Jack’s Mannequin in the CD101 Big Room - 7.25.06

Lesley James: We are live in the CD101 Big Room (applause) with Jack’s Mannequin.

Jack’s Mannequin: Howdy y’all.

LJ: Hi guys. Andrew and Bobby, playing a sold out show tonight with O.A.R. at the LC. Thanks a lot for coming in.

JM: My pleasure.

LJ: Okay, so last night you played a sold out benefit show at The Basement.

JM: True.

LJ: Tell us a little bit about it. I know that partial proceeds went to CD101 For the Kids Foundation and then the Dear Jack Foundation. Tell us about that.

JM: Dear Jack is a foundation that I literally just in the past weeks have started the idea in mind of being able to access different charities that effect cancer and community research, which obviously is a near and dear issue to my heart, and be able to sort of dole out money to different charities in need rather than just picking one and putting all of my money towards that. And I think that with the help of doing stuff like this, I was glad you know sometimes greedy radio stations will take all the money, but instead you guys made it a benefit and a lot people will benefit from that.

LJ: Excellent

JM: I appreciate it.

LJ: And some of the highlights of last night, I heard you did a few covers?

JM: We did, you know drinking will lead people to do funny things. And last night was all together a byproduct of said event.

JM: Sometimes it leads to the Grateful Dead.

JM: Yeah, sometimes you start covering the Grateful Dead when you’ve been drinking, so we did. We did Grateful Dead, we covered Everly Brothers last night I think. Is that it? Are those the only two covers we did?

JM: We covered some Something Corporate.

JM: Well yeah, can you call it a cover? 50%, a half cover. Yeah we did some Something Corporate songs to, we kind of mixed it up. We thought we were only going to play for 30 or 40 minutes. And we got off stages, we were like, How long were we up there? And it was like and hour and a half when all was said and done. So to those of you there, we apologize because we were probably not…

JM: …drinking. Yeah exactly.

LJ: Oh, I’m sure everybody loved it.

LJ: Jack’s Mannequin live in the CD101 Big Room playing a sold out show tonight at the LC with O.A.R. The album, Everything in Transit, in stores now available on Maverick Records.

JM: Correct

LJ: Alright, how did this solo project come about Andrew?

JM: You know, it’s one of these things, it was sort of more bred out of necessity and it was really organic the way it developed. I kind of came home, and I always write songs. I’ve written songs since I was 8 or 9 years old you know since before I had a band. And when Something Corporate decided to take our break, we were pretty beat up from 3 or 4 years on the road and were exhausted. And I went home and it was the first time I’d been home in three or four years, so it was the first chance I’d had to sit down and write at the piano in my house for the first time since high school, really. And I just started writing and writing and writing. And in an effort not to lose the spontaneity of the songs, I would kinda sneak in to the studio every time I got a chance and just lay ‘em down really quickly. I would spend a day and program some drums and throw a bass on it and do the piano. And after doing that seven or eight times, we’re like, wow, we have this kind of weird, cool record of bizarre, spontaneous jams. And so Bob came out and helped us finish it out rounding out the guitar stuff. And then randomly, I was working with Tommy Lee at the time on a record of his, so he just kind of came out and played drums for us.

LJ: Really?

JM: Yeah. It was very cool. And so it got pieced together in this hodgepodge over like, a year and a half. And eventually we finished it, I guess last spring, and here we are today.

LJ: Excellent. Well congratulations on that.

JM: Thank you.

LJ: And I know I’m not the only one, there are a couple of us here at the, what’s the meaning behind Jack’s Mannequin? Is there one?

JM: There’s really good meaning for it at all. And any meaning would be lost on this interview.

JM: You’ve gotta come up with something.

JM: Yeah, you know. It’s just you need a band name, and sort of the words ended up on a page next to each other. And I was like “Ok, that sounds fine”. I hate naming bands, you know what I mean? You can probably tell by all my band names. They’re sort of stupid. But you know, it is what it is and if you write good songs and people like them then the name just sort of becomes representative of what you do.

JM: Thank you. Thank you guys.

LJ: Live in the CD101 Big Room with Jack’s Mannequin. Playing a sold out show tonight at the LC with O.A.R.

JM: We’re looking forward to it.

LJ: Yes! So are we. Thank you for coming in again, fellas. We really appreciate it. I have a few questions, just two more.

JM: No worries.

LJ:These are special questions because these are from our lovely CD101 listeners.

JM: Ok.

LJ: Alright, this one’s from Brady. He wants to know, what’s the best advice you give to somebody starting to write lyrics?

JM: Um, I don’t know, I think it’s important to study different people that you admire. I mean, we all have our influences. I grew up, and the first record for me when I was actually living in Bexley, not too far from here, I remember watching the Counting Crows on Saturday Night Live when I was in 5th or 6th grade, and that was one of the first modern bands I really fell in love with. And lyrically, I thought that record was brilliant, you know? I had been writing for a little bit up until then but ultimately I think I ended up knocking off every single one of his lyrics. And you do that when you study people. I think he key is to diversify your listening. Try to listen to a bunch of different people that have different styles and eventually I think you’ll adapt and develop your own style. And I think that’s important thing. And that goes for anything, like if you’re starting a band. Try not to knock off just one band, but knock of five of ten. Eventually it will become your own thing I think.

LJ: There you go. Good advice there. And one more for you, this one is from Carly. Do you think your leukemia has changed your music?

JM: (laughs) Yeah, I think my music is sicker now than it was before. (laughter)

LJ: Do you think you’re more passionate about music now?

JM: Absolutely. I think I’m just more passionate about anything, in general. Any time you confront something like that that’s is so sort of burly in a way, now I think I wake up every day and think “Wow, cool, I’m alive” and that’s something to celebrate every day, you know? So I definitely think I approach every day with a certain sense of excitement. They say that may wear off eventually, but at this point I’m still enjoying the buzz I get just from waking up in the morning, for sure.

JM: Thank you guys for coming.

LJ: Live in the CD101 Big Room with Jack’s Mannequin, that was fantastic.

JM: Thank you so much.

LJ: Thank you so much guys. Andrew, Bobby, thanks again. Playing at the LC tonight, sold out show with OAR. Pick up Everything in Transit available now on Maverick Records.

JM: Please

LJ: Definitely, lets give them one more hand of applause.

(Applause)

JM: Thank you guys.

LJ: Thanks again guys.

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