert Fulton
Just think of all the great things that come in packs of 12: Eggs, donuts, roses, cheap beer — heck, that sounds like a fun summer we spent back in college. What also comes in 12 is our series of featured artists each year. In 2008, we highlighted a dozen bands that should be on your radar. In the coming pages, we give you a more intimate look at these local acts that are On the Verge.


Olivia Mancini & the Housemates

Olivia Mancini & the Housemates get people off. No, not in that sense, but in the more appropriate get-off-your-ass-and-boogie-down meaning of the phrase.

“I still really like house shows and college town shows where kids come in and freak out because there’s something to dance to, something to get excited about,” said Mancini over a Stella at the Black Squirrel in Adams Morgan, talking about the band’s high-energy music and ability to rock a house or club.

Not that all shows are easy. On a recent West Coast trip, the Housemates somehow got booked at a metal club.
“We went on with the show,” Mancini said. “We did it. You never don’t go on with the show.”

The Housemates started back in the Spring of 2005. Friends wanted Mancini to play a solo show, but she declined, citing shyness. So a group of friends who shared a house in Arlington offered to be her backing band. After three days of practicing, and a show at the Galaxy Hut, Olivia Mancini & the Housemates were born.

The group has included various players over the years and now lists guitarist Ed Donohue, organist/vocalist Dan Swenson, bassist/vocalist Kristin Forbes and drummer Randy Scope as members.

Mancini, who played bass in the now defunct Washington Social Club, welcomed the opportunity to be at the forefront of a group to showcase some of her writing.

“I had these songs,” she said. “I’ve always written. The songs I was writing didn’t particularly fit with Washington Social Club. [And ] I was really hampered singing with the bass. I just needed to start a separate band to do that.”

The Housemates’ sound is mostly filled with enthusiasm. Mancini, who plays guitar and is the primary songwriter, cites Elvis Costello, early Beatles and Television as some of her influences. She recently wrote a Motown song on piano, an instrument she’s just now learning.

“It goes in waves,” Mancini said of he group’s sound. “Upbeat pop songs, there’s that side. There’s a more moody side. One theme that goes through our genres is an oldies vibe.”

Mancini was born and raised in D.C., got a degree in history from Vassar College, and now teaches guitar locally and music history online for Penn State. She plans to attend Georgetown to study law next fall.

“I do like D.C., D.C. is home,” she said. “With limitations comes opportunity. It is a transient city. People come here full of ideas and excitement, and they do stuff. They start bands, they make art, then they go. So I like the idea of somebody who is trying to do that and also stays.”

Mancini certainly keeps busy. In addition to her work with the Housemates, she is collaborating with Scope (who was also in Washington Social Club) on a new project called Sleeping Secrets, and Mancini and Scope form the rhythm section of Donohue’s band Donny Hue and the Colors. Expect new music from both projects in 2009.

Last year, the Housemates released the full-length “This Kind of Life,” and the shorter “The Chatterbox EP.” Now the group is headed back into the studio to record another full length.

“I’m not thinking much beyond getting this record together, recording it, making something we’re proud of, going through the album cycle: finish the record, tour, mail it around,” Mancini said. “See where that goes. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve come to a point where I realize I’m dong this because I love doing this and I don’t have any expectations.”

For more info, visit www.oliviamancini.com.

Washingtonian Favorites: Olivia Mancini

Every Thursday, we bring you interviews with noteworthy Washingtonians. This week, we catch up with local musician (and Facebook addict) Olivia Mancini.

You don’t have to spend every weekend at local music venues such as the Black Cat or the Rock and Roll Hotel for the name Olivia Mancini to sound familiar. Like the now-defunct Georgie James (RIP), Mancini has become an indelible part of the local music scene, first as the bassist for Washington Social Club and then as frontwoman of the Housemates—made up of Kristin Forbes, Randy Scope, Dan Swenson, and Ed Donohue.

