We’ve teamed up with Brooklyn heartthrobs and LGBT activists Manic Pixi for the track by track of their sophomore album, Iron Heart. Manic Pixi’s signature heavy-hitting pop-punk remains alive and well, but it is alongside a palpable maturation from lyrics to dynamic to dynamic influences within the instrumentation. This album literally has it all.
TRACK BY TRACK
“Newly Ordered World”
“Newly” was such a fun collaborative song to write! I started writing it on bass and then sent a poorly played bass demo to Emmett and he sent me back a full band mockup. The song has that peppy poppy vibe but it’s actually about a doomed relationship. That’s my humor. I make fun of myself and how blind I can be when I love someone.
“Iron Heart”
I friggin’ love this song. Emmett wrote most of the music but the guitar work, which is such an integral part of its impact, is all Marshall. He wrote the riff that hooks you in! Iron Heart is about not letting toxic people in. Sometimes people don’t know what they want out of you and mess you around. I think part of growing up is discovering that you have no room in your heart for that behavior.
“Childhood Self”
“Childhood Self” is a confessional song. The lyrics address the anguish that comes with following your dreams. This life that my friends and I have chosen, can torture you. There’s obviously the struggle of income, but it’s beyond that. There’s this idea of success we hold in our minds and it can be corrosive. “Childhood Self” is about pursuing a passion that gives you very little comfort and no guarantees.
“Pearls”
“Pearls” may be my favorite song on this record. So much of that is because of the way it was arranged. The hits in the first verse are so satisfying and I love the shout chorus. “Pearls” is about how I always fall in love with women who aren’t sure what they are looking for. I also have an Achilles’ heel for straight women.
“Finding Water on Mars”
Marshall is a genius. He wrote this interlude inspired by our song “Laughing.” It’s so sonically pleasing. To me, it replicates the dreamy quality of “Laughing.”
“Laughing”
“Laughing” is definitely our magnum opus. A piece of each of us is in that song. You can hear Marshall, Emmett, Drew and Kat. In MP, we usually have a point person for each song. Marshall pitched wrote the hooky riff first. But we really attacked it as a team. The lyrics address a relationship that I was in where my partner was struggling with mental health and how heartbreaking it was to feel like she couldn’t let me all the way in.
“While My Parents Are Sleeping”
This song was such an outlier. When we started working on the record, we did a group pitch of song ideas. I had sent this one to Emmett on a whim and he came back and was like “This belongs on Iron Heart.” I was shocked that everyone in the band agreed. But now I can’t hear the end of Laughing without wanted WMPAS to come after. It’s a reprieve.
“Your Poetry Is Failure”
“Poetry” combines so many genres. But it doesn’t feel cluttered or egregious. Emmett crafted a beauty of a rock tune. I love how it starts hooky and poppy but ends up really progressive. “Your Poetry Is Failure” is about someone who acted like a teenager even though they should have been acting like an adult. You meet a lot of people in music who act unprofessional. This person wasted a lot of my precious time.
“Dredging”
This song is my emotional kryptonite. I couldn’t stop crying between takes. I love that we kept the verses simple. We could have added more musical ideas but it felt like the song needed the space to carry the message. It’s about how tragic it is that when romance ends you can also lose your friend. How strange it feels to have a relationship be over and have nothing left behind.
“Adult Self”
As you can deduce by the title, this is a part II to “Childhood Self.” We contemplated doing a Brand New style big outro with all the trimmings but I’m really glad we kept it acoustic. It’s a beautiful calm after the storm and a nice summation of the Iron Heart journey.
Purchase Manic Pixi’s Iron Heart here: Bandcamp | iTunes
Manic Pixi:
Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
