Robin Mink...An American Beauty
A Brief Bio...
"I love the audience. And they love me back. I don't know why!"
Robin Mink was born to sing. Her debut release, More To Love is a visceral meld of funk, jazz, blues, and adult pop. A diverse stylist possessing a supercharged emotive delivery, Robin Mink re-emphasizes the role of women in popular music via a forthright persona, an organic veneer, and electrifying stage presence.
"When I was two and a half years old, I was allowed to attend nursery school to be with my older sister. Her absence at home made me very unhappy, so I was granted a privilege. It was a private institution in the hills of Los Gatos, California, created by three women in a very 'Rudolph Steiner' sort of way. Well, the report to my mom from that episode read 'Robin leads the class in singing.' I can still remember standing there in my little shoes belting out a song! To this day
I have vivid memories of hearing my own voice and feeling that it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Then I looked around to see if anyone thought I just had a big head!"
Robin's phosphorescent memory stretches even farther back into her existence. "Yes, I remember my birth! I had so much fun as a spirit, so I knew life on this planet was gonna be great. It was so impetuous, like getting to the end of a high dive and then freaking out: 'I'm going down to earth...I'm gonna be cool. Then I changed my mind and wanted to back out of the deal But,... too late. I asked my Mom about my birth and she said that the labor was going just fine then it was like I changed my mind!!!'
For the record, Robin Mink was physically born into a musical family. She recalls "My mother taught dance and is an amazing artist. Her voice and piano playing were beautiful and continue to resonate with me. Long ago, my grandparents were the first Spanish settlers to reach Hawaii. My great grandfather entertained the other immigrants on the boat to America so they wouldn't die, as things were so treacherous back then and illness was rampant. He had dysentery during the journey, and if he hadn't been singing, playing, and telling stories, he wouldn't have survived."
Submerged in music and singing songs at family gatherings, Robin was particularly influenced by her cousin Pam who played guitar and rendered Peter, Paul, & Mary tunes along with other folk and pop favorites of the day. "I knew I wanted to play guitar and sing by the time I was five years old. But everyone around me figured my hands were too small to wrap around a guitar neck, so I had to wait until nine to finally receive my first instrument, a Yamaha classical guitar that I still have."
A student director for school choirs, a voice major in college, and an ardent pupil of guitar, piano, and music theory, Robin was drawn to songwriting by artists such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen. "I didn't write my first song until I was about seventeen. Basically I started out as a singer performing in Elks Clubs, various neighborhood gatherings, local shows and community events before I was a teenager. I'm not one of those people who carries a journal around constantly writing. I do like to believe in what I sing, so I guess I was driven by an internal force. I'm no Ani DiFranco, Diane Warren or someone incredibly prolific with the ability knock out a song a day. I believe songs are mantras and I struggle to write something important and hip at the same time. "The stones you cast upon the water can ripple back endlessly."
I enjoy collaborating with other people and I have enough confidence in myself now to take the criticism that comes from working in groups. Songwriting is so meaningful, and it's something I never finish learning. That's the thrill"
The process of bringing More To Love to fruition reflects Robin's lifelong artistic journey. With a seasoned cadre of studio pros, including composer/engineer/keyboardist/ co-producer Rick Krizman, bassist Ed Garnero, drummer Rick Latham (Edgar Winter,War), Tonight
Show percussionist / backing vocalist Vicki Randall, and horn player Lee Thornberg (Etta James) Robin's innate instinct triumphed over hard logic. "More To Love", is a child that popped out! This is really a product of my work and studies. In ten months I grew ten years.
At the onset, Rick and I weren't quite sure of how to produce the title cut "More To Love". We had already hammered out the other 4 songs with ideas and arrangements I'd worked up during the previous couple of years. Now I know it's best for me to gather a group of artists and let the music flow. I have faith and trust in the people I'm working with. So this project was like my 'Master's thesis.' Instead of killing the tracks by trying to nail each note and rhythm absolutely perfect, (which I had a tendency to do at the beginning of the project), I began to hear what works and what didn't and not question why. I thought 'does it make my hair stand up? Yes? Then I've achieved my goal. I feel as if I've gone through the tunnel of learning and come out the other side with my true self in tact."
When she's not making music, which is not often, Robin is a fine artist. "I paint abstract art works. However I never attended art school because I didn't have enough of my center. I felt that if I started learning the proper techniques and theories I would become 'painterly' rather than authentic. Many musicians express themselves through other mediums. I think it's because we have an abundance of creativity. It has to come out. It's good to find other outlets. I'm not as attached to the outcome of the paintings like I am songs. Most of my portfolio is sold! (Probably because of the nonattachment)
Robin Mink has also started her own record label, RnR Records, and is producing, and developing other artists. "Yeah, I like to
finish other peoples songs too!"
Will More To Love move you? " Absolutely!
Check out the artist's website:
http://robinmink.comTrack List:
1. More To Love
2. Awaken
3. Love Will Find It's Way Back Home
4. Service To The Universe
5. Rosy Path
Suggested CDs:
Other Genres:
