Interview: Mystee
Mystee is an indie rock band from Fort Collins, Colorado. Originally the brainchild of songwriter Ilana Held, the band blends the melancholic longing of femme pop with the raw edge of rock and roll to create a distinct sound they affectionately call "nostalgic indie rock."
Drawing inspiration from artists like Soccer Mommy and Palehound, Mustee channels heartbreak into a powerful form of self-expression.
Born in Boston and trained in Cardiff, Wales, Held has spent years honing her skills, studying both the craft of songwriting and the art of live performance. With the tasteful bass lines of Keaton Nalezny, the shoegazey lead of Joey Holmes, and the high-energy drumming of Josh Carroll, Held's songs take on a vibrant, full-band life: equal parts vulnerable and electric.
What inspires your music?
Nostalgia, Romantic Failure, Travel, Roller Skating, and Life Experiences
Who are some of your influences?
Soccer Mommy, Snail Mail, Palehound, and of course, The Beatles
What are some of your favorite memories from your career?
Opening for Palehound at the Lyric in Fort Collins and going on our first Midwest tour last summer.
Which of your projects do you love the most?
This upcoming EP (forget me not, out July 5th) is my favorite because it sounds the most like how I envisioned our songs sounding. We recorded it at Cowboy Cowabunga in Evergreen, CO, and spent the weekend together in a cabin surrounded by mountains. It was a really wholesome, creative experience that shines through in the recordings.
Who are some of the collaborators who helped you create your favorite works?
Some of the songs we play in Mystee are songs I wrote back when I lived in Cardiff, Wales, with help from my old songwriter partner, Elliot Oakley. He really deserves a shoutout here for his partnership in creating the song "sober", which is on our EP. We wrote that song together during lockdown, when we were stuck in his apartment together for six months without a light at the end of the tunnel. I've also loved working with my previous bandmate, Lucas Eldridge (also back in Cardiff), who helped co-write our title track, "forget me not", at a songwriting camp in what now feels like a different life.
More recently, we had the pleasure of recording with Mark Anderson at Cowboy Cowbunga, who is both a creative genius and an incredible engineer. He was able to help our ideas flourish while still managing to keep us on task, and he managed to bring the vision we had for our debut EP to life.
Our good friend, Ryan Adams (not that Ryan Adams), mixed these songs for us, and he always does amazing work! He's based in Fort Collins but has worked with artists all over the country and internationally, and he's someone we always trust to see our vision and do a great job.
There are so many more, but I can't fit them all here. Music is a collaborative adventure, and I love to involve as many creative minds as possible.
What are you most excited to bring to your fans next?
We are excited to release our debut EP, "forget me not" (July 5th). It's the first release from this band that is more than just a single, and we can't wait for fans to hear how these songs fit together.
What are your goals for this upcoming year?
We're playing a lot of shows this summer, including a mini tour of the Midwest, but after that, we will be focusing on finally writing an album!
How can your fans and our readers best support you right now?
We would love it if they would go stream our single "take it back" and our EP "forget me not" once they're released on Spotify!
