GlockMeAmadeus

Jack's Mannequin are preparing to release the highly anticipated album The Glass Passenger on September 30. Although it's only their second full-length release, Jack's Mannequin has garnered massive popularity through their EP releases and non-stop touring. Two of the songs from The Glass Passenger were released last month under the title of The Ghost Overground EP as an iTunes exclusive.

The band's history and the personal history of frontman Andrew McMahon is well documented. The transition from Something Corporate to Jack's Mannequin, Andrew's struggle with leukemia, the rapid rise of what was supposed to be a side project, etc etc. It's a very interesting story. We didn't talk about any of it.

You know, from what I've read about you, you seem like a pretty serious dude. I'm not picking that up at all talking to you now..

[laughs] You know, it's probably just because of the music. The material is a little heavier and serious so when I talk to people, the conversation goes in that direction. I'm a pretty fun guy though, I think!

[laughs] You're making me smile and you haven't even answered my questions yet, so that's a good sign! [laughs] The label is only giving me 15 minutes, so let's jump right in.

Oh yeah, label people are assholes.

You're at the label right now, aren't you?

[laughs] YEAH!

[laughs] Ok, well you appear to be someone who totally lives in the moment...

Yes.

All my questions are about the past.

OHHHHHH! Interesting.

Let's go through a timeline of your life, marking it with albums, artists or songs that opened your eyes in some way.

Do you want to start or do you want me to start?

Uh, you should start. I don't know your life.

[laughs] Good point! I don't really have many memories from before age 5, so let's go there first. Michael Jackson's Bad album. I was wearing penny loafers. I was a weird kid. I wore ties and suits all the time. I was a very strange child. Michael Jackson was the first one that made it ok for me to wear blue jeans. I had this great kindergarten teacher that let us pick the music to listen to during nap time. I always insisted on the Bad album.

Fleetwood Mac- 'Little Lies'. That was a big song for me when I was a kid. Between ages 5 to 6, 7, 8, oh, for sure...ok. I got into Nelson. Remember Nelson? 'After the Rain' was a huge track for me when I was a kid. I loved loved loved Bon Jovi. Motley Crue. The Young Guns album [laughs] that was really big for me as a child. Of course there was also We Sing Silly Songs, but I was 6, gimme a break.

Moving forward, I watched a lot of MTV, so I was really into all of those bands. Once I started playing music myself in 4th grade in Pasadena, I was always into the radio. You know how it is for kids. 'That's Just The Way it Is' [Bruce Hornsby] was a huge song for me. When I started playing piano my parents bought me Elton John's Greatest Hits and Billy Joel's Greatest Hits. I lived and breathed those albums through 4th grade.

My brothers and sisters are older than me and saw how passionate I was about music. They got me into hippie records and jam bands. Grateful Dead- American Beauty. Jimi Hendrix- Are You Experienced?. I listened to that a lot. Then I started buying music myself. The first record I ever bought on my own was Pearl Jam- Ten. Then Blind Melon's first album. Bon Jovi- Crossroads.

One of the first bands I saw on TV and connected with was Counting Crows when I was in 6th grade. They became my calling card. I didn't listen to anything else for about a year. Then it was Green Day- Dookie. Dookie was huge for me. That was monumental. Middle school and into high school I was listening to pretty much anything the Counting Crows would put out. What came to be known as the early emo scene- bands like Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids, Saves the Day...I was a big fan of the first Third Eye Blind Record.

When I was a freshman in high school a friend turned me on to Ben Folds Five. It was like a resurgence of piano music for me. The bands I listened to didn't really have piano in it. To hear a modern 3 piece playing piano really influenced me. That same guy who introduced me to them said 'I can't believe you don't listen to Weezer.' I had heard some of the singles on the radio but didn't really pay attention. He played the Pinkerton record for me. I heard that before I heard the Blue album. Of course I dug back and the Blue album became huge for me.