Swenson and Donohue now reside in Boston and New York, respectively, but Mancini continues to make music—whether it’s with Scope and Forbes as Olivia and the Terrible Two (a name they use half seriously to refer to themselves), or through entirely different projects such as Donny Hue and the Colors. As Mancini explains, part of the fun of being involved in more than one band is the opportunity to adopt different styles and explore various sides of her personality onstage—not that she’s looking to join more bands right now or thinking of pulling a Beyoncé, for that matter.

Mancini, who lives near DC’s U Street, chatted with us about her many projects, the musicians and albums she relies on for inspiration, and just how good fellow bandmate Randy Scope’s scrambled eggs really are.

Name: Olivia Mancini.

Age: 29.

Occupation: Musician.

Hometown: DC.

Must-have item at all times: Glasses.

Signature drink: Varies by the season.

Finish this sentence: When not working, you can find me . . .

. . . playing music in someone’s basement.

Washingtonians you admire:
I very much admire local activist Mark Andersen. For those of you who don’t know Mark, he’s been working for 25 years to improve the lives of the city’s low-income residents and the elderly through We Are Family, a part of the Northwest Settlement House organization. He also cofounded Positive Force DC, which takes the best ideals of a DC music institution—punk rock—and puts them into action, empowering youth to get involved with their community to foster change, growth, and acceptance. The group raises money for various charitable organizations by putting on benefit concerts with local bands. Mark’s been doing that since 1985, and he’s still going strong, helping to increase awareness and better people’s lives on a grassroots level.”

Favorite neighborhood in Washington?
Palisades—it’s lesser known, underappreciated, quiet, and quirky, with beautiful river views.

Washington insider tips?
The result of years of careful research: Wednesday around 10:30 AM is the best time to get your car inspected. It is counterintuitive for me to reveal this to a large audience.

Finish this sentence: Thinking about the Metro makes me . . .
. . . hope those long-anticipated-and long-deserved federal dollars are forthcoming.

Favorite music venue?
I love the Backstage at the Black Cat.

What would you change about DC?
Today and every day for the last year, I’d like to change the legal construction starting time from 7 AM to maybe 7:30. While I’m happy that 14th Street continues to boom despite the current state of the economy, I am so tired, so very tired, from being woken by “boom,” “crash,” “clink, clink, clink,” and “beep, beep, beep” six days a week. At least, please, could Saturday start later?

As you answer these questions, what Web sites are open in your browser?
Caught. On Facebook.

There’s been talk for some time now about the band changing its name. What are some of the best and worst name ideas that have been thrown around?
Well, if we’d found the best one or, frankly, even a good one, we probably would’ve stuck with it. It is challenging finding a name for a band that is in a perpetual state of flux. We moved away from the Housemates, in the literal sense, more than a year ago and may have been on the precipice of attaching a name to the latest incarnation when our lovely Dan Swenson moved to Boston—this on the heels of Ed Donohue’s departure for New York. So when we’re all together, which only happens now occasionally, should we be called one thing and then be called another when it’s just the remaining locals, Kristin Forbes, Randy Scope, and myself? We don’t know! Probably? Recently, Randy dubbed himself and Kristin the Terrible Two for the purpose of a few shows played as a trio—Olivia and the Terrible Two.

In addition to the Housemates, you’re involved in a number of other musical projects. Do you ever worry about burning out?
I don’t, really, because in every group I do something different. The variety offers the chance to adopt different playing styles and stage personas and to explore different shades of personality. For example, I have been doing the vocals for Randy’s studio project, Sleeping Secrets. The singing I do for those songs is 180 degrees from the singing I do in the Housemates; it’s almost like I’m channeling a different person. A quieter, more depressed person. Similarly, the kind of bass I play in Donny Hue & the Colors is different from the bass I played in Washington Social Club because the groups and the music they make—or made—are so different. In that case, it’s plaid shirts and corduroys versus glitter face paint and an oh-so-social cape.

What records do you find yourself constantly listening to for inspiration?
I am endlessly inspired by Johnny Marr’s guitar parts, the Beatles’ harmonies, Bruce Thomas’s bass lines, Sam Cooke’s vocals (the smoothest of all time!), the Shins’ songwriting, and Matt Barrick’s drumming. And of course there are certain albums that make me want to crawl inside the sound and wrap it around me, it sounds that good or that distinct. Pulp’s This Is Hardcore is one of them. Cat Stevens’s Tea for the Tillerman is another.

