Alex Kandel and Tony Smith of Sleeper Agent take a break during the filming of a video at Labold & Sons Salvage in Bowling Green, KY.

1. Sleeper Agent website
2. Alex Kandel on Tumblr

Alex Kandel has been a lead vocalist for Sleeper Agent since work began on their self released Interrobang several songs of which are included on their Mom+Pop debut release, Celebrasion.  The following is a short interview with Kandel conducted via email as followup to research for an article on the evolution of the Bowling Green band which gained national exposure throughout 2011.

I read your first band was when you were 15, what was the name & who was in it? Are they still doing music? You did Adele covers & originals for a duo – Who was with you in that & what did you call it? Can you name the years too. Were most of your performances before Sleeper Agent at Cafe Vioni?

Ilona Static (terrible name haha). It was with Alex Lindsey and Johny Lovan. And I’m pretty sure they’ll always be in some sort of band. The duo was with Justin Fisher who is an amazing guitarist. We never called it anything other than Alex Kandel and Justin Fisher. I did most of my pre-Sleeper Agent performances at the now defunct Coffee Grind where I also did my thing as a barista like at Cafe Vioni.

I’ve seen mention of you being a waitress just before joining the band, I assume that was at Cafe Vioni? But, weren’t you also the booking agent there? Tell me a bit about that experience. Is working on the business side of music something that still interests you? What variables do you think are most important in predicting if a very young artist will have success?

I did the booking there and a bit of it at the Coffee Grind too. I loved it. I’m still very much attracted to the business side of music. It takes just as much passion to be successful as a manager, booking agent, or A&R as it does to be an artist. It’s something I have definitely considered pursuing later on down the road. And the variables are endless. It’s not something you can go study in college and be a pro at. You have to understand the industry inside and out and know when to take risks. And the industry is changing every day so there isn’t a set of steps to guarantee an artist’s success. Some bands that should have been smashes on paper fail in practice, and vice versa.

You took a big risk leaving high school to purse music, but you’ve said you planned to finish those last credits, have you been able to do or set a plan for that? You also had a college plan in place, is your education something you would like to pursue in the future? What was the original plan for a college major/career? And, if you further your education in the future would it be in the same area or have your interests changed as a result of your experience in the music world?

I haven’t done so yet, but will be all finished up by the end of the summer. I definitely plan on continuing my education into college. My original plan was to study journalism, but my interests have definitely changed. Doing interview after interview and getting to see what journalists even at huge magazines actually do, I don’t think it’s for me. I’ve been given this great chance to learn about the music business from an artists perspective on a much larger scale than I ever thought possible and I want to be able use the things I’ve picked up in another way.

Tell me about the Tumblr blog. Its a very intimate interaction with fans where you share personal feelings and take the time to address any question presented. Do you do much censoring on it i.e. when people get too personal or negative? People can be vicious regarding public figures, do things like that happen much? All the entries I saw were very positive/supportive.

I’m actually always really surprised at the lack of negativity I get on Tumblr. I’ve let the blog grow through face to face conversations with fans at shows so I think that has a lot to do with how great everyone is. The only things I’ve ever decided to censor are questions about religion, politics, or if I’m dating anyone. Those things are personal to me.

It was a bit of a shock to hear you tell Pop Cosmo that lots of people find you unattractive based mainly on your clothing. Despite what you’ve said was a fashion style inspired mostly by living out of a van, you project very feminine sensibilities. The camera loves you & I was wondering if you’ve been approached regarding modeling/fashion types of shoots?

I have once so far. I did a catalog shoot for C1rca Select shoes along with Tony. I really enjoyed the experience. I actually got to go to my first fashion trade show in LA and see the finished project. It was really bizarre in the best way possible.

I’m sure it’s frustrating that comparisons and comments about you in regard to the band are sometimes more about how you look or dress than how you sing or perform. What would do you wish people could most appreciate about you?

I mean that just sort of comes with the territory. My only hope when we released our record was that people appreciated the songs. When we play a show I feel exactly the same way. And when I meet everyone after the show I just hope they understand how much it means to me that they bought a ticket to our show, or bought our album.

You all value a natural process, but are there certain aspects of your performance or career strategy in general that you have decided to make a conscious effort to improve or alter?

Everything. While creatively we’ll always value what can come from working off gut reaction, when it comes to our career we’re always analyzing every opportunity or goal to make sure it’s the right move.

You traveled a bit growing up, though a lot is made of you being younger, do you think that gave you tools that helped you be more prepared than some of the older members when it came to touring?

I don’t think there is anyway any of us could have been prepared for what touring actually feels like in practice. It wasn’t an easy adjustment for any of us. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve always had a great time on the road, but when your life shifts from being in one place most of the time to living in a van most of the time it’s a weird mental switch. When you’re home for a week or so you feel anxious because you’re no longer in motion. Now after over a year of touring we’re pretty used to it.

What was the video on MySpace of yours that Tony talks about really liking? You were just 15 or so correct? If it still exists could you send the link?

It wasn’t a video, it was just a song. And I was 16 at the time. And it isn’t up anymore.

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Amy Kandel, Alex Kandel’s mother, also shared some insights regarding her early musical development.

Were there signs growing up that your daughter would choose a career in rock n roll and have the dedication to make it happen? Is there another path you were expecting her to take before Sleeper Agent took off?

Well, music was always a big part of her life – but it wasn’t like she was grabbing a hair brush belting out her destiny when she was little. It was more like she was giving a puppet show and making me and my friend laugh till we cried… She was always so funny!!

But music was infused in everything she did. Take middle school days for Alex – a normal school day morning would involve having MTV on in the living room, while VH1 played in the master bedroom. We would go from one room to another getting ready, laughing, singing, etc. Then we would jump in my jeep wrangler with the top down and play CD’s until I dropped her off at school. There is nothing like The Vines “Get Free” to take me right back to those times.

Now, I always knew Alex was going to do great things with her life. She always pushed herself to go beyond normal expectations – typical was never in her repertoire. And when I told her she could be anything she wanted – yes, anything, I knew it wasn’t going to be something typical. But honestly, I was all prepared for her to go to Emerson and become a famous director, novelist, actor, comedian, etc. I was actually excited she was interested in colleges here in the U.S.! BUT I did not expect a record deal to happen so quickly, she was so young. Although, I always knew she had the drive and dedication to see it through.

The band says that all the parents are very supportive; in what ways have you tried to nurture their talent and facilitate their efforts towards a career in music?

I would say my biggest contribution was simply allowing her to grow into such a strong independent woman at such a young age. I never gauged maturity based solely on age… For me it was around how you act. And Alex had such an understanding way beyond her years.

So, at 12-13, with a perfect report card and a reading level of a college undergrad, she was responsible enough to start my jeep for me on special occasions – this gave her such feeling of responsibility and trust (and yes, it was supervised, so people don’t send me child endangerment hate mail, haha). A ton of little things like that really built her confidence up allowing her to go through life knowing she can do anything.

Was there a specific moment when it hit you that Sleeper Agent was moving to the next level and becoming a viable career choice?

I knew when I saw her play her first show – at Mercy Lounge when Cage the Elephant set up the “Best of Bowling Green” show. I will remember that moment forever, it was such a proud moment. She learned the songs like only four days before the show and jumped on stage like she had been doing it forever. Confidence and desire overcame any nerves she had. Man, she was only like 16 or early 17 years old!