story by Michelle C. Liffick

The Starlight Mints, currently existing as a 5-piece, are perfectly named. This pretty indie pop ensemble out of Norman, Oklahoma, have already managed to release some unique, fun, quirky, off-kilter, adventurous, experimental and thoroughly impressive tunes into the world of music - most recently on their sophomore album, Built on Squares (Pias America, 2003).

The Starlight Mints' sound is built around strings, bells, whistles, guitar, bass, trumpets, keyboards, drums, samplers (often of their own music), and an undeniable sense of humor. Their debut album, The Dreams That Stuff Was Made Of (See Thru Broadcasting, 2000), originally recorded in what the band believed to be demo format in 1997 and 1998, includes the clatter of bowling pins at the outset of one track. Built on Squares includes an immediately catchy tune called "Brass Digger" about a rat. Their live performances have been described as even more impressive than their recorded material.

Since their inception in 1996 or so, The Mints have been compared to other acts including Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips (hailing from the same area in Oklahoma), Pavement, Built to Spill, The Cure, The Monkees, Weezer, Pink Floyd, The Pixies, and The Violent Femmes. Some critics have also credited them as the future of pop or saviors of pop, with one writer saying, "Watch out rock 'n' roll, because pop music is back…"

NUNEZ'S INNER VIEW "We're not kids anymore. When you first start playing music, motives are different. As time goes on, somewhere between 25 and 35, people decide this is what I do and it's who I am."

They have also been aptly labeled the most non-pretentious indie band doing music.
After a small bout of line-up musical chairs, the group is once again a 5-piece, centered around Allan Vest (vocals, guitar), Marian Love Nunez (keyboards/samplers), and Andy Nunez (multi-instrumentalist/drums). Bassist Javier Gonzales and guitarist Matt Goad are the other steady Mints.

Chicago Innerview was lucky enough to get to talk to Andy Nunez, The Starlight Mints' drummer (though he started out playing guitar), via phone recently.

According to Andy Nunez, he and Vest take turns dealing with the likes of the press. "Allan has a lot of good things to say," Nunez told us, but he's "rarely around." Apparently, Vest keeps some odd hours (odd in comparison to the nine to five idea). "He's kind of a vampire, on and off tour," rolling into the office he keeps next to the Nunez's Norman, Okla., music venue Opolis (booking bands such as Duvall, 90 Day Men, Enon, The Walkmen, Mahjong, and The French Kicks) around 4 or 5 p.m. each day. The Nunez household is currently edging closer to "normal hours" as they're preparing for the addition of another Nunez. Andy and Marian Love Nunez hope to be able to take this new Nunez on the road with them.

The Mints are aiming to release a third album in October of 2005. "It's easy to record demos," Nunez tells us, but difficult to finalize and choose which demos end up on an album. Because they're trying to be a little less serious and a little more light-hearted this time around, they're hoping to "get this one down faster." And, some of the new songs are already getting some play live.

"We have all these computer sessions going of the new one," he says. When they're making an album, Nunez says, "We work really hard on the computer and get all the songs organized and keep working it over…making it better and better…Then we go into the studio in town and hook it up and link up to the tape machine and make it happen." The demos become the actual songs on the future album.

"We're either working on music or watching PBS," he says in response to a question about his current listening tastes. "We don't really listen to that much stuff." Nunez did mention that the new Belle & Sebastian is good and that he's been listening to Broken Social Scene and an Australian band called Architecture in Helsinki." And, the Mints are big fans of the indie-pop trio Enon.

For now, the band is hitting the road. "At this point, we have to go out and make some money," Nunez, who really loves touring, explains. The Mints are playing the Abbey Pub this time around, but have played the Empty Bottle a few times. They have recently done some touring with the likes of Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, Liz Phair, and Ben Kweller, and have played with the Polyphonic Spree. On the upcoming outing, Dressy Bessy (a band they met and liked when it played the club) and the Deathray Davies will share the bill with the Mints.

Only lately, after releasing a couple of great albums, are the Mints starting to come off tour with some money left over. "Salaries, per-diems, hotel rooms, crew costs, it ends up eating all of the money," says Nunez, elaborating. "Owning the club, we see we're luckier than most." Though the Mints generally refuse to play without a guarantee, their club can't afford to hand out guarantees to the bands that they book. "It's a horrible business to try to make a living, at least in this town. Major markets are safer."

Fortunately, "we make ends meet, barely, with a combination of things."

Nunez says that it's all worth it "when things keep going forward. When the kids aren't into it, we'll know it." Nunez has come to believe that "work is work. You'd better love your work. If you can't love what you're doing, that's tough." The most important thing for this group of musicians is to keep on keepin' on, "to move forward and not look back much."

Elaborating, Nunez says, "We're not kids anymore. When you first start playing music, motives are different. As time goes on, somewhere between 25 and 35, people decide this is what I do and it's who I am."

The Starlight Mints will play at the Abbey Pub March 19.