Mandy Kane

Mandy Kane is an Australian singer, songwriter, producer and remixer. Mandy has been on the Australian music scene for over 9 years.

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) and 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 5 April 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 8 March 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 8 April 2006.

Murder In The Daylight EP

Independently released on 10 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)
  1. Murder in the Daylight
  2. Celebrity Roadkill
  3. Glitch (from the short film 'Elevate')
  4. (UK) Hanky Panky
  5. Murder in the Daylight (Van She Tech Vocal Remix)
  6. (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".

Touring/Live performances

Mandy Kane spent his teenage years on the live circuit both as a solo performer and with various bands. After signing to Warner, he put together a live backing band which consisted of Rie Nakayama (bass), Matty Ray (keyboards), Zakk Zedras (lead guitar) and Nick Cunneen (drums/percussion). With this band, he has toured with Marilyn Manson and Machine Gun Fellatio, as well as his own headline tours. He performed at the Australasian premiere of "The Matrix Revolutions" at Sydney Opera House, in front of Keanu Reeves and the Wachowski Brothers.

In 2005, he put together a one man electro show, playing at some of Melbourne's indie clubs, before being invited to showcase at NxNE in Toronto, 2006, where he received excellent reviews.

The demands of his production work necessitated a break in his live shows in 2007/2008, although he has performed the occasional acoustic show in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane during that time.

Most recently (2009), Kane has toured Australia acting as support for electro legend Gary Numan. Gary Numan and his producer/keyboard player Ade Fenton, also released a hit remix of Mandy Kane's song 25 Seconds, introducing a heavier and more synth aspect to it.

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" (despite being top-billed in promotional material), an independent straight-to-DVD horror film directed by Andrew Merkelbach. 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

External links

• Mandy Kane Official Site
• Mandy's Official MySpace
• Mandy Kane Backstage