Aimee Mann

About Aimee Mann

For more than forty years, Aimee Elizabeth Mann has been a significant voice in American music as a singer and songwriter. Her extensive catalog, spanning over a dozen albums both solo and collaborative, is characterized by sharp, intelligent lyrics that tackle weighty themes with a wry perspective. Her collaborations with producer Jon Brion in the 1990s left a notable imprint on the landscape of American alternative rock.

Before embarking on her solo journey, Mann was a fixture in the 1980s music scene. Following stints with bands like the Young Snakes and Ministry, she joined forces with others to form the new wave group 'Til Tuesday. It was during this period that she penned their hit single "Voices Carry," which climbed into the top ten in 1985. 'Til Tuesday produced three albums before disbanding in 1990, paving the way for Mann's individual artistic pursuits.

Her debut solo record, Whatever, arrived in 1993, followed by I'm With Stupid in 1995. While both albums garnered critical praise, their commercial performance was modest, leading to friction with her then-label, Geffen. Broader acclaim came through her significant contributions to the soundtrack for Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 film Magnolia. Her song "Save Me" from the movie earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal. When Geffen declined to release her third solo album, Bachelor No. 2, Mann took matters into her own hands, launching it in 2000 on her independent label, SuperEgo Records. This release was met with critical triumph and impressive sales, solidifying her reputation as an artist capable of sustained success outside the mainstream record industry. Since then, Mann has released seven more solo albums. In 2014, she joined forces with Ted Leo for a collaborative album as the duo The Both. Beyond music, Mann is also a visual artist, creating paintings and comics, and has made appearances in various film and television projects such as The Big Lebowski, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Steven Universe, The West Wing, and Portlandia. Her accolades include two Grammy Awards, one of which was for Best Folk Album for her 2017 release, Mental Illness. In recognition of her songwriting prowess, NPR and Paste both named her among the greatest living songwriters in 2006.