Three Pianos: A Memoir

by Andrew McMahon

From beloved indie musician Andrew McMahon comes a searingly honest and beautifully written memoir about the challenges and triumphs of his life and career, as seen through the lens of his personal connection to three pianos.

Andrew McMahon grew up in sunny Southern California as a child prodigy, learning to play piano and write songs at a very early age, stunning schoolmates and teachers alike with his gift for performing and his unique ability to emotionally connect with audiences. McMahon would go on to become the lead singer and songwriter for Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, and to release his debut solo album, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, in 2014.

But behind this seemingly optimistic and quintessentially American story of big dreams come true lies a backdrop of overwhelming challenges that McMahon has faced—from a childhood defined by his father's struggle with addiction to his very public battle with leukemia in 2005 at the age of twenty-three, as chronicled in the intensely personal documentary Dear Jack.

Overcoming those odds, McMahon has found solace and hope in the things that matter most, including family, the healing power of music and the one instrument he's always turned to: his piano. Three Pianos takes readers on a beautifully rendered and bitter-sweet American journey, one filled with inspiration, heartbreak, and an unwavering commitment to shedding our past in order to create a better future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Music, Audiobook, Biography, Adult, Autobiography

240 pages, Hardcover

Published October 26, 2021

Reviews

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was outstanding in every way. I’ve followed his career since Something Corporate days, and reading his life poured out into a deserving book was pure poetry. The way he writes and phrases things have the power to take your breath away. So many times while reading this, I’d have to stop and reread a sentence or paragraph several times just to fully take in the sheer beauty of the words. This will go down in history as one of my all time favorite memoirs, and he has cemented an even more devoted fan in me.

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Andrew is probably my favorite musician, and I've been to 7-8 shows, so I definitely picked this up ASAP. I knew some of the big points of his story (the sequence of his bands, the early-adult cancer, the breakup/reconnection with Kelly), but I learned a lot of new things that really put his music in a new perspective. I appreciated how open he was about some of his struggles.

That being said, I didn't think the book was amazing. It took me a couple weeks to get through it, mostly reading a bit here or there before bed. There were interludes at the start of every chapter that were written in second person addressing the pianos (the titular three pianos that he used throughout his life). I found those to be a slog and rather over-written. He obviously has a wonderful way with words, hence his great songs, but in prose form it didn't work for me.

[MicheleReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all kinds of music. I'm especially drawn to singer/songwriters who share a apart of themselves in heartfelt lyrics. Growing up, there were several such musicians who made a profound impact on me. Jackson Browne tops my list. I raised my children in a home filled with music so that they would develop their own tastes and appreciation. My daughter fell in love with the music of Andrew McMahon. As I heard what sounded like some pretty great music playing from behind her closed door, I wanted to learn more. It didn’t take long to also become a fan, appreciating his moving lyrics, talent on the piano and enjoyable voice. Over the years, we have gone to McMahon's concerts together, which have been great bonding experiences. I’ve read many music bios over the years but it seemed a little early for a young musician such as McMahon to write his autobiography, as he has done with Three Pianos, but this man has lived quite a life so far.

Andrew McMahon does not hold back in this moving book. Raised primarily in Southern California, he overcame a difficult childhood and through determination and raw talent, he was able to make a name for himself starting with his bands Something Corporate followed by Jack’s Mannequin. But as his success was building, leukemia almost took it all away at the age of twenty-three. This life-threatening struggle has been widely reported about but here he shares some very revealing feelings. Being a survivor was not as easy as he made it appear in the public eye.

While telling this very personal, bittersweet story, McMahon writes of his connection to three pianos which have served him well. Fans of McMahon will devour this book but I hope that people who are not familiar with this talented man will check out the ultimately uplifting Three Pianos: A Memoir as well as his music. It’s been quite a journey for the indie rocker, who will be turning forty later this year. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.

Many thanks to Princeton Architectural Press, Edelweiss+ and Andrew McMahon for the opportunity to read Three Pianos: A Memoir in advance of its October 26, 2021 release.

Rated 4.5 stars.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.

[Jackalyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of the most infuriating reads for me this year because I really wanted to love it and I didn’t. Andrew spends a lot of time using poetic prose and vaguely dancing around topics, which is great for a song but it didn’t translate to a memoir format for me. Few books I’ve read use so many words to say so little, unfortunately Three Pianos falls in that category. I’m happy to add this to my collection of Andrew McMahon memorabilia, but I’m really sad to say I won’t likely crack it open again or recommend it.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was 12 years old when I saw “Punk Rock Princess” blare through the speakers of my black box television on Fuse and I knew I was witnessing something special. I immediately fell in love with Andrew McMahon’s music and have followed him and his journey religiously since.

