It’s on with the Schmo for ‘lazy’ Absentee Melinda

Jewish Telegraph, June 2006

MELINDA Bronstein chose a career in music out of ‘laziness’.
The keyboard player with rising band Absentee says she “needed a reason to stay in London”.
And her gamble has paid off as Absentee’s album Schmotime (Memphis Industries) has been getting rave reviews in the music press.
Melinda was born in Wales, but when she was eight the family moved to a “boring little town near Brighton”.
At the age of six, she begged her mother for piano lessons but “I had bad teachers — funny old ladies who didn’t pay attention”.
Melinda also learnt to play the clarinet and drums at school.
“I moved to London for university and turned my back on music with a fine arts degree,” she said.
Eventually Melinda — who admits to being mid-20s — started to play in bands . . . as a drummer.
“The first band I joined just wanted a Mo Tucker (female Velvet Underground drummer),” she laughed.
But things changed for her when she joined Channel Six — also as a drummer. Another member of the group was guitarist Dan Michaelson, with whom she went on to form Absentee.
Channel Six released a single on an offshoot of influential label Fierce Panda, but the big time wasn’t to beckon until Dan and Melinda went off on their own.
Dan had been writing songs and asked Melinda to play keyboards on the tracks.
“After the first release, Hawaiian Disco on Radiotone, Dan realised that we had to gig, so he put together a full band,” Melinda said.
“I realised that something good could happen. It’s taken a little time to convince people about Absentee.
“We are not like anyone else at the moment. I don’t think Dan had even thought about singing before. He enjoyed writing songs when circumstances allowed it.”
Dan’s deep voice brings to mind singers like Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave with the delivery of Shane MacGowan.
After signing with Memphis Industries, Absentee released the mini-album Donkeystock and then, in May this year, Schmotime.
“We’re playing a lot of support slots and little festivals at the moment,” Melinda added. “We are supporting Silver Jews on a few dates of their tour next month and we are planning on going back into the recording studio.”
Melinda admits she doesn’t know much about her Jewish heritage but added: “I love the whole Jewish thing.”