MAN LEE, the Brooklyn-based rock band born from the crossroads of I-95, makes a striking debut with their single "Party Favor," a track that captures the disorienting essence of a party that’s both starting and ending simultaneously. Formed by Sam Reichman and Tim Lee, the band’s forthcoming album, Hefty Wimpy, is set to explore surreal soundscapes and intimate reflections, produced by Lora-Faye Åshuvud and mixed by Jonathan Schenke. Catch MAN LEE live at Pete’s Candy Store on September 22, and stay tuned for their album release in early 2025.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
Tim and I are the songwriters and namesake of the band. I'm the MAN (Reichman) and his last name is LEE. We thought it was fitting because, as a pair, we are anything but. And so much of our writing is about expectations of self and of others, and manliness is one of those core concepts that is mired in expectation. We began writing separately, and then together, while living between Richmond, D.C, Baltimore, and Brooklyn—ultimately finding our collaborators New York. We have three other bandmates who, along with our producer Lora-Faye Åshuvud, helped bring the whole record to life.
First concert that you ever went to?
I absolutely cannot remember the name of the band, but I went to see my best friend's older brother play some punk show at the Recher in Towson, MD. What a time. I just remember experiencing that kind of audience participation for the first time and eating it up. I barely registered the music.
What's your writing process like?
We spend months purely generating before any editing or arranging happens. We'll pass phrases or melodies or beats back and forth until something sticks and then start to build the world around that.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
When I say "inspiration can come from anywhere," I mean it in the truest, Spongebob-imagination-meme sense. In the case of "Party Favor," we found that my incorrect pronunciation of Hungarian words actually offered a cadence that felt right for this song. We really leaned into that, and apologized to Tim's Hungarian family later.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
Absolutely not! Many of our songs are naturally different live and it's more fun that way.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? worst shows?
Not yet! But playing more locally in Brooklyn. Our next show is at Pete's Candy Store on 9/22.
What's up next for the band?