Jacks Mannequin Music

Jack’s Mannequin: A Solo Project That Became a Success

Another successful alternative rock band that emerged from California is the piano rock band Jacks Mannequin.

Jacks Mannequin, made up of Andrew McMahon (vocals), Bobby “Raw” Anderson (guitar, backup vocals), Jay McMillan (drums), and Jon “Dr. J” Sullivan (bass), was formed in 2004 as a side project of Andrew McMahon of Something Corporate. The band’s moniker was derived from the title of a song written by McMahon titled Dear Jack and another name he considered for the band The Mannequins. McMahon says he grew tired of band’s names that start with The so he decided that he will combine the two.

As the lead vocalist of Something Corporate, McMahon recorded a song in 2000 called Locked Doors, which he felt was not suited for use of the band. This track was a far cry to what the band has previously recorded. So what he planned was to release the track on a solo album.

During the late summer of 2004, the band decided to take a break from their gigs. This was when McMahon started writing new materials. The process was initially intended for therapeutic use, and not for commercial release.

During that time, one of his former band mates, Josh Partington, the lead guitarist, had a side project called Firescape. This inspired McMahon to write his own songs, without any intention of officially releasing them. But things started to turn out differently. Because most of the material dealt with personal issues (coming home, being away, and all the emotions that come along with it), they began to take shape. He eventually started producing the record using his own money. He then landed a deal with Maverick Records. Jack’s Mannequin music was then born!

Jack Mannequin’s first album was called Everything In Transit was released in August 2005. The songs appealed to fans and music critics as the band received praises for the record. There was supposed to be a summer tour after the album’s release but because of McMahon’s health condition (he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia), the tour was cancelled.

The band had a guest appearance in the WB hit show One Tree Hill, where they performed some of their songs The Mixed Tape, Holiday From Real and Dark Blue.

Their next album was called The Glass Passenger, which encountered a long delay in its release date. Prior to the release date, songs from the album had already gained a following. Some of the tracks were Cell Phone, Caves, and Suicide Blonde. McMahon appeared on the cover of Alternative Press in January 2008 which featured an interview with him.

They also had a scheduled tour with another band, Paramore, for August and September of 2008.
The band released an EP exclusively for iTunes in August 2008. The EP contains the tracks Resolution and Bloodshot as well as two live tracks from their first album. Another EP was released, also on iTunes called In Valleys. It contained the tracks Swim, Cell Phone, Sleazy Wednesday, and At Full Speed.

The band was sorely missed by fans that’s why they embarked on another tour in 2008. It was called “Hammers and Strings: An Evening with Jack’s Mannequin and The Glass Passenger,” and would showcase all of the songs in the new album. The fans were excited for the band’s performances, as reflected on ticket sales.

The Glass Passenger, the band’s next album was released on September 30, 2008. This one was very well received; fans and critics gave it very good reviews especially from music magazines like Spin, Alternative Press, and Rolling Stones to name a few.