Any local bands or musicians you’d like to collaborate with?
Many. But I have to come to terms with the fact that I can’t join any more bands.

You’ve known Randy for a while now. Give us some dirt on the guy. Are his scrambled eggs all they’re cracked up to be?
“I don’t know about Sylvia Plath, but Randy’s scrambled eggs have gotten me out of bed on a number of occasions when the chances of that seemed unlikely. They’ve also proven useful barter on the road, when a kindly host has awoken to the sight of a strange drummer in his or her kitchen, scrambling up a batch in gratitude for a free night’s stay. Other dirt on Randy: He’s always on the lookout for the perfect fountain Coke with the right amount of ice and just enough fizz.”

Sara Gimmy reviews the Terrible Two show at the Velvet Lounge:


Olivia and the Housemates: The most underrated show in town

Every time I see the Housemates, I am blown away by Olivia's ability to deliver perfectly sweet vocals while still doing her job on guitar. Of course Kristin Forbes' supporting vocals and bass guitar along with Randy Scope's notoriously danceable beats tie it all together. Regardless, the Velvet Lounge was only about half full for tonight's show.

Olivia and the Terrible Two, along with Olivia's sister Julia, were the resident musicians tonight. If you're familiar with Olivia and the Housemates, you know that means that both Ed (Donny Hue and the Colors) and Dan (Holy Attack) were missing. As it turns out, Olivia explained later that they both moved up north, Brooklyn and Boston respectively, making their attendance at shows intermittent. Ed should be making relatively more appearances with the Housemates in the future.

In fact, the Housemates are entering a period of experimentation. Using the core trio, they have been experimenting with material, new and old, playing more acoustic versions, and alternating between acoustic and electric more than ever. Because of the new band composition, Olivia explained, the Housemates have become more creative with their sets, and no two shows have been the same.

Tonight the Housemates unofficially debuted their new EP, The Chatterbox EP. How new is it? So new, Olivia still hasn't given it to her mom. But she gave me a copy. I can tell you that it rocks my socks.* This wasn't intentionally an EP debut party, but Olivia had just received her copies this morning, and couldn't help sharing it tonight.

By the time they took the stage a little after midnight, about sixteen people were left in the very intimate space upstairs at the Velvet Lounge. I think half of them were in one of the opening bands, Marshall Costan and the Awesome Few and the Oscillating Fan Club.

New material was the name of the game. Their full set included six new songs (three are on the new EP!), three from This Kind of Life, and a cover of "True Love," which was also Olivia's solo performance. She absolutely killed on guitar. For me the highlight of the show was a new song "Radio Silence," which made the remainder of the sixteen of us (who were not already dancing) get up and dance in our not-so-inebriated state.

Considering that the Housemates were sans trumpet, at first I was a little disappointed, but by the time they closed out the show with "Jealous Type," Olivia, Kristin and Randy rocked so well together that they definitely didn't need any kind of brass involvement.

End of the story: See Olivia and the Housemates. You won't be let down.

* Editor's Note: The EP that "rocked Sara's Socks" is available under "Tunes" on this site.

Creative DC interview with Amanda Hirsch, 10/10/08:

When I emailed prolific DC musician Olivia Mancini to see if she was interested in doing an interview for Creative DC, I never imagined we'd end up having so much in common. It turns out we both grew up in the DC area, and have both deepened our commitment to growing DC's creative community in response to seeing artist friends leave for New York and other cities. "I bristle when well-meaning people suggest that I move to New York or L.A. for my career, because 'nothing really happens' in Washington," Mancini says. "Well, let's make something happen!"

Amen. We talked over email about day jobs, finding artistic collaborators and tapping into the creative life of DC.

How did you go from being someone who liked to make music to someone who was in a band (or, "bands" in your case!) and actually performing? Was there a period when you thought performing was just a pipe dream, or did you always know it was something you would and could do?

