Name: Lindsey Mackin aka Annabelle Chairlegs
Nationality: American
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current release: Annabelle Chairlegs 's new album Waking Up is out via TODO.
Recommendation for Austin, TX, USA: Fonda San Miguel!  
Topics I am passionate about but rarely get to talk about: I love basketball. Let’s go Knicks!!!!!!

If you enjoyed this Annabelle Chairlegs interview and would like to stay up to date with her music and upcoming performances, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram. 



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

The impulse to create comes from everywhere. I think that’s one of the most exciting things about creating. The most simple things or moments mean the most.  

With this album in particular I was writing a lot about people and places in New Jersey- where I grew up. A lot of the songs have this intensity and conversational aspect.

I definitely found a lot of inspiration trying to recreate the scene or the place or emulate a certain energy or feelings i had.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I am a big fan of vulnerability and flying by the seat of my pants. I wouldn't say a lack of planning is the vibe but I do think everything sort of comes and flows and works out if you are intentional about every moment.

If you mean everything you do or play or everything you say you can’t go wrong.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

I think it really depends and varies. I sometimes become really into a few songs that sort of exist in the same world.

I get fixated on some things more than others but yeah- I’m out here existing in truck yards and factories sometimes and I’ll find items that remind me of that or inspire me further visually and that is where my head is at.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?  

I love getting ~ ready ~ to record!

I record a lot at home and there is nothing like putting on a poppin outfit and some lipstick and suddenly you are going somewhere.   

For your latest release, what did you start with? If there were conceptual considerations, what were they?

I recorded a full album in 2020 and decided I wanted to rip it in half and start over. Half of the songs fit in one world and the other half fit in another.

That was a starting point for what this album became. All of these songs live in the same world / the scenes are all from one movie if that makes sense.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

The best lyrics are honest.

If you mean what you say and you say what you mean, if you are intentional -you can’t go wrong.

What are areas/themes/topics that you keep returning to in your lyrics?

The very broad idea of home and where that is and what exists there and what that feels like.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

That can be true. It is so important to try things and step out of your comfort zone. Even if you think it’s not the vibe or you know all about what it ‘should be’ - you truly will never know unless you try new things / ideas.

On the other hand it is important to stand up for the song or the vision when needed. So i think there is a balance.

And it all comes back to being an open portal and vulnerable but also intentional about the work.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

I think it is some form of prayer. It’s opening up and sometimes it even feels like you are acting as a portal.

It is important to let things flow through you and not think too much. Listen to yourself. Write for life, don’t do it for anyone else. Don’t do it to match a genre or force it in a direction that doesn’t feel true to the song or your gut.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece?

I let things lie and totally forget they exist somehow and then come back as a stranger and honestly I probably love it or hate it depending on my mood.

I could hate it and re work everything and then months later , I come back a stranger again and I love the original!

Making music is nuts. Totally nuts.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I’m not sure I can relate to this.

I am constantly working on new stuff so as soon as something finally comes out it’s like - okay how can I get into the studio again, how should I make this next album happen? Oh lemme just track a Christmas song in the meantime.

And yeah what is next I want to make stuff! I want to quit bartending! I wanna tour the world!

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?  

It is everywhere. I think everyone finds it or appreciates it in different ways and places.

Music happens to be what feels most natural to me. But I have absolutely made a magical coffee or felt like my Eggplant Parm was the greatest work of art to ever exist!