Dan Mangan’s Oh Fortune is a record of real emotion, melancholy and grand arrangement (have you heard the Post-War Blues track?). It manages to mix his songwriter roots with a new found urgency, throwing up a set of songs that are rather special. And whenever a record that good crosses our path we need answers from the creator – hence this Call Back:
Bowlegs: Which album has been a major influence in your life, and why?
Dan: A number of ‘em. Radiohead’s OK Computer was a life soundtrack for the good part of a year when I was a teenager. Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was big too. M. Ward’s End Of Amnesia and Post-War (funny that I’ve got a song called Post-War Blues). When I was a kid it was all about Abbey Road.
Bowlegs: What was the last album you bought?
Dan: Bry Webb’s Provider – It’s stunning.
Bowlegs: Which bands have you been listening to this week?
Dan: Colin Stetson, Himalayan Bear, Bry Webb, Blackout Beach, Matana Roberts. It’s been a big week actually. Just got back from tour and have been listening to a ton of new music.
Bowlegs: Name an up-and-coming band Bowlegs should look out for?
Dan: Really digging Himalayan Bear – it’s Ryan Beattie from Frog Eyes’ project. Though it’s a “yet-another-animal-name” band, it’s really, really good. Bry Webb used to lead The Constantines, who I was a big fan of. His solo stuff is entirely different but so beautiful.
Bowlegs: What was the last gig you went to?
Dan: Arkells at The Commodore in Vancouver
Bowlegs: Who is the best band you have ever shared a bill with?
Dan: At Glastonbury we played the Other Stage first thing Sunday morning. The Chemical Brothers headlined the Saturday night before. We like to say they opened for us. They have a lot of potential, those Chemical Brothers – they could really go places.
Bowlegs: What was the first gig you ever went to, and who did you go with?
Dan: I went to some concerts with my sister when we were kids (she was seven years older). The first concert I went to alone was called Sharp Teeth. The singer was my boss at the record store where I worked at the time. It was insane. Still might be the most hard core show I’ve seen.
Bowlegs: What made you realise that being a musician was the career of choice?
Dan: Coming home from my first tour. I was alone, broke, broken, and exhausted and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
Bowlegs: What is your favourite music documentary?
Dan: Perhaps I Am Trying To Break Your Heart on Wilco. Just recently saw the making of Nevermind which was amazing.
Bowlegs: What was the last film you saw, and was it any good?
Dan: I just saw J. Edgar – it was pretty solid. Probably the first Clint Eastwood movie I’ve really enjoyed.
Bowlegs: Name three great books Bowlegs must read?
Dan: A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut, Down And Out In Paris And London by George Orwell, The Age Of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture by Terry O’Reilly & Mike Tennant.
Bowlegs: What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Dan: Two dimensions.
Bowlegs: Name a song that takes you back to a certain time in your life?
Dan: Let Down by Radiohead. I used to take the bus all over Vancouver when I was a teen. Reminds me of my head against the window with big headphones on and rainy Vancouver evenings.
Bowlegs: What is your favourite album cover of all time?
Dan: I’ve got The Tale Of Peter Rabbit read by Viven Leigh framed above my bed. I don’t know if it’s my favourite but it’s pretty great.
Bowlegs: What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Dan: Probably Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Bowlegs: Do you think music videos are important and do you like making them?
Dan: They’re probably not as important as they once were when it comes to record labels and the industry etc. But I do enjoy making them, and I think that they’re an interesting extension of a band or artist’s expression. What I don’t like about them is that they forever solidify the visual you get in your head when it comes to that song.
Bowlegs: Are albums still important or is it more about individual tracks?
Dan: Albums. No question. Goddamit.
Bowlegs: What do you have planned for the next six months?
Dan: I’m going to take a bit of time off to get collected. It’s been an intense bout of touring this past year. Then I’m going to tour a lot. Then hopefully take some time off.
Bowlegs: What is on your iPod?
Dan: Mostly music. Some music I’ve been intending to listen to. Some music I don’t listen to often. And some favourites I keep going back to. I’m slow at getting music from the computer to the iPod, and I still try to listen mostly to vinyl when I’m at home.
