Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Mandel.
Hi Hayley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a native New Yorker who grew up obsessed with music. All I ever did as a kid was sing. I was obsessed with writing songs and creating melodies. I great up very sensitive and awkward I would say. I was a chubby, queer, redheaded, loud, gender-confused, and sensitive kid who never felt like they fit in. Performing for me was more than just a hobby. It felt like a ticket into a world that I didn’t think I was good enough to be a part of. I grew up in a beautiful nuclear family. Two devoted parents and my best friend- my sister. Mom was a special education teacher known for being formidable with a badass personality. My dad was a psychologist and social worker who was adored by all who met him. He was a multi-instrumentalist and my whole world. My parents passed away to cancer at ten years old and were sick throughout my whole life. I bounced around through different tumultuous home situations throughout my youth.
I like to think that I carry on their legacy through my adulthood. I am a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, music studio owner, and educator for the demon children of Los Angeles. I am the embodiment of all they instilled in me, and I am a deep lover of life and loud-mouth fun.
Throughout all the pain and hardships I went through- the one thing that was always constant was music. It saved my life over and over. Singing was my source of self-worth, and music was my escape through all that was happening. An outlet that no one could touch after my life was continuously ripped away from me. My favorite thing in the world. It always flowed through me, was a part of my DNA and still is. I don’t think I could go a day without it. I was fortunate enough to graduate from Berklee College of Music and was able to develop a love for slam poetry. Now, I am an LA based singer, songwriter, poet, model.
I have headlined for the revolutionary FEMS festival, am a Sofar Sounds Artist, and am a resident performer at North Hollywood’s Republic of Pie. My work has been showcased on CUPSI’s Poetry 2015 final stage and am a model for the brand Super Fit Hero. I have been featured in-store and online at Kohl’s, Forbes, and NBC. I like to say that I spent my life blooming into everything- enough so that I’d never have to go without again. My art surrounds topics such as fatphobia, mental health, desirability politics, grief, love, queerness, self-loathing, and hope. I am dedicated to having all that life will allot me and have DIYed an existence that I can’t believe I get to live in. I am my biggest dream.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Kind of as I said before, haha! I would say now- my biggest obstacles seem to be myself. Constantly combatting the perfectionist mentality, my own mental health struggles, and also navigating self-worth issues. It’s a process.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a singer/ songwriter, musician, music studio owner, music educator, poet, and model. Can you tell I’m stressed lol?
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my most coveted memories as a kid is going to eat at Diners with my family. They hold a very special place in my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hayleymandel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hayleymandel_/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6UqLS2k1FwTUb8hIsQTSBQ
Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/holysmokephotography/?hl=en
