Mandy Kane
Mandy Kane |
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Early career
Mandy Kane, who changed his name by deed poll at the age of 18, started playing in high school rock bands but wanted to pursue a music career more seriously than his bandmates. Consequently, he filled his bedroom with home recording equipment and started writing songs. He says his songs are inspired by a variety of rock icons from bygone eras - from David Bowie (in his Ziggy Stardust era) and Alice Cooper to The Beatles and Pink Floyd. Seeking other outlets to develop his musical and theatrical sensibilities, he joined local drama groups and rallied fellow outsiders Matty Ray (keys) & Nick Cunneen (drums) to be his back-up band. He cut his teeth on the live circuit with them, playing at local venues. He started sending his demos to record companies and eventually signed with Warner Music. He states on his website: "Warner Music was the only company willing to give me the degree of control I wanted with my own project."
Recording career with Warner
Tragic Daydreams
He recorded his demos in Los Angeles with Chris Vrenna, who had also worked with Nine Inch Nails. However, Mandy Kane and the label both thought that the finished work had lost something in the re-recording process. While keeping some of the work, they commissioned Tony Espie who had worked with The Avalanches, New Buffalo, Architecture in Helsinki and Christine Anu to finish off the album at the Exchange in London. The album Tragic Daydreams was released on April 5 2004.
Warner released a series of singles from the album. The first single was called Stab, which is a statement against teen suicide, and made the Australian Top 20 singles in the second half of 2003. Billy Bones was the second single reaching number 36 in the ARIA charts. Billy Bones is based on a character who plays with fireworks in his bedroom like Kane played with his recording equipment as a teenager. The third single, Stupid Friday, was released in early March 2004 and made the Australian Top 40 on March 8 2004. Mandy Kane's cover version of "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran is on the soundtrack for Australian movie "One Perfect Day".
Mandy Kane has also performed live on numerous occasions. With original line-up expanded to include Zakk Zedras (Roxus, Serpentine, Red Circle to name a few) on guitar & Rie Nakayama on bass, he played a showcase gig at the Australian premiere of the Matrix Revolutions before an audience including Keanu Reeves. This line-up also performed as the support act for Marilyn Manson and Machine Gun Fellatio in the latter half of 2003, with Manson giving Mandy a parting gift of a bowler hat.
The album did not achieve the commercial success expected, so the contract with Warner ended. MK started his own label, Mummy's Boy Records and was offered a distribution deal by Warner.
Independent career
(UK) Hanky Panky
Mandy Kane now has his own label, Mummy's Boy Records, through which he released his first independent single, (UK) Hanky Panky as a digital download. It features on the EP, "Murder in the Daylight", which was released on the 8th of April, 2006.
Murder In The Daylight EP
Independently released on 10th April, 2006. Also available as an mp3 download, with a cover of The Psychedelic Furs hit "Love My Way" as an iTunes exclusive track.
- "Murder in the Daylight" (2006)
- Murder in the Daylight
- Celebrity Roadkill
- Glitch (from the short film 'Elevate')
- (UK) Hanky Panky
- Murder in the Daylight (Van She Tech Vocal Remix)
- (UK) Hanky Panky (STD Remix)
Far From Oblivion
Released as a digital single in May, 2008, MK also recorded an acoustic version as a B-side to the single, which some critics hailed as "proving this artist is a genuine talent".
Acting
Mandy Kane plays the lead role in a short film called "eleVATE", which he also scored and wrote the theme song for, titled "Glitch" (included on the Murder In The Daylight EP). The movie is about a man who has an unhealthy obsession with an elevator. Blink, and you will miss his cameo role in "BoyTown", an Australian comedy starring Mick Molloy with ensemble cast. He was also cast in a cameo role in "Dead Country", an independent horror film directed by Andrew Merkelbach as yet unreleased. In the film, Kane plays a dope-smoking zombie.
Discography
Albums
- Tragic Daydreams (2004) - #78 ARIA
- Murder in the Daylight EP (2006)
Singles
- "Stab" (2003) CDS - #18 ARIA
- "Billy Bones" (2003) CDEP - #27 ARIA
- "Stupid Friday" (2004) CDS- #32 ARIA
- "(UK) Hanky Panky" (2005) Radio/TV/Download - #27 on Channel [V] What U Want
- "Murder in the Daylight" (2006) CDEP
- 'Far From Oblivion (2008) Digital single