The rumors are true. We dropping an album.
Every Friday, MindHandle will be releasing a Spotify playlist hand-crafted by a member of our team to help you boogie, waltz, or two-step into the weekend. Like every great mixtape, our playlists will tell a story about us, and the things that speak to our hearts and—at times—get us on the dance floor.
First, The Pre-Pre-History of Mixtapes.
Let’s rewind to the beginning: the Paleolithic Era.
Long ago, before written word, elders in ancient societies around the world struggled to get teenagers to stop throwing rocks at each other and listen to history lessons. Cave teenagers were all “Oog, boring.” So tribal grandmas got smart and began passing along cultural traditions in a language all teenagers understand: music.
Musical storytelling was a hit. Likely, because music lights up your whole brain like a Christmas tree. To write, play, sing, or even just listen to music, your left and right sides of the brain fire on all cylinders. Music is linked to memory, math, and emotion. And at its best, it unifies us. Did you know that simply singing in harmony can boost a group's cooperation?
Yeah, music is potent stuff. It’s like Extra Strength Storytelling.
Now, Fast Forward to Summer 2019.
Our CCO, Ken Womack, is a prolific pop art painter and sculptor—and he rotates his collection throughout the office. Last summer, he hung one of our team favorites in our kitchen: a 4 x 2.5 ft mixtape titled ‘Mix ’83’.
Anyone who peeks into that room—clients, vendors, friends, the Amazon delivery guy—can’t help but comment on the list of songs handwritten on the tape. It seems everyone’s got a story about at least one of the songs, whether it’s Friday I’m in Love, Billy Jean, or Blister in the Sun.
More on that later.
Fast Forward Again. To Friday Afternoon, Sometime Last Summer.
Many Fridays ago, the team was on a roll, creating what would later become award-winning ads. There was one problem: it was too gosh darn quiet. So we turned up the volume, literally, with some funky tunes.
We took turns, playing one song at a time for the team—until everyone was feelin’ the groove, dancing at our desks, and singing songs like “Play that Funky Music” with a level of gusto usually reserved for Super Important Pitches or, I don’t know, the corny dog line on MindHandle Fair Day.
Aside from the boogying, another unexpected bonus fell out of our Friday music mixes: There’s almost always a story of why we chose to share a particular song with one another. Over the last year, music has opened up conversations between our team that may not have happened otherwise.
And Now, We’re Sharing Our Mixtape Stories With You.
No need to stand in line all night at Tower Records. Just follow Mindhandle on Spotify and prepare yourself for MHMix Vol. 1 “Flannel & Flint,” dropping this Friday, created by our CEO and self-described “suburban lumberjack”, Eric Harris.
