AIMEE MANN TALKS RETURN TO ROOTS BEFORE JERSEY SHOW
RecordJun 14, 2018
"When I was growing up my favorite records were the moments where folk intersected with pop and were acoustic guitar-based," Mann says. "I really loved
Mann performs Tuesday at White
"Mental Illness" was released last year. Her previous album, "Charmer" (2012), was a decidedly more light-hearted affair.
On "Mental Illness," Mann sings about depression, alienation and heartbreak on tracks like "Rollercoasters," "Patient Zero" and "
"Most people, including myself, have had experiences and struggles with anxiety and depression and being stuck," Mann says. "But the album is also about trying to establish healthy patterns. I never think it's completely hopeless.
"The music is melancholy but I think there's also a beauty in having somebody accurately describe a situation or a mood," she says. "I've seen it resonate with people who have that same experience. You hope that's what music is for."
Mann says she finds inspiration everywhere. She says she wrote the album's leadoff track, "Goose Snow Cone," a song about homesickness, after seeing a photo of a friend's cat on Instagram.
"The cat's name is Goose and has this fluffy, white face like a snow cone ball," Mann says. "Animals have such soulfulness in their eyes. The song is about homesickness, but it came about through this adorable kitty. I always intended to change the title but I couldn't think of anything."
"Knock It Off" is about a man who can't get over a breakup. "That song is based on a guy I knew who continued to pursue a relationship past the point where it made any sense," Mann says. "Where there's no relationship and you're just opening yourself up to more pain."
Mann began her career in the early 1980s as the singer-bassist for the new wave-pop band 'Til Tuesday. The band scored a Top 10 hit in 1985 with the single "Voices Carry," a then-rare pop song about an abusive relationship. The song's video, which portrayed verbal and physical abuse, received heavy airplay on
Mann released her first solo album, "Whatever," in 1993. In 1999, she contributed most of the songs to the soundtrack of the film "Magnolia," garnering widespread critical and commercial acclaim. The song "Save Me" was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Original Song."
She has also performed in the Both, a duo with the singer-guitarist
She says she appreciates such praise, to an extent. "It's always really fun and encouraging to feel like other people recognize things that you're trying to do well," Mann says. "But you can't really take it completely seriously. That would be too weird."
If you go
WHEN:
WHERE: White Eagle Hall,
HOW MUCH:
MORE INFO:aimeemann.com.