Berklee Today: Aimee Mann '80
Aimee Mann '80
Photo by Steve Jennings
Whether her confessional lyrics are informed by events from Mann's own life, the lives of others, or neither, is known for sure only by Mann. What is known is that in her professional life, she has been vulnerable to the slings and arrows of the record industry. On the flip side, she has proven herself to be a formidable adversary who doesn't shrink from conflict. The David and Goliath-like battles between Mann and her foes at her former record labels (Epic, Geffen, Imago, and Interscope) raged over artistic control. Others might have decided to adjust their dreams and find a new line of work, but not Mann. The struggles reveal her to be an artist with a rare and deep conviction to her art. She spent a decade wriggling free from unworkable contracts, wrestling to gain ownership of her masters, and then went after Universal for releasing old demos without her okay. These days, Mann is calling all the shots, making music on her own terms, and releasing it on her own SuperEgo Records label.