Iain Mann
Magic Tracks is the debut album by UK based singer-songwriter Iain Mann. Produced in collaboration with Alexi Glickman of Sandy’s, the warm sounds of Magic Tracks carry Mann’s colorful portrayal of familiar heroes, villains, and loved ones. Raised in Berkeley, CA & Lima, Peru, and currently based in Cambridge, UK, Mann wrote & recorded the album during the Covid-19 quarantine while sheltering in place with his wife and kids in Scotland. Consequently, their voices pepper the songs as we imagine him sneaking downstairs to overdub a bit of violin or bass guitar before bedtime, adding a folksy charm to the recordings. Weaving together hook-laden pop songs, baroque vignettes and cathartic ballads, the album showcases Mann’s formidable range as a singer-songwriter, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist - recalling the homespun vibes of The White Album and Smiley Smile, the melodic songcraft of Big Star, and the late-night tales of Elliott Smith.
Mann and co-producer Alexi Glickman first met in college at UC Santa Cruz over 20 years ago, playing together in a band called Lesterjett and developing a friendship forged over the shared pursuit of timeless and transcendent songwriting. Fittingly, the album’s title track “Magic Tracks” was inspired by a psilocybin experience that called Iain back to these years among the ancient redwood forests of Santa Cruz. “I was visited by crazy, dancing sages, teaching joy - the Buddha was there, and so was Professor Calculus from Tintin - and the ancient roots of California's sequoias revealed secrets that I can't begin to express in language. As the geometry on the walls dissolved, and I came back from the trip, I was free from depression for the first time in years” says Mann.
“Fugue of the Wino (Con Fuga De Wayno)” and ”Saya For Molly” both pull from Mann’s childhood years spent in Peru and his ensuing fascination with Andean folk music; the former’s folk music outro was played by Mann himself on quena, charango and guitar, while the latter’s stumbling rhythm is based on the Bolivian Saya. “Room For You”, “Max”, and “Family Glass” recall 90’s indie-rock, while the closing sequence of “Baby Zora”, “Sandy Says”, “Nothing On California”, and “Alright Here” brings to mind McCartney’s famous Side B medley on Abbey Road.
Mann is joined on the album by a cast of musicians including multi-instrumentalist Glickman (Sandy’s); drummers Jeremy Black (Apollo Sunshine), Cody Rhodes (Skyway Man, Curls), and Rob Mills (Spooky Mansion, French Cassettes); vocalist Xo Mai Eng-Mann; and childhood friend Lorenzo Farrell, whose organ playing adds a distinctive touch to the album, recalling Procol Harum and The Band. Alongside Glickman, David Glasebrook mixed and mastered the album at his studio in Oakland, CA, while Austin, TX based graphic artist William Gaynor designed the album cover, inspired by Mann’s titular rebirth in the redwoods.
Royal Oakie Records is excited to release Magic Tracks on CD, cassette, and digital worldwide on April 26th, 2024.