There was no time lost for me between learning how to make music and getting a band together. I played classical music through childhood and then got a guitar and a chord book right before I went to college. I started writing songs, bad songs, right away, because I liked to sing and I wasn’t good enough to play songs anyone else had written. For about a semester, it was just me and a girl on my hall playing guitar and bass in my dorm room, with me singing through the karaoke function on my stereo. I was hooked right away. I went home for the summer, spent all my money on questionable music equipment, and filled out the band when I got back to school so that we could start performing live.

Do you make a living from your music, or do you need to do other jobs to supplement your income?

It is possible to make money by making music. But among my musician friends, it goes without saying that one has to have, as I do, a way to supplement that income. Being a touring musician poses a particular challenge to keeping one’s “day job,” because you’re constantly in and out of town, sometimes on short notice. I’ve had a series of understanding employers (one was my dad for a number of years), but the internet is the most understanding employer of all. I teach a class online, and that I can do from anywhere, any time. I also teach guitar lessons at a cool music school where all the instructors are in bands and the students are primed to hear, “I’ll be doing your lesson today because Olivia’s in the studio,” or at a show. Making that part of it work, finding a job you can keep, is definitely part of solving the overall puzzle.

A lot of articles about your band, Olivia & The Housemates, make it sound like you just lucked into meeting your musical collaborators. You knew Ed Donohue, and then it turned out that all of his housemates and you really gelled musically. Would you chalk that up to luck? What advice would you give local musicians who are struggling to find people who they really click with musically?

My advice is just to be confident about meeting and playing with other musicians, and to keep playing with people until you find an arrangement that works. The Housemates/housemates situation was lucky, for sure, because it was one-stop-band-shopping at one house. But I had been playing on and off with Ed and our trumpet player Dan Swenson for years, and I knew our old drummer Jon Roth from his work in Meredith Bragg & the Terminals, so I was pretty familiar with these guys as players.

Sometimes, though, it really is just serendipity that brings people together: Martin Royle, the singer in the Washington Social Club, found drummer Randy Scope through a City Paper ad. Randy and I played together in the Social Club for five years, and he’s now the drummer in the Housemates–and one of my best friends!

So, I would say I’ve had excellent luck finding people to play with. But you have to be open to playing with people, and willing to try a lot of different scenarios to find out what works, and also be honest about what’s not working. Logistically, City Paper and Craigslist ads can be very helpful.

What brought you to DC? What were your first impressions of the city when you moved here?

I am one of the few DC natives who stuck around. I grew up here, but rediscovered the city as an adult when I moved back after college. I found immediately a pretty robust music scene, in the sense that there were surely plenty of people who played in bands and wanted to make music and build a creative community in Washington. The problem: most of those people “grew up” or gave up or moved away. I have lost a lot of friends and collaborators to New York, in particular, but also Baltimore, Philadelphia and the West Coast, where they tell me that living a creative lifestyle is easier.

Perhaps it’s because I grew up here, but I bristle when well-meaning people suggest that I move to New York or L.A. for my career, because “nothing really happens” in Washington. Well, let’s make something happen! Starting with the idea that it’s okay to live in DC and not have a 9-5 job and that it’s okay to keep making music or art past the age of 28. To cultivate the artistic community that is already here and to attract new members, we need more affordable housing and studio spaces here to make the city a feasible place for artists to live. Easier said than done, of course, but maybe the change in attitude just needs to come first.

Have your impressions of DC changed over time?

Despite my ranting and raving above, I think Washington has come a long way since I moved back here in 2001. I’d like to see more independent development, of course, like the Big Bear Café in Eckington, rather than Cinnabon-Best Buy-Ruby Tuesdays conglomerate up in Columbia Heights. But, in fairness, the last few years have seen new life breathed into neighborhoods that were suffering from under-use and neglect. And I think that can only be viewed as a positive.

Any final thoughts on living a creatively fulfilling live here in DC?

Don’t give up, and instead of being discouraged about the lack of options, create a new option. Talk to your neighborhood Starbucks about displaying local art. Fill out the city paperwork to hold a free concert in Malcolm X Park. Collect some poems and stories from your writing friends and run off a collection that you leave out on the info table at Busboys & Poets. It is definitely possible to live creatively in Washington–or anywhere, for that matter–but the initiative has to come from you. At least, this is what I remind myself of every day.

