Margo Mann – Shapeshifter
Naarm/Melbourne songstress Margo Mann returns with conflicted new single “Shapeshifter” – gut wrenching and liberating in equal parts.
Released today, “Shapeshifter” blends notes of cinematic piano, soaring guitar, and rich layered vocals, for a theatrical performance anchored in Margo’s emotional lyric. “Shapeshifter” explores the way we mask or change to make others more comfortable in our presence. Ultimately those small compromises cost us our relationship with ourselves, says Margo – “True intimacy lies in seeing and being seen, and in avoiding the risk of that, life becomes one long and lonely performance act. Shapeshifter charts the process of someone waking up from this conditioning, while not yet fully disentangled from it either”.
Initially written as a loungey jazz track with her full band, Margo flew the song to the South of France to workshop the arrangement with acclaimed producer Burke Reid (Courtney Barnett, Julia Jacklin, Jack Ladder). His less-is-more production approach allowed her to focus on the emotional core of the song, “he encouraged me to use less flourishes on the keys, and we lent into this simplified, more heavy handed playing style, tracking on the studio’s Steinway grand piano”.
Rooted in “a lot of late 90’s – early noughties LA chamber pop”, Margo pulls inspiration from all crafts and creative forms; referencing Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights to set a mood in the studio. The famous pool scene, soundtracked by “Spill the Wine” by Eric Burdon and War, was the creative spark that had drummer Oly Bugg jumping out of his seat, and taking to the drums with what evolved into “Shapeshifter’s” beat.
An artist with true intention and craft down to the slightest detail, Margo’s specificity as a performer pays off – “Shapeshifter: captures a true sense of resignation and despondence in the vocal, contrasted perfectly with a feeling of hope and potential in the instrumental. “The lyric “life’s not short it’s long”, is the anchor of the piece, the moment the meaning of the track clicks into place.”
“Shapeshifter” comes in follow up to Margo’s recent debut double single “Westgarth / Grace” which saw immediate praise for its “delightful theatricality” and “atmospheric story telling”. Wrapping itself around beautiful melodies and alt-rock rhythms, threads of melancholy fill crevices and moments of silence; through the storytelling, Margo Mann sets up a soundscape that feels lived in and inviting at the same time. A sense of realism and relatability that listeners may find comfort in or at the very least, can understand.
Margo Mann is the moniker of Naarm songwriter Taylah Carroll, a songwriter who redefines what it means to grow fully through your artistry. A powerful blend of evocative songwriting and cinematic sounds, Margo Mann tells a story of liberation, discovery, and reclamation of self.
Her work lives at the intersection of intimacy and other-worldliness – drawing on the theatricality of Aldous Harding, the layered seriousness of Paul Thomas Anderson films, the warmth of Fiona Apple’s sonic palette, and the production tapestry of Father John Misty, Danger Mouse, and Jon Brion.
Taking inspiration from her great-aunt Margot, a journalist who left the young artist a poignant message as a child (“…may you always believe in magic and learn to relish words…”), Margo Mann was born as a way to explore the duality of beauty and pain through a new lens.
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