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Andrew McMahon Andrew McMahon is one of my all time favorite lyrists and musicians. Born in Massachusetts in 1982, McMahon moved alot (his father being a retailer), and soon found solance in his mother’s piano when he was eight years old. During high school, he moved to Orange County, California and this senary seemed to stay with him for the rest of his life as it proves to be a great inspiration for many of his songs. McMahon went on to form a short lived band, then record his own four track demo entitled Andrew McMahon, with several friends playing the back up intraments. This was the first beginnings of Something Corporate. They recorded a 10 song demo Ready…Break in 2000 and was then signed to indie label Drive-Thru Records. Drive-Thru released their EP Audioboxer the following year, but was soon signed over to MCA (now Geffen Records), Drive-Thru’s distributors, where they released Something Corporate’s Leaving Through The Window in 2002. The album went to #1 on the Billboard charts and quickly shot Something Corporate to the top. In October of 2003 their sophomore album North was released, and not achieving as much success as Leaving Through The Window, it did secure the bands standing as one included for the title of iconic, and an influence for many musicians to come. In 2004, Something Corporate decided to take a hiatus (though promised not to be permanent), and are still currently not under contract to any label. Shortly before the bands announced hiatus, Mcmahon began working on some new material he thought wouldn’t really fit into any of Something Corporate’s records. This was the dawning of Jack’s Mannequin (derriving from a band name he was playing with, The Mannequins, and a song he was currently writing, Dear Jack). After writing a lot of new material, McMahon laid down vocals and piano, while requiting friends for the other instraments and recorded what came to be Jack’s Mannequin’s debut album Everything In Transit. On June 1st, 2005, three months before Everything In Transit was released, McMahon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia. After recieving a bone marrow transplant from his sister Katie, and going through several different treatments, McMahon made a full recovery, as the disease was caught in its early stages. In July of 2006, McMahon founded the Dear Jack Foundation which raises money for cancer treatment and awareness. Jack’s Mannequin’s highly anticipated sophomore album The Glass Passenger  was released on September 30, 2008. Jack’s Mannequin was one of the first bands I ever saw live, and seeing McMahons stage performance I was immidiately awed. I could tell that playing music was his passion. Never have I seen someone play the piano so forcefully and emotionally as him. He was jumping around, interacting with the crowd, and even standing on top of the piano, all the while playing out his heart and soul. This man and his music has grealty inspired and impacted my life and it is rare that I come across a musician who plays with such ease and compassion.

Andrew McMahon

Andrew McMahon is one of my all time favorite lyrists and musicians.

Born in Massachusetts in 1982, McMahon moved alot (his father being a retailer), and soon found solance in his mother’s piano when he was eight years old. During high school, he moved to Orange County, California and this senary seemed to stay with him for the rest of his life as it proves to be a great inspiration for many of his songs.

McMahon went on to form a short lived band, then record his own four track demo entitled Andrew McMahon, with several friends playing the back up intraments. This was the first beginnings of Something Corporate.

They recorded a 10 song demo Ready…Break in 2000 and was then signed to indie label Drive-Thru Records. Drive-Thru released their EP Audioboxer the following year, but was soon signed over to MCA (now Geffen Records), Drive-Thru’s distributors, where they released Something Corporate’s Leaving Through The Window in 2002. The album went to #1 on the Billboard charts and quickly shot Something Corporate to the top.

In October of 2003 their sophomore album North was released, and not achieving as much success as Leaving Through The Window, it did secure the bands standing as one included for the title of iconic, and an influence for many musicians to come.

In 2004, Something Corporate decided to take a hiatus (though promised not to be permanent), and are still currently not under contract to any label.

Shortly before the bands announced hiatus, Mcmahon began working on some new material he thought wouldn’t really fit into any of Something Corporate’s records. This was the dawning of Jack’s Mannequin (derriving from a band name he was playing with, The Mannequins, and a song he was currently writing, Dear Jack).

After writing a lot of new material, McMahon laid down vocals and piano, while requiting friends for the other instraments and recorded what came to be Jack’s Mannequin’s debut album Everything In Transit.

On June 1st, 2005, three months before Everything In Transit was released, McMahon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia. After recieving a bone marrow transplant from his sister Katie, and going through several different treatments, McMahon made a full recovery, as the disease was caught in its early stages.

In July of 2006, McMahon founded the Dear Jack Foundation which raises money for cancer treatment and awareness.

Jack’s Mannequin’s highly anticipated sophomore album The Glass Passenger  was released on September 30, 2008.

Jack’s Mannequin was one of the first bands I ever saw live, and seeing McMahons stage performance I was immidiately awed. I could tell that playing music was his passion. Never have I seen someone play the piano so forcefully and emotionally as him. He was jumping around, interacting with the crowd, and even standing on top of the piano, all the while playing out his heart and soul.

This man and his music has grealty inspired and impacted my life and it is rare that I come across a musician who plays with such ease and compassion.