Olivia will be performing at the Josephine Butler House as part of the Tranquil Space Foundation fundraising gala on Thursday, October 16. Buy tickets here. For more performance dates or to buy Olivia's CDs, check out her website: oliviamancini.com.

DCist Interview: Olivia Mancini & the Housemates

Back when they honored DCist by performing at our second Unbuckled, Olivia Mancini and Randy Scope had Housemates and bandmates. All their Housemates were bandmates, but not all of their bandmates were Housemates. Since then, Washington Social Club called it quits, leaving Mancini and Scope with fewer bandmates, but more time for the Housemates, who will be playing the Black Cat this Saturday night. There, they will debut fresh material for D.C. fans in support of Georgie James. Mancini and Scope recently spoke to DCist about the WSC break-up, the road ahead, and how Scope's scrambled eggs can save the lives of suicidal poets.

So, let's start things off with the obvious: why did Washington Social Club break up?

Randy: The last album really took a lot out of us. I mean, we were making Chinese Democracy jokes. Although I felt our best work was still ahead of us, I just couldn't imagine doing another album. We just weren't communicating well and personally I was tired of struggling to keep the mood light. Apart from the time we were actually playing live, it just wasn't fun anymore, and being that fun is the point of it all...

Olivia: I knew it was time to move on when I stopped having fun at the shows. I mean, I always have fun at the shows. How could you not? Marty's a riot, the kids in the front row are having a blast, Evan, Jared, Randy and I are playing are hearts out, trying to keep everything on the rails... But, eventually, even the performances couldn't help me shake the feeling that it just wasn't going work out.

So what does the Housemates lineup look like now? What do you guys see happening/want to happen with this band?

Randy: First and foremost I want to see the name changed. I'm never short of ideas on this one, yet Ms. Mancini seems to find most of my suggestions farcical. Also, she moved me off guitar, mostly I think to keep my side project Clear The Room (with Ed Donohue) from performing impromptu sets at the end of Housemates shows. This is unfortunate for the people who work at the clubs and want to go home, because we are quite effective at living up to our name.

Olivia: The Housemates have settled nicely into Ed Donohue, Dan Swenson, Kristin Forbes, Randy and myself. That's a standard rock lineup - guitars, bass, drums -augmented by Dan's trumpet and his and Kristin's great harmonies. Frankly, I'll go wherever the future takes us. The Housemates have always been a band of the moment, which the name reflects, or reflected, actually, which is why we're kind of looking for a new moniker. Right now, we're in the process of putting together songs for the next record, some of which we'll debut Saturday night at the Black Cat.

Do you have plans to record already?

Olivia: Yup. Randy will be producing this next record, as he did the last, but we're starting the process by recording some tracks later this month with Roger Greenawalt up in Brooklyn. Roger produced and engineered the last Social Club album which, despite the difficulties we experienced during its making, sounds fantastic.

So how long have you guys been playing together? Are there any dynamics that you think define this band?

Olivia: The Housemates have been together for about two and a half years now, but all of us have been playing together off and on for the last four or five years. Ed actually played guitar Social Club for a few shows, before we got Evan Featherstone. Dan and I played for a year or so together in a group called the Small Shouts. One of our unique dynamics as the Housemates is that we are informed by our other musical relationships: Randy and I are the rhythm section for Ed's Donny Hue and the Colors. I play guitar in Dan's Holy Attack. I sing for Randy's studio project, Sleeping Secrets, which is another reason why he devotes free time and energy to doing the Housemates' production. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses and trust each other as musicians in a lot of different scenarios.

Randy: Thank you Olivia, for mentioning The Sleeping Secrets, I appreciate it even though you forgot to include a URL which is: www.myspace.com/thesleepingsecrets Our album will be out in 09 on DC's The Kora Records, assuming I get around to finishing it. Also I still hope to produce the Holy Attack album should Dan Swenson read this interview. I work cheap.

When you do settle on a new name for the band, will it still start with "Olivia Mancini and the"? Will you still be the defacto leader of this group, Olivia?

