Dan Mangan is a two-time JUNO Award-winning and three-time Polaris Music Prize-nominated songwriter and musician. Growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Dan immersed himself in his parents’ record collection, paying special attention to albums by Nick Drake and the Beatles. Folk and pop then became two of his biggest influences, and he combined both genres while writing his own songs.
What’s your favourite part of the songwriting process?
Without question, the most fulfilling part of the process is being obsessively consumed by something new and unfinished. I love being in flow with other creative people. I love the idea of vague targets, and that in collaboration, we can hopefully land somewhere that nobody involved expected. Once a song or album is “finished” and released, it becomes quantifiable. It gets handcuffed to finite markers of success/failure. The industry loves numbers. It especially loves big numbers. But I love having something subjectively qualitative still in the pocket, where it lives only for the infinity of the mind.
What’s your biggest session highlight so far?
I recently had a session in LA with Matt Schellenberg and Matt Peters (aka deadmen). I’ve known those guys and their band Royal Canoe for probably a decade, but I was absolutely floored by their work on the recent Begonia album. This was the easiest co-writing session I’ve ever had. In 3 hours, we’d written something completely fresh and exciting – but perhaps most importantly, every minute of the process was just pure fun. Every idea spurred another idea, and everybody was bringing something special to the table. Matt & Matt focused more on the instrumental production, and I focused more on the lyrics and melody, and as the song began to take form, we were all just smiling like hyenas.
How much do current market and track trends impact your creative process?
Not a lot. Perhaps to my own detriment, sometimes. If I’m writing with/for somebody else, I’ll probably do a bit of research and listen to some similar artists currently on the pop charts, but I dislike the copycat game. If you’re trying to make something “like” something else that’s already a success, you’ve already lost – you’re late to the game. The world doesn’t need more songs, but it does need more great songs. It needs timeless songs that can live beyond their era, and those rarely come from fad-chasing. They last because they unlock a secret hidden truth that connects the creator and the listener. It’s risky to take big swings, but when the ball hits the bat – there’s no better feeling in the world.
To learn more about Dan Mangan, visit danmanganmusic.com. Listen to his music on Apple Music and Spotify.
