Andrew McMahon, 'Learn to Dance' Song Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Published: April 26, 2013
Frank Maddocks
Who: Former
Jack's Mannequin and
Something Corporate frontman
Andrew McMahon
What: "Learn to Dance," a track from Andrew's forthcoming solo EP,
The Pop Underground
The Roundup: "'Learn to Dance' was the first song recorded for
The Pop Underground and in many ways it set the tone for the EP's subject matter, as well as our approach in the studio," Andrew tells AOL Music.
The singer explains that initially the writing process got off to a rough start.
"I had just finished a really inspiring two-day writing session for another artist and went out to celebrate with some friends," he says. "We ended up watching the sun come up despite the fact I was scheduled to meet a young producer in the morning to begin work on some of my own material. I spent the first half of the day hungover, hitting dead ends, working on a song I had written prior."
With a different mindset, Andrew found the inspiration to write the track, which reflects the lessons he's learned from the past.
"Mark, the producer I'd just met, finally said, 'I think we should write something brand new.' He put up a beat, and it brought me out of my fog," Andrew says. "I laid down the simple piano line you hear in the intro and this boozy, regretful lyric. It quickly turned into flashbacks from my childhood and glimpses into the future. In a lot of ways it's about finding forgiveness and learning how to acknowledge the past in a way that lets you live in the present."