Randy: It's my belief that it should just be "Olivia Mancini" but I don't think her ego has the capacity for this.

Olivia: I never liked the "Olivia & the" thing. It just started that way because it wasn't really a set cast of characters and then we kind of got trapped in it.

And, another question: How do you divide your time and your energies between so many different bands and projects? Does each one have a different sound? What's the reasoning behind making music in different configurations rather than just doing whatever it is you want to with one band?

Randy: Finding time is easy. Some people spend their time watching The Biggest Loser, some people spend it in a basement ruining their hearing. I prefer the latter. The reason we play in so many configurations is because we all have multiple interests musically. My approach to drumming with Olivia's group is different than it was with the Social Club, same goes for Donny Hue and the Colors. There wasn't room for me to play guitar on WSC recordings, but there is on Olivia's albums. Also, you develop more relationships by playing around, make more friends, real friends, as opposed to MySpace friends which aren't really friends at all.

Olivia: Each band definitely has a distinct sound, each with a different primary songwriter. It's funny, I have this occasional fantasy in which we form one ultra-creative band in which people switch instruments and we have different lead singers. But the reality is that they're all separate endeavors. And as Randy said, that gives an opportunity to explore different musical sides of yourself. I play bass for Ed, I play guitar for Dan, I sing in the Housemates and with Sleeping Secrets and I get to employ a different style in each group. It's a good deal.

One last question: do you guys cook? What's your favorite recipe?

Olivia: I think Tenacious D can sum this up nicely. "What's your favorite dish? I'm not gonna cook it, but I'll order it from Zanz-i-bar!"

Randy: Any one who has been on tour with me or crashed at my place while on tour knows that my breakfasts would get Slyvia Plath out of bed. My scrambled eggs (with american cheese only), are light, fluffy and perfectly moist, while my blueberry pancakes (lightly fried in corn oil) are delightfully crispy and golden. My favorite recipe of late has to be peas, steamed and pureed with a splash of breast milk and a side of 'Baby Mum Mum' brand wafers from Whole Foods. I'd also like to add, thank you Amanda for NOT asking us about the D.C. scene, our favorite D.C. clubs, or what bands randomly come up when we put our i-Pod on shuffle.

Listening in on Olivia Mancini and The Housemates

January 22, 2008 by Svetlana

Olivia Mancini is hands down the most featured woman ever on BYT.
From live shows to reviews to listening parties and interviews, this is the third band she’s in that we’ve splattered all over our “front page” (don’t believe me? check out this and this)
Not too shabby for a girl that spent all her childhood Christmases asking for a drum set and an electric guitar and never, ever got one, so didn’t really “get going on this band stuff till later in College”.
But! Olivia & The Housemates is HER band, most reflective of her personal tastes (”You know what”-she told me as we squeezed in a phone call this weekend -”No matter what you end up liking, and a lot of musicians like a lot of types of music, for me it always comes back to the early Beatles”) and is the little outfit that came on almost by chance (”Well, how it all happened was that I was offered a gig before I had a band”-she laughs-”And I used to get so horribly nervous when I am on stage alone that I had to surround myself by my friends who just happened to be great musicians”) and now has a full length under their belt, a series of well publicized and well received shows in the last few months and a tour ahead.
Even if they are (quite possibly) changing their name.
You know, considering that none of the members of the band (featuring the all-star cast of Ed Donohue, Dan Swenson, Kristin Forbes, Jon Roth, Randy Scope) live together anymore, it makes sense. (“Plus”-as Olivia says-“Its not like any of us particularly liked “The Housemates” as a band name, it just worked, because it was true. Now, we’re leaning towards Homewreckers”)

Names and plans aside, when we got “This kind of Life” in the mail (with handwritten note inside) and listened to the 10 songs of sweet-even-when-sad pop music inside, we decided we HAD to do a listening party prior to their CD release at the Cat this Thursday

Listen, and if you make it out, and you should…expect handclaps, unstoppable drums, bursts of trumpets and things that look sort of like this.

