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Photo by Matty Vogel

In 2012, pop rock band MisterWives formed in Queens, New York City through mutual friends. The heyday of the band’s sound can be traced to dancehall and alt rock pop. The band released their first debut EP called Reflections in 2014. Soon the band signed to Photo Finish Records. 

The band toured with American Authors, Thirty Seconds To Mars, and Twenty One Pilots, respectively. The band continued to gain steam and signed with Fueled by Ramen, though by 2021 the band found themselves going independent again.

The band’s following albums Our Own House, Connect the Dots, and Superbloom saw the quintet only get bigger and their status rising within the music industry. Then, 2023’s Nosebleeds propelled them to the fame that they truly worked so hard for. The second single of the same name caught the attention of radio and streaming platforms. The album had an alt rock/punk go hard vibe to it. 

Now, Mandy Lee, lead singer of the band, has released her first solo single called “Never Be Me (Motherfucker)” from her new project called Cherry Bomb. This is quite the departure from what we heard on MisterWives, but Lee wanted to do something different as MisterWives take a quick break. The electro pop tune is an anthem for women and sees Mandy exploring 80s synth undertones. 

We spoke to the singer about her new venture and era with the solo endeavor Cherry Bomb:

OnesToWatch: Why did you decide to go solo now in your career?

Mandy Lee: It was something I said I would never do! I love MisterWives and love being in a band, but we have been doing the album tour cycle for over a decade, and everyone was at different parts of their lives and wanted to take a break that felt deserved. I don’t know how to break, though. I wanted to keep making music. I thought it was a different opportunity to try something new. It awakens parts of me since I was a little girl. 

Why the electro pop sound on the new solo song?

If I wanted to do a new project, I didn’t want it to be a continuation of MisterWives. I got to experiment with different production. It was a fun way to do something to differentiate sonically and use my voice as an instrument. It was a cool way of venturing into a different sound because of that.

It’s very Madonna, Kylie Minogue, and Robyn influenced. 

I take that as the highest compliment. I love that kind of music forever. Those are my north stars. I’m taking my band roots and applying it to pop music. The sound is very synth pop escapism. 

What is the status of MisterWives?

The band is not over. It’s just a breather so we can reset and come back rejuvenated and inspired. I watched many of my favorite artists do side projects. MisterWives will always be my baby and first love. We have been dropped by many labels, and we went through all the growing pains of a band. It’s incredible that the live show was what it was. Being on the road for that long is difficult. I am so grateful of how far we have come, but breathers are important, so you don’t burn out. 

“Never Be Me” is such an anthem. Where did you get the inspiration for it?

I wanted to make a farewell to a conglomeration of relationships that I have realized I continuously reenact. You have to know when to leave and to know that you can’t control someone else and you cannot control if they love you or don’t. In my broken brain, I wanted to fix it to make this person love me, which makes someone run away further. Every iteration of my relationships, romantic or not, I was perpetuating that pattern. The song was a tribute to that freedom and making it fun and sassy. My favorite thing is to juxtapose by taking something heavy and making it fun to dance with my girlfriends. There’s an empowerment to that.

You mentioned that you “Couldn’t be prouder of the music video for “Never Be Me” especially when music videos feel more extinct."

I used to wake up before school to watch music videos on MTV. Visuals are an important way to connect the music and bring people into the world. In this day and age of short form media, it takes away the budgets from artists who want to make videos. It brings people into the vision. It’s important for it to still exist. 

Where did you get the treatment for the video?

I had an image saved for years of these couture models running on a track in these crazy dresses. The song is about something that doesn’t serve you anymore. It also highlights me and my girlfriends hanging out. It celebrates a pillar in this new chapter. It could have been a lonely time for me to go solo, but my friends were there. 

Who do you look up to solo wise?

Gwen Stefani is definitely one of them. Her debut album is incredible. It was such a cool evolution from band to pop star. It’s how I came up in a band, honestly. Robyn, Madonna, Donna Summers all brought the Cherry Bomb project to life. 

Will you go on tour with Cherry Bomb?

That’s the goal. There will definitely be shows in the summer in major cities. I would love to open for another artist. Our following with MisterWives came from touring and opening for Twenty One Pilots and Panic! At The Disco among others. Knock on wood I get to go on tour.

Listen to “Never Be Me (Motherfucker)” below: