Daniel Mangan(born April 28, 1983) is a Canadian musician. He has won twoJuno awardsand has toured extensively throughout North America, Europe and Australia, having released 5 studio LPs and numerous EPs and singles. He has scored for feature film, as well as television for Netflix and AMC. He is also a co-founder of Side Door, a marketplace platform connecting artists with alternative venue spaces for in-person & online shows.[2]
Dan Mangan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Daniel Mangan |
| Born | April 28, 1983 Smithers, British Columbia,Canada |
| Origin | Vancouver,British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | Indie rock,folk[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals,guitar,piano,keyboards |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Arts & Crafts,City Slang,Create/Control,File Under: Music, Caroline |
| Website | www |
Career
editEarly work
edit
In 2003, at 20 years old, Mangan completed his first set of recordings: an EP of simply recorded acoustic songs calledAll At Once.Five hundred copies were pressed and sold or given away throughout theVancouverarea. With a bank loan and a small community of musicians who would offer cheap or free sessions, Mangan recordedPostcards & Daydreamingin the summer of 2005 with producer Daniel Elmes and good friend Simon Kelly. Mangan released the album independently at first, selling the album online and at live shows. In July 2007, Vancouver-based independent record label File Under: Music picked up the LP and re-released the album with new artwork and an extra track, "Ash Babe". The following March, the record was released inAustraliabyABC/Warner.
Nice, Nice, Very Nice
editIn March 2009, Mangan's albumNice, Nice, Very Nice[3]was recorded inTorontoat Green Door Studios with producer John Critchley, and featured an assortment of other Canadian artists such asVeda Hille,Justin Rutledge,Mark Berube,Hannah Georgasand members ofSaid The Whale,Major Maker,andElliott Brood.The album name was inspired by a line from AmericannovelistKurt Vonnegut's bookCat's Cradle,while musicallyNice, Nice, Very Nicehas been compared toChad VanGaalenandBon Iver.The first two singles from his second full-length, "Robots" and "Road Regrets" earned airplay on local Vancouver radio stations, as well as on satellite radio stations such asThe VergeandCBC Radio 3.
In September 2009, Mangan was awarded "Artist of the Year" at theVerge Music Awards.[4]In 2010,Nice, Nice, Very Nicewas licensed and released by Toronto-based independent record labelArts & Craftsin the United States and Europe (viaCity Slang). The album was shortlisted for thePolaris Music Prize.Nice, Nice, Very Nicewas also awarded "iTunesAlbum Of The Year "for the Singer/Songwriter category and won threeWestern Canadian Music Awardsfor "Independent Album Of The Year", "Roots/Solo Album Of The Year" and "Songwriter Of The Year". "Robots" was named "Best Song" by the CBC Radio 3 BUCKY Awards.[5]
On November 15, 2019, Dan Mangan andArts & Craftsreleased the 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition ofNice, Nice, Very Nice.The 2-LP vinyl collection features previously unreleased demos and b-sides. The package includes an essay by Mangan about making the album and its commercial success.[6]
Oh Fortune
editThroughout 2010 and 2011, Mangan began collaborating with musicians from Vancouver's experimental music scene. Enlisting drummer Kenton Loewen (Mother Mother,Submission Hold, Gord Grdina Trio), bassist John Walsh (Brasstronaut) and guitarist Gord Grdina (Gord Grdina Trio,Haram,East Van Strings) opened up relationships with other members of the city's avant-garde free-jazz community. As the ensemble worked toward a third LP, they began collaborating and touring with a large group of musicians who would sub in and out of the band including trumpeter JP Carter (Fond of Tigers,Destroyer), violinistJesse Zubot(Fond of Tigers,Hawksley Workman,Tanya Tagaq), pianist Tyson Naylor and cellistPeggy Lee(Mary Margaret O'Hara,Wayne Horvitz,Veda Hille). Mangan asked Seattle'sEyvind Kang(Bill Frisell,Beck,Laurie Anderson) to write orchestral arrangements for the forthcoming recordings.
Oh Fortunewas recorded over six months throughout the 2010-11 winter with producerColin Stewart(Black Mountain,Ladyhawk,Yukon Blonde), the band recorded in short spurts at The Hive Creative Labs between tours and at Mangan's own home, coined "National Park Studios". It was released in September, 2011 in North America byArts & Crafts,with releases in the following months in Europe byCity Slangand in Australia viaABC.The album received extensive critical acclaim internationally and demonstrated the beginning of a new, more experimental era in Mangan's musical career.
In November 2011, Mangan was the subject of the CBC documentaryWhat Happens Next?,directed and produced byBrent Hodgeand Jon Siddall.[7]It follows Mangan in the lead up to his sold-out show at theOrpheumTheatre in Vancouver.
At the2012 Juno Awards,Mangan was awardedNew Artist of the YearandAlternative Album of the YearforOh Fortune,and was also nominated forSongwriter of the YearandVideo of the Yearfor the music video for "Rows of Houses", directed by Jon Busby.[8]
Oh Fortunewas also long-listed for the 2012Polaris Music Prizeand received threeWestern Canadian Music Awardsfor "Rock Album of the Year", "Independent Album of the Year", and "Songwriter of the Year". To boot, "Rows of Houses" was named "Best Song" by theCBC Radio 3Bucky Awards. Mangan has won six Buckys to date, the most winning artist in the award's history, and is the only artist to win "Best Song" more than once.
Club Meds
editFocusing less on recruited orchestral performances and more on core band contribution, Mangan and his band began recording in late 2013 what would eventually be his 4th LP,Club Meds,released January 2015 (Arts & Crafts/City Slang/Create/Control). Throughout the process, the ensemble decided to release the album under the monikerDan Mangan + Blacksmith,highlighting and finally labelling the creative contributions from Grdina, Loewen, Walsh, Naylor, Carter and Zubot.
Club Medswas met with a wildly positive critical reception but a less overall popular one thanOh Fortune.The album received 4 Stars fromThe Guardian,The Observer&Q,and 8/10 fromDrowned In Sound&Uncut,leading to aMetacriticscore of 79.Alexis Petridisfeatured the LP as a must-hear album[9]andGuitaristsays ofClub Meds,"Just 13 days into 2015, Dan Mangan + Blacksmith fired a compelling early salvo in the album of the year stakes."[10]and one Canadian blogger writes, "Club Meds is singlehandedly proving that the LP format is not only alive, but worth fighting for. It is proof that a well crafted record is more than a collection of well crafted songs. Club Meds is a unified whole, tackling some of the most important problems in our collective lives. It is not simply the best album of 2015, but one of the most emotionally compelling albums of the last decade."[11]
UnmakeEP
editUnmake,released digitally June 17, 2016, was a collection of four simple home recordings and the single "Race To The Bottom" featuring drummer Loel Campbell (Wintersleep,Holy Fuck) which was recorded at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver, BC and produced by John Raham. The five song EP features a cover ofRobyn's "Hang With Me",revisited stripped-down versions of" Kitsch "and" Forgetery "fromClub Meds(The latter featuring Tegan Quin ofTegan and Sara) and the song "Whistleblower", a B-side initially recorded with Blacksmith in 6/8 time signature forClub Meds,but re-worked acoustically in 4/4.
More or Less
editIn the fall of 2018, Mangan released his fifth full length,More or Less,onArts & CraftsandCity Slang.The album featured production and mi xing by Drew Brown (Beck,Charlotte Gainsbourg,Blonde Redhead),[12]with producer Simone Felice (Lumineers,Vance Joy,Jade Bird)[13]producing two songs ( "Fool For Waiting" and "Troubled Mind" ), which were mixed and engineered by Ryan Hewitt (Lumineers,Avett Brothers,Vance Joy).
Adam Feibel wrote forExclaim! Magazine,"In stark contrast with the intricate, full-bodied arrangements of Mangan's last couple records,More or Lessis so deliberately soft, warm, cozy and minimal that it makes evenNice, Nice, Very Nicesound loud and busy. "[14]Feibel goes on to say, "The sleeper hit here is" Lay Low, "a song about taking time for yourself that, fittingly, features almost nothing but Mangan's own voice — and even then it's barely more than a whisper. It could be chilling if it wasn't so comforting. And while" Troubled Mind "is undoubtedly boisterous, it's the outlier." About "Troubled Mind" Mangan has said "...it’s funny. It’s pretty upbeat, but the lyrical content is not exactly sunny, shiny or lovey-dovey, so at first you never know how it’s gonna be received...it’s really cool to see people gravitate towards it."[15]
About the album as a whole, Mangan says, "“witnessing birth, and in some ways rebirth. It’s about feeling disconnected from a popular identity and becoming acclimated to a new one. It’s about raising kids in a turbulent world. It’s about unanswerable questions and kindness and friendship and fear.”
In April 2019, Mangan, "the man known as the nicest guy on the Vancouver music scene" performed two songs ( "Troubled Mind" and "Just Fear" ) from the album onJimmy Kimmel Live![16]
Being Somewhere
editIn April 2022 he released the non-album single "In Your Corner (for Scott Hutchison)", a tribute toFrightened RabbitbandleaderScott Hutchisonfollowing his death in 2018.[17]He followed up in July with "Fire Escape", the video for which starred actorSteven Oggas a personification of a self-critical inner voice taunting and tormenting Mangan.[18]
Both songs were eventually announced as part of the tracklisting for his seventh studio album,Being Somewhere.[19]The album was released in 2022, and was shortlisted for the2023 Polaris Music Prize.[20]
In 2024 he releasedBeing Elsewhere Mix,an album inspired bymixtapeswhich blended rerecorded acoustic versions of some songs fromBeing Somewherewith several songs he had already released as standalone singles, including "Say When", "Sleep on the Floor"and" Find New Ways ".[21]
Scoring work
editAfter the touring cycle forOh Fortune,the band took a short hiatus. Dan became a father during this time and scored a soundtrack withJesse Zubotfor the feature filmHector and the Search for Happiness(Simon Pegg,Rosamund Pike,Christopher Plummer,Toni Collette,Stellan Skarsgård,Jean Reno,directed byPeter Chelsom). For their work, Mangan and Zubot were nominated for aCanadian Screen Awardin the category ofBest Original Score.In that same year, Dan was also nominated forBest Original SongforWants,a song he contributed to the filmThe Valley Below.
Between theClub MedsandMore or Lessalbum cycles, Mangan scored the music for theNetflixanimated show,Hilda,including the ending theme, as well as theCBC/AMCmini-series,Unspeakable.
Production, recording and Madic Records
editMangan, under the label Madic Records, (an imprint ofArts & Crafts Productions) has released LPs by acts such as Walrus andAstral Swans.[22]Mangan has also recorded and produced works for Astral Swans, including two tracks on 2015'sGood People Rockand 2018'sStrange Prison.
Mangan and his business partner Laura Simpson appeared in a Season 17 episode ofDragons' Den,pitching for an investment in his online concert platform Side Door.[23]They secured a deal fromArlene Dickinson.[23]
Touring
editWith various collections of musicians, Mangan has toured extensively throughout Europe, North America and Australia. They've shared stages withFather John Misty,The Walkmen,Japandroids,Jeff Mangum,Mumford & Sons,Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros,Missy Elliott,Kendrick Lamar,Lucinda Williams,Broken Social Scene,Tune-Yards,Arlo Guthrie,José González,Junip,Stars,Marina And The Diamonds,Phox,Sharon Van Etten,Run The Jewels,Hot Chip,Cake,Metric,The Decemberists,Julian Casablancas,Timber Timbre,Sarah Harmer,The Broken Family Band,Elliott Brood,The Acorn,Alison Krauss,Howe Gelb,Jackson Browne,Bowerbirds,The head and the heart,We Were Promised Jetpacks,Blind Pilot,Patrick Watson,Jenn Grant,Brett Dennen,KD Lang,Mother Mother,Great Lake Swimmers,Basia Bulat,Veda Hille,Hannah Georgas,Charlie Parr,Bear's Den,Hey Rosetta!,The Shins,Sam Roberts Band,Jason Collett,Bahamas,Rich Aucoin,Zeus,Macklemore,Vampire Weekend,City & Colour,Yukon Blonde,Sondre Lerche,Warpaint,Other Lives,Suuns,Spoon,Tegan and Sara,Lucius.[24]
On Canada Day in 2011 Mangan performed for theDukeandDuchess of Cambridge.
Dan Mangan (or Dan Mangan + Blacksmith) have been invited to perform at many international music festivals including:
- UK:Glastonbury(2010 "John Peel Stage", 2011 "Other Stage" ),End of the Road Festival(2011),Summer Sundae Fringe Festival(2012)
- Australia:Woodford Folk Festival(2010), East Coast Blues and Roots (2008), andPeats Ridge(2009, 2010)
- Canada:Halifax Pop Explosion(2009, 2011, 2012),Vancouver Folk Music Festival(2009, 2012), Dawson City Music Festival (2010), Calgary Folk Festival (2010, 2012),Mariposa Folk Festival(2010),Winnipeg Folk Festival(2011, 2015),Regina Folk Festival(2011),Home County Folk Festival(2011),Hillside Festival(2011, 2022),Quebec City Summer Festival(2012)Osheaga Festival(2012),Luminato Festival(2012),Ottawa Bluesfest(2011, 2022),Ottawa Folk Festival(2012),Gentlemen of the Road(2013),Squamish Valley Music Festival(2013), Calgary X-Fest (2013), Sonic Boom (2013),Rifflandia Music Festival(2009, 2012), Riverfest Elora (2014),Edmonton Folk Music Festival(2014), CBC Music Festival (2014), Field Trip (2013, 2015),Pemberton Festival(2015),Folk on the Rocks(2015),Northern Lights Festival Boréal(2015), Harbourage (2015)
- USA:Sasquatch!Festival (2011, 2015), Rocky Mt. Folks Festival (2011),Telluride Bluegrass Festival(2012)
- Germany:Reeperbahn Festival (2010, 2015), Orange Blossom Special (2011), Haldern Pop (2011, 2012), Golden Leaves (2015), Rolling Stone Weekender (2018)
- Netherlands:Noorderzon(2012),Incubate Festival(2015)
- Croatia:Terraneo Festival (2012)
Mangan's March 13, 2020 show at theDanforth Music HallinToronto,Ontariowas cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.In response, Mangan and his band played a half-hour set to the empty hall, which Mangan streamed onYouTubethe following Monday as "Show to Nobody".[25]
In December 2021 he announced his first significant national tour since the pandemic shutdown, withGeorgia Harmeras the opening act.[26]
Personal life
editMangan's family moved often, residing in both the provinces ofOntarioandBritish Columbia,but primarily in his current residence ofVancouver.He was influenced by his parents' record collection, especially the music ofNick DrakeandThe Beatles.[1]At sixteen, Mangan started a band called Basement Suite with some classmates and played gigs at local community centres. Though his family had returned to Vancouver by age two, he was born inSmithers,British Columbia.[27]
Mangan studied at theUniversity of British Columbia,earning a BA in English Literature.[28]
He lives in Vancouver with his wife Kirsten Slenning and two children.[29]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Postcards & Daydreaming
|
| 2009 | Nice, Nice, Very Nice
|
| 2011 | Oh Fortune
|
| 2015 | Club Meds(credited as Dan Mangan + Blacksmith)
|
| 2018 | More or Less
|
| 2020 | Thief
|
| 2022 | Being Somewhere
|
| 2024 | Being Elsewhere Mix
|
EPs
edit| Year | EP details |
|---|---|
| 2003 | All At Once
|
| 2009 | Roboteering
|
| 2012 | Radicals
|
| 2016 | Unmake[30]
|
Appearances
edit| Year | Artist | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Astral Swanswith Dan Mangan | "You Are A Runner & I Am My Father's Son" (Wolf Paradecover) | Good People Rock |
| 2018 | Astral Swans | "Controls" | Strange Prison |
See also
edit
References
edit- ^abLeahey, Andrew."Dan Mangan: Biography".Allmusic.RetrievedApril 5,2012.
