Dan Mangan Is Cooler Than You

In the last two posts, I celebrated the present by living in the past. Keeping in that vein, I'll once again post an interview that I did back at the end of October. I assure you, this will be the last time, because I think I might have some new material to write. However, usually when I think that, I disappoint myself when I realize that I don't actually have anything new to write. It's during that realization that I ask myself, "Is my life really that devoid of incidents worthy of notation?" Sadly, my life mostly consists of school work and drinking, and nobody cares to read about those banal exploits. Unless they involve you, right?

In any case, here is another interview that I was extremely lucky to conduct. It was with Dan Mangan, who is pretty much the coolest and talented guy I've met in the last few years. I was able to sit down with him at the end of his last Canadian tour in the fall, and if you want to talk about people who will go places, Dan will be going places. And we'll be lucky to go along for the ride as fans. If you aren't doing anything this Friday, go to Dan's early show at the Haven Social Club (the later show is sold out). It's what all the cool kids and some of us semi-cool kids are doing.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE NAIT NUGGET ON NOVEMBER 19, 2009.

NO ROAD REGRETS WITH DAN MANGAN

By Tyler Daignault

Dan Mangan and I are sitting in the backroom of the Haven Social Club, in an area no bigger than a moderately sized cubicle, lit conspicuously by a multitude of black ultraviolet lights. The Vancouver singer/songwriter’s last show of his month-long tour has just come to a close, and thoughts of enjoying two much-needed nights’ rest in his own bed aren’t far from his thoughts. He’s dog-tired, whereas I’m wired with excitement by the amazing show I just witnessed. I try not to gush praise on the talented musician, but it’s hard not to dole out compliments when he’s so deserving of them. Mangan’s hauntingly sweet musical notes guided by sandpaper-rough vocals are fresh sounds in the stale, auto-tune wasteland of present music. By this point, however, the heaps of good word must seem like broken-record platitudes to Mangan, who has garnered great critical acclaim for his sophomore album, Nice, Nice, Very Nice. He’s riding an unbridled wave of good fortune across the nation, a ride few indie folk artists can claim. In the mere three months since NNVN hit the shelves, Mangan has been crowned the indie king of Vancouver, toured Australia and Europe, and most importantly, won the XM Verge Artist of the Year award, netting a cool $25,000.

But Mangan is his usual humble, affable self. When discussing how the album came to be, he is quick to note that it’s not he who’s the catalyst for success, but others. NNVN employed a host of friends, colleagues and contemporaries from the indie music scene to add depth, talent and experience to Mangan’s own ample repertoire. “I always tried to surround myself with people that I thought were better than me,” he states. “Naturally, you gravitate towards people who are talented and creative... and they can bring their own taste. Veda Hille, Mark Berube Justin Rutledge all brought their own flavour to the songs. For me, it was mostly an exercise in humility, bringing in these people, watching them do great work, and then fawning over them.” Mangan’s triumphs haven’t gone to his head. Even while playing sold-out shows across the country, he still is amazed. “It’s hard to have a bad time on stage when you have a crowd like tonight (in Edmonton). I tend to grin a lot on stage, because I can’t help it. I just look out at the crowd and I start giggling. It’s still all very surreal.”

The sold-out crowds on this tour are due in large part to the melodic collection of rock/roots/pop tunes Mangan has under his belt. Audiences across the country have been humming and singing along, and reacting strongly to his captivating stage presence. Mangan is enthralling to watch perform and his effect on the audience is palpable. Here in Edmonton, he could have sung the phonebook, and the audience would still have been mesmerized by his sheer talent. In songs like “Road Regrets”, “Basket” and “The Indie Queens Are Waiting”, Mangan grabs hold of your emotions and sweeps you along with anthems of rollicking road journeys, mournful affections, and subtle social comment. And with “Robots”, you can’t help but join Mangan in an almost epic sing-along that overtakes the entire room.

What does Dan do for an encore performance? After his two-day respite at home, he’s off to Dubai for a couple of shows and then back to Europe. He’s writing a little bit here and there, and he might explore his side project, Poor Places. For the time being, Dan’s enjoying a nice, nice, very nice year. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.