Let's stop there, actually. I don't want to get into adulthood.

Oh yeah, cause I stopped listening to music then.

[laughs] Well this could go on forever if I don't stop you here, and we don't have much time left.

True.

So let's go back and talk about something a little more. The first band you ever discovered entirely on your own. Tell me about that.

Counting Crows, definitely. I was having a sleepover with some friends, and like all kids do when they stay up late on Saturday's, we were watching Saturday Night Live. The band comes on and something about them just grabbed me. I yelled at my friends to shut up and I cranked the volume on the TV. I was really connecting to it. I ended up leaving them and going upstairs to my parents room so I wouldn't miss any of their second performance. I bought the album the next day.

At age 9 or 10, I was a kid trying to write music about my life, however limited it was. And here was this band that was clearly saying something. It was real. Heavy at times, but just REAL. I loved that. It made me re-evaluate how I wrote and how I thought about music. It definitely made one of the biggest impressions on me, musically.

How did you discover you were able to sing?

I just did it. I don't even know that I can sing. [laughs] I do most of what I do out of necessity. I play piano and I sing and I write out of a need to connect. That's how I became a writer. I had a close family member pass away when I was 8, right before my birthday. I had always written poems and things, but when he passed I sat down at the piano and just started writing songs. I did it because it made me feel better. It helped me cope with it. What I found at the piano was a chance to get the thoughts in my head and the things that were conflicted inside me sorted out a little. Things began to make sense.

You've toured across the country numerous times now. Is there any difference in fans from region to region, or are they all essentially the same?

There are certain markets that I think are more hit than miss. You go to places like Chicago or New York or hometown shows in Orange County and people are really into it. I'll be honest, I don't feel like the regional thing is as huge in my opinion. For my band, I think we carry more weight in some areas so it will be more intense, but you never know. We'll go someplace like Omaha, Nebraska and it's like 'Holy shit, look at these kids! They're going crazy!'

Tell me about your first show.

I was in 4th grade and I played the local town fair, hosted at the high school, rocking out in Pasadena. I was 9...I played the piano at some outdoor sort of thing with my family all sitting around. The guys who were gonna play after me got all excited to see a little kid playing piano and their drummer came up and started playing with me. That was the first show, I guess. I did a battle of the bands when I was like 15. Those were the early days of what would become Something Corporate.

Do you remember signing your first autograph?

Wow. Um, not really. I have no idea. I don't remember that at all. I think it was for my 5th grade class. Nothing major.

So you don't find it at all strange that people ask you to write your name on things?

Hey, I was the first kid in line at shows. I was the one hunting people down for autographs. It's a part of me and it's something I do. I am always flattered when people ask, but it comes with the job, so I don't really think about it. I mean, it's a part of what I do.

What is the ideal time of day or night to play a show?

Outside right before sunset, as the sun is going down. You get that first song off and you get to watch it go from day to night while you're on stage. That's the absolute best.

Do you prefer outdoor shows?

I love amphitheaters. I love club shows, too. I would always prefer doing an outdoor show, though, where nature is a part of it and you feel the real air hitting you while you play. It's something that makes you feel more connected. You feel like you're really sharing something with your audience. I like small club shows because they're ALWAYS fun. Outdoor shows can be hit or miss, but when they hit, they're the best.

And finally, if you could create another type of art, what would it be?

Architecture. Something about owning a house for the first time and all that, I became grossly obsessed with the ideas of design and smart design and even interior design. I love the creativity behind architecture and the good use of space.

Excellent. Well that's all I had for you! I heard you're going to be on Loveline tonight.

Oh yeah, that's going to be fun!

You've done it before right?

Yeah, and I know those guys. Stryker is a friend of mine and Dr. Drew went to school with my oncologist, so we all know each other. It will be good.

[laughs] Well have fun! And good luck with the new album. What I have heard from it is really great.

Thank you! Thanks for all the good questions.

My pleasure. Take care.