(There were some pictures here.)

and now [Olivia talks to us about] ... the songs

I Wouldn’t Worry:
This was a tune I had been working on for awhile that didn’t come alive until we started playing it as the Housemates. First, Ed kicks off with this terrific guitar lick that still gives me a thrill whenever I hear it. That was a good start. Then, we start playing the
song and, all of a sudden, I hear this flawless early-Beatles-esque harmony kick in at the start of the second verse. I actually stopped playing, it was that good. Kristin and Dan had created a magical music moment – they had simultaneously launched into the unplanned harmony and it totally made the song.

Jealous Type:
This song has a good story. We’d been playing it for about a year and I’d never gotten around to writing a second verse I was happy with, or fleshing out the counter-melody rant at the end of the song. One winter afternoon, I took myself to the Childe Herald (RIP, though I think that was one of, like, two times I ever went in there) with a notebook and my iPod and sat down with a beer to figure out the rest of the lyrics. For whatever reason, this activity attracted the attention of some grizzled regulars and before I know it, there are three barflies singing “I’m, I’m not the jealous type,” over and over while I worked out the lyrics over them. I think that easily qualifies as my oddest songwriting experience, but thanks, guys!

The Deal is Off:
This is the saddest song on the record, the tale of a husband and wife who have been together for years, but when their children finally leave home, they find that there’s not much left between them. Right. Really depressing. The music, however, is uplifted tremendously by Kristin’s gorgeous harmonies on the choruses and Randy and Dan’s lovely guitar and trumpet lines throughout. Sad, yes, but pretty.

This Kind of Life:
The title track. Always risky to name the album after a song because it can bring undue attention to the tune of the same name. In this case, though, we’ve got a best-case scenario because I love the way this one turned out. When we recorded the original tracks in the studio, something was wrong with one of the guitar parts and the solo at the end had to be removed and replaced. I asked Randy - who produced and mixed the record as well as engineered the vocals and overdubs - to put in a “noise solo.” What I meant, I think, was a guitar part that was calamitous and exciting and really brash. But, in fact, there is a technical definition of the term “noise solo.” Please fast-forward to 2:24 in this song to find out what it is.

Let’s Do This:
The depressing subject of “The Deal is Off” didn’t hold a candle to the original version of this song, entitled “She Died Alone.” One of
those occasions where the music was agreeable but the lyrics were really god-awful, we decided to record the song in the studio anyway with the intention of changing the vocals at a later point. The music turned out very nicely (Ed’s offbeat guitar gives it a great ’60’s feel) but I was stumped about how to effect a lyrical turnaround. My friend Katie Cleary saved the day by writing the words that changed this song from a beat-down account of my grandmother’s death to an adorable ode to the start of a new love. Randy added some really great percussion and Kristin and Dan’s stair-stepping vocals on the chorus and the soaring choral effect on the bridge make it one of my true favorites on the record.

Robert Fulton and Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
Olivia Mancini & The Housemates
This Kind of Life
www.oliviamancini.com
The energy on Olivia Mancini & the Housemates’ debut disc “This Kind of Life” is infectious. Mancini (of Washington Social Club fame) and the five-piece Housemates roll through 10 tracks here. Mancini’s leading vocals combined with the horn section and the occasional feedback guitar make for an unparallel sound. It’s a cross between old and new. Just try not to shake your butt. Highlights include “I Wouldn’t Worry,” “Jealous Type” and the sweet title track. A must get. And don’t forget the handclaps. Check their site for local show dates.— RF

Washington Post Express talks to Olivia:

