Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness

Fans of those bands would know McMahon by name, of course. But he’s always performed behind a name other than his own. His newest musical incarnation, Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, is a radical reinvention for the artist into his real persona.

“He wanted to give his fans the best of both worlds,” his agent, Josh Humiston of APA, told Pollstar. “Instead of performing songs from Jack’s Mannequin or Something Corporate, his set includes songs from both along with his new material.  This new show has material from his entire catalog.”

Which is not to say he’s killed off either of those other projects – in fact, he’s regrouping with members of Jack’s Mannequin for a short tour commemorating the 10th anniversary of Everything In Transit. But, as McMahon says, “I prefer keeping my focus in the present.”

The present includes his good health. About a month into a tour with Jack’s Mannequin in support of Transit, the artist discovered he had acute lymphatic leukemia. Fortunately, his sister was a match for a bone marrow transplant and the disease was successfully treated.

“He’s doing great, been in remission for [about] a decade, and healthier than ever,” Humiston said.

McMahon holed up in a cabin in famously bohemian Topanga Canyon, Calif., to write new music, which became his first, eponymous album of piano-based, electro pop that many critics have described as among the best music of his career.

“It’s a new band and a new sound,” Humiston said.  “Unlike past projects, there’s no guitar and he’s added a synthesizer, which brings a whole new dimension to his performance.”

McMahon recently completed a 33-city tour with New Politics, and has a clutch of holiday season radio shows coming up. Humiston says McMahon and his team are looking to support a major tour in 2016.