About this artist
Within a year of releasing his breakthrough gold single “Cecilia and the Satellite,” singer/songwriter Andrew McMahon headed to New York City and found himself overwhelmed with new inspiration. “I’d write all day and then go out at night and experience the city in a way I never had before,” says McMahon, who’s lived in Southern California for over two decades. The songs took on the mood of what my life felt like in that time, everything from a beautiful sense of celebration to being completely exhausted and wondering when I was going to come up for air.”
Zombies on Broadway, the second album from Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness echoes that emotional scope with a selection of songs both powerfully life-affirming and closely attuned to everyday tension and pain. The album’s brightly textured alt-pop builds off the anthemic yet nuanced sensibilities shown in McMahon’s 2014 eponymous debut, revealing a new level of sophistication and insightfulness within his songwriting. And thanks to McMahon’s intimately detailed storytelling and knack for crafting transportive melody, Zombies on Broadway ultimately creates the feeling of being wholly immersed in the kinetic energy of New York City. Mainly produced by Gregg Wattenberg (A Great Big World, Goo Goo Dolls), Zombies on Broadway was also made in collaboration with producer/songwriters such as Jake Sinclair (Sia, Matt Nathanson) and Tommy English (BØRNS, Ladyhawke). For McMahon, forging those new creative partnerships went a long way in expanding his artistry and charting new sonic terrain throughout Zombies on Broadway.
Raised on the East Coast and in the Midwest, McMahon began writing songs at age nine, drawing inspiration from singer/songwriter/pianists such as Elton John and Billy Joel. While still in high school, McMahon co-founded an early incarnation of pop-punk band Something Corporate, whose 2002 major-label debut hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart. In 2004, he formed Jack’s Mannequin and then—on the cusp of releasing the band’s 2005 debut—was diagnosed with leukemia at age 22. Eventually fully recovering, McMahon went on to release two more studio albums with Jack’s Mannequin, in addition to composing songs for the NBC series Smash (an endeavor that earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 2013) and established The Dear Jack Foundation one of the first Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) specific cancer foundations which advocates for and supports initiatives that benefit AYAs diagnosed with cancer. In 2014, he released Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness which featured the gold certified single “Cecilia and the Satellite” a Top 5 hit across both Alternative and AAA radio, Top 10 hit at Hot AC and also climbed up the Pop chart. McMahon lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 10 years Kelly and their daughter Cecilia, for whom the hit song was penned.