At the age of 28, Andrew McMahon has attained more success than most musicians twice his age, and faced adversity that many people won’t experience in their lifetimes. For the past 11 years, McMahon has shared his highs, lows, and lessons learned with listeners of his bands Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. His songs have documented high-school melodrama, first love found and lost, and even his battle with cancer, all while comforting the disquieted Millennial generation with the reminder that, to quote Something Corporate’s “The Astronaut,” “you are not alone.” And just as that audience has grown from wide-eyed teenagers to weary young adults, so have the singer and his sound. Andrew McMahon’s evolution from the energetic teenaged front man of Something Corporate to the soft-spoken troubadour of Jack’s Mannequin is a perfect parallel for what it feels like to grow up.
By the time Andrew McMahon had graduated high school, Something Corporate already had a record deal. The band’s breakout song was “If U C Jordan,” a biting retaliatory song dedicated to “a little red-headed bitch” that bullied McMahon in high school. Something Corporate quickly became a SoCal rock sensation, winning over frequenters of clothing stores like Hollister with songs about kissing drunk girls and waking up in cars.
Leaving Through The Window, the band’s major label debut, was released in 2002, when the average 16 year old fought to maintain a sense of carefree youthfulness in the new post-9/11 world. Something Corporate’s poppy piano rock and lyrics provided a balance of angst and abandon that spoke to teens that had watched tragedy unfold and been expected to return to mindless lunchroom banter. McMahon’s lyrics illustrated his generation’s struggle to reconcile dreams with reality, and the ways in which young people sought respite from the 6 o’clock news. In “The Astronaut,” McMahon sings, “Calling out to the astronaut/I need some of what you’ve got/I need to be high.” The lamentation of innocence lost is a strong theme throughout the album: “Good News” proclaims, “I want to read good news, good news/I want to be a little kid again” and “Straw Dog” eloquently explains, “The closer I get to feeling, the further that I’m feeling from alright.” McMahon’s songwriting talent lay in being able to find the words to describe the agony of adolescence.
Of course, like any American teenager, McMahon also spent a good amount of time looking for and writing about a love he wouldn’t understand until he was older. “Hurricane” likens the thrill of new young love to an unstoppable weather pattern, with McMahon crooning, “You don’t do it on purpose, but you make me shake.” On “Punk Rock Princess,” the singer promises the object of his affection, “If you could be my punk rock princess/I would be your garage band king.” The song offered a romanticized alternative to the jock and cheerleader prom royalty positions and became an anthem for anyone who didn’t feel like part of the popular crowd.
Something Corporate released North, their second full-length album, in late 2003. The songs illustrated McMahon’s growing pains, both as a young man and as a songwriter. The lyrics were darker and the sound more rock-driven, as opposed to the piano-pop party of Leaving Through The Window. Songwriting duties were shared with guitarist Josh Partington, and his influence can be heard on the album’s grittier songs. McMahon’s style is preserved, with an added dash of angst, in songs like the single “Space” and the lighthearted rocker “21 and Invincible,” where he declares, “Woah, we’re 21 and invincible/Woah, can’t wait to screw this up.”
Overall, North felt like too much of a concerted effort to be as lyrically successful as its predecessor. However, the fact that it falls short is important to Andrew McMahon’s story as a songwriter. What young adult out there hasn’t second-guessed his chosen path, or stumbled in the pursuit of achievement? McMahon explains, in an interview with the Riverfront Times, “We [Something Corporate] were never pretentious; we were never trying to be something we weren't. We played songs that made us feel good, wrote songs that spoke to what we were going through at the time.” McMahon’s lyrics held a mirror to his generation, showcasing the insecurity that inevitably comes with independence.
In 2005, the singer shifted focus to his side project, Jack’s Mannequin. The singer was now the sole songwriter, and his success in Something Corporate allowed him a built-in fan base. However, McMahon didn’t take the opportunity to be lazy or self-indulgent. Instead, his songwriting matured and his sound returned to the breezy Cali-rock that audiences fell in love with.
McMahon has called Everything In Transit, the 2005 debut album from Jack’s Mannequin, the quintessential California breakup record. The album, written during the singer’s own breakups from his first love and band, conveys the highs and lows of rediscovering one’s independence after a long relationship. Upbeat tunes like “I’m Ready” and “Miss Delaney” are breaths of fresh air after the stagnant sound of North. “Dark Blue” and “Rescued” are decidedly more melancholy; the latter’s lyrics showcase McMahon’s deep understanding of heartbreak: “Two to none/Roads that lead away from this/I’m following myself just this once.” McMahon’s heartbreak and rebirth translated into a deeply personal yet beautifully universal album.
The day Jack’s Mannequin wrapped production on Everything in Transit, McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He documented his battle on video and on paper, resulting in the 2009 film and EP Dear Jack. The songs transcend McMahon’s personal battle and become anthems for fighting for the right to live fully.
In late 2008, Jack’s Mannequin released its second LP, The Glass Passenger. McMahon’s new lease on life was evident on “The Resolution” and “Swim,” where he sings, “Swim for the music that saves you when you’re not so sure you’ll survive.” He also embraces a slower, more intentional tempo to allow his newfound wisdom to shine in the lyrics.
On “Hammers and Strings,” McMahon sings, “These hammers and strings have been following me around.” Indeed, the singer can’t escape his fate as a defining songwriter of the 21st century. With a new album due out in late 2011 and McMahon’s worldview widening, fans can expect continued greatness from the pop rocker turned generation’s raconteur.
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