Aimee Mann on her creative process

After legendary struggles with record labels, Mann took her career into her own hands in 1995 and went “indie.”     Since then, home recording technology caused an up-swell in the indie music scene’s cachet and many artists have followed in Mann’s footsteps making her business decision seem almost prophetic in hindsight.

Gene: would you walk me through your writing process?

Aimee: I usually just start with playing around on the guitar or the piano and if there is a little piece of music that I accidentally come across that I feel like has something to it, I will put it on tape and listen back to it later. Usually, I try to get a sense of what the music sounds like, the emotional tone of it, and come up with a story to match that tone.

Gene: Do you have a routine, a time of day, or a place?

Aimee: No, not at all. Months and months can go by without writing and then if I feel like it, I will sit down and get to work and immerse myself in it.

Gene: Why do you like doing it?

Aimee: It’s like a little puzzle. Being creative is very satisfying.