YOU CAN ALWAYS make time for the things you love," Olivia Mancini said a year and a half ago, when indie-pop-rock band Olivia Mancini & The Housemates was new to the D.C. scene. Now, it's become almost a motto. The way she says it, it's less a cliche and more a kick in the pants.
This is a roundabout way of saying that Olivia Mancini is a busy woman.
"I'm not monogamous," she says with a laugh, referring to the four bands she's a part of. "I like to play a lot of different instruments, and I like a lot of different kinds of music."
Two of her bands will play this weekend: the Housemates on Friday at the Black Cat and Washington Social Club heading up the "Washington Social Christmas" at the 9:30 Club with Jukebox the Ghost, Exit Clov, Caverns, The Dance Party and Laura Burhenn on Saturday.
The Housemates were born when Mancini had written some songs that didn't fit with WSC. She assembled a band to play her upbeat, playful tunes. "I knew I wanted Ed Donohue to play guitar, and he was living in this house ..."
Mancini was hanging out and playing music with Donohue and his housemate Jonathan Roth, a drummer, when Kristin Forbes, the third housemate, appeared. "She was like, 'Hey, guys, sounds good,' and then she left with a guitar case," Mancini says. "I turned around to John and Ed and said, 'Does she play? Because that would make this whole thing very easy.'"
It's not just Mancini who likes to juggle: Forbes (bass, vocals) has the Kristin Forbes Band. Donohue (lead guitar) has Donny Hue and the Colors, which also features Randy Scope (guitar) and Dan Swenson (trumpet, organ, guitar). And so on. Also, the Housemates no longer live together; though Roth still lives in the same Arlington house, the others have moved on — Donohue to New York.
"We're a very modern band," Mancini says, explaining that the group communicates via e-mail and phone and sends MP3 recordings back and forth. For their upcoming album, "This Kind of Life," the instrumentation was recorded in two days, and Mancini and Scope produced and recorded the lyrics over the course of the next year.
The Housemates may play for a living, but it's hard work. Mancini recalls a practice session during which, after a particularly tough song, Forbes exclaimed, "Hey, look at my bass!" "And it was just covered in blood," Mancini says. "She must have nicked her finger and she just kept going.
"That's the kind of tenacity that I appreciate."

Rachel Kaufman, 12/13/2007
Photos by Chris Combs/Express

Washington Post reviews "This Kind of Life":
"I Wouldn't Worry," which opens Olivia Mancini and the Housemates' engaging "This Kind of Life," also has a folksy appeal. But this D.C. side project, led by Washington Social Club bassist-singer Mancini, doesn't embroider its sound with fiddle or banjo. The sextet's main instrumental surprise is Dan Swenson's trumpet, although a handful of these fundamentally easygoing songs are jolted by raucous electric guitar.

The Housemates have a taste for mid-'60s pop, rock and soul, as well as a weakness for novelty tunes. The song here that will probably wear the worst is a plea on behalf of recently downgraded ex-planet Pluto. That playful indulgence aside, the band's songs are sturdy, lively and sharply arranged. Like the way Mancini delivers such exemplary rock-and-roll nonsense syllables as "uh-oh," the Housemates' music is both classic and fresh.

-- Mark Jenkins, 12/14/2007

Washington City Paper features "I Wouldn't Worry" for their One Track Mind column:

One Track Mind

This Week: Olivia & the Housemates' "I Wouldn't Worry"

By Kim Gooden
Posted: December 12, 2007

This Kind of Life

Olivia Mancini & the Housemates

Standout Track:

No. 1, “I Wouldn’t Worry,” a pop tune rife with trumpets, handclaps, and cheery harmonies. Singer-guitarist Olivia Mancini sings a tale of frustrated relationships: “So you thought about the Army/And you thought about jail/But neither seemed the way out/So you packed your bags for Boston/Thought of her not as often as she’d like.” Ultimately, the song is about not letting it all get to you: “But I wouldn’t worry would you, would you?/I wouldn’t worry,” she sings on the chorus.

Musical Motivation:

Mancini, 28, has weathered her share of long-distance relationships. “They cause a lot of anxiety and confusion, and you kind of always feel like you’re doing something wrong,” says the Logan Circle resident. When she wrote the song in 2005, she says, “I was under a lot of stress. I was talking to myself a lot, telling myself, ‘Don’t worry.’” Mancini then decided “to make it into a musical joke.…I sort of built the story around that little mantra of mine.”

The Game of the Name:

Mancini, who plays bass in Washington Social Club, started her side project about two years ago. “I had a bunch of songs that didn’t fit with Social Club style,” she says. She also had a bunch of musician friends who happened to live in the same house in Arlington, but the housemates have since scattered across the city; guitarist Ed Donohue is now a New Yorker. Is the band going to change its outdated name? “We’re taking suggestions,” says Mancini.