- ^"How Dan Mangan's Side Door Is Paving the Way for the Brave New World of Live Music | Exclaim!".exclaim.ca.Retrieved2022-03-10.
- ^Mack, Adrian (March 12, 2009). "Dan Mangan",The Georgia Straight.Retrieved on 2009-05-22.
- ^Miller, Aaron (September 23, 2009)."Dan Mangan, Alexisonfire Victorious at XM Verge Music Awards".CityNews.Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2009.RetrievedApril 5,2012.
- ^"In the Spotlight: Dan Mangan".SOCAN Words and Music.2010-04-01.Retrieved2022-03-10.
- ^"Dan Mangan Unveils 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of 'Nice, Nice, Very Nice'".exclaim.ca.Retrieved2021-03-24.
- ^"CBC - Absolutely Canadian - What Happens Next? The Dan Mangan Documentary".Cbc.ca.
- ^"Artist summary: Dan Mangan".JunoAwards.ca.Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.Archived fromthe originalon January 16, 2016.RetrievedApril 5,2012.
- ^Alexis, Petridis (16 January 2015)."Why Club Meds by Dan Mangan + Blacksmith is the one album you should hear this week".The Guardian.
- ^"Dan Mangan and Gord Grdina discuss Club Meds".Guitarist.28 April 2015.
- ^"Paul Brogee on" Club Meds "".Longrangehustle.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-01-16.Retrieved2016-01-03.
- ^"Drew Brown | Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2021-03-22.
- ^"Simone Felice | Credits".AllMusic.Retrieved2021-03-22.
- ^"Dan Mangan More or Less".exclaim.ca.Retrieved2021-03-22.
- ^"Dan Mangan goes in-depth on new album, 'More or Less'".Global News.Retrieved2021-03-22.
- ^"Vancouver's beloved Dan Mangan receives an avalanche of support after a dream appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!".The Georgia Straight.17 April 2019.Retrieved2021-07-08.
- ^Alex Hudson,"Dan Mangan Shares New Single 'In Your Corner (for Scott Hutchison)'".Exclaim!,April 19, 2022.
- ^Mike Usinger,"On Our Radar: Dan Mangan's ghostly" Fire Escape "is a powerful lifeline for anyone who's staring into the abyss".The Georgia Straight,July 20, 2022.
- ^Scott Lewis,"Dan Mangan announces new LP, shares single ‘Just Know It’".CIND-FM,September 14, 2022.
- ^"Polaris Music Prize short list: Feist, Daniel Caesar, Debby Friday among contenders".Toronto Star,July 13, 2023.
- ^Sydney Brasil,"Dan Mangan Announces 'Being Elsewhere Mix CD'".Exclaim!,July 30, 2024.
- ^Alex Hudson (15 January 2015)."Astral Swans Announces Debut LP on Dan Mangan's Madic Records".Exclaim!.
- ^abCourtney Dickinson,"Juno Award winner Dan Mangan took his Side Door project to the Dragons — and got an offer".CBC NewsBritish Columbia, November 10, 2022.
- ^Harper, Kate (2009-02-18)."Dan Mangan Does the Robot".Chart.Archived from the original on November 6, 2013.Retrieved2013-05-14.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^Richard Trapunski,"Dan Mangan livestreams his cancelled Danforth Music Hall show".Now,March 16, 2020.
- ^Allie Gregory,"Dan Mangan Maps Out 2022 Canadian Tour".Exclaim!,December 6, 2021.
- ^Jones, Vincent (July 16, 2012)."Dan Mangan Interview - Keloha, 2012".Hear in Kelowna.
- ^Samuels, Lucas (November 30, 2011)."Dan Mangan's eight-song mixtape for ArtistMixtapes".Chart.Archived from the original on April 28, 2012.RetrievedApril 23,2014.
{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^Gregoire, Lisa (May 10, 2017)."Dan Mangan, troubadour dad".Nunatsiaq Online. Archived fromthe originalon October 13, 2017.RetrievedMay 11,2017.
- ^"Unmake // DAN MANGAN".danmanganmusic.Archived fromthe originalon 30 June 2016.Retrieved17 January2022.
External links
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