First I highly recommend you watch the documentary “Dear Jack” before you read this memoir. If you don’t know Andrew, he has famously battled and beaten leukemia. It is a heart wrenching, brave documentation of the raw account of being sick, which he delves into in this memoir.

As a sick kid, I can’t express how much Andrew’s lyrics, specifically the Glass Passenger, have quite literally saved me. I've got “Swim” tattooed on my back. “Zombies on Broadway” was released in 2017 when I spent almost three months in the hospital, and it pulled me through one of the darkest periods of my life.

The writing in this memoir was INCREDIBLE. Whether or not you know Andy, you’re going to be impressed, and this is a must read. I appreciated getting to know his upbringing, past, and what makes him he who is. It was fascinating to learn of his childhood and the underlying struggles I had no idea he went through and how his entire family rallied to survive the trauma. It was an important and eloquently written testimony of how addiction can destroy those you love.

Of course, I loved seeing the journey of Andrew from Something Corporate, to Jack's Mannequin, to the self-titled Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. I've followed them all and love each one, but reading his evolution through each project was eye-opening and the fan in me couldn't get enough.

Regarding his health battle, I was a wreck. He even touched on overcoming his own dependence on opiates post stem cell transplant, which is inevitable when you find yourself in situations us sick folks do, and I myself have had to battle on more than one occasion. I related to him in so many ways, I empathized, I cried. If you've ever dealt with cancer, a terminal or chronic illness, you're really going to resonate with these chapters here.

I started this at 3:30AM and read it in one sitting. It was absolutely fascinating and I got more out of it than I ever expected to. A truly outstanding memoir, this is one you must add to your shelves. It touches on addiction, mental health, overcoming impossible struggles, and finding yourself.

I have never seen him in concert because EVERY time I’ve landed in the hospital when I’ve purchased a ticket. God willing, November 21, I’ll see him backstage in Atlanta, respecting him even more after reading this masterpiece.

Y’all know I always default memoirs to 5 stars out of respect, but this one deserves 100.

Thank you Andrew and Princeton Architectural Press for an ARC of this one. I can't wait for my signed copy to come in on October 26th on its release!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022: audiobook >>> physical book. narrated by Andrew + piano accompaniment at some parts. my review may be biased by being a longstanding fan of Andrew McMahon’s work + my own profession in oncology, but what a painfully honest & intimate memoir that read like song lyrics on the page. queue the entire something corporate/jack’s mannequin/AM library on repeat!

2025: re-listen hits all the feels post-soco reunion tour last fall 🥹

[Sarah Scaffidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up… I love Andrew McMahon and had Jack’s Mannequin lyrics as my high school yearbook quote, but this was a miss for me. I appreciated the insights into his childhood, but I wanted to hear more about his music and the bands. I also HATED the essays to his piano.

[✨Veruca✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who constantly listens to Andrew McMahon’s music, I know he can write, but this book made me really realize… damn, he can really write.

This book was honestly gorgeous. That’s the best way I’ve can describe it. I loved the journey through Andrew’s three pianos and his connections to all of them. Reading more about the stories behind his bands and songs as well as all the behind the scenes moments made me feel like I knew him even though I have yet to go to one of his concerts(May 19 can’t come fast enough!!). The story of his cancer experience struck a chord in me and was one of the most real things I’ve ever read. Overall, his writing about his cancer experience and survivorship had the same effect as Andrew McMahon’s music: it made me feel understood.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

20 years of being an Andrew fan... I could hear the songs threaded through these stories. <3

[Lina Conk · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For Years, I had wrestled control, let the wild wind carry me, but had lost my bearings in the sky. I let my cancer own me in the aftermath, as if it never left my body. All the gifts that had been given that had saved me from my sick days and my father’s addiction—my optimism and ambition, my dreaming and faith in song—I had relegated to a shadow, for fear they could be taken without warning. “

I enjoyed this memoir so much! I am going to be honest, I am typically not big on celeb memoirs. But sometimes I do find myself gravitating towards memoirs by musicians I love. I think because I am interested in finding out the inspiration and story behind their music.

This is such an honest and intimate memoir about the life of Andrew McMahon. He is rarely living life in a stand still, moving from one city to the next as a child and even as an adult always evolving. His music career began as a garage rock band to lead singer of the band Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin and then eventually to being a solo artist. This memoir discusses his father’s struggle with addiction and his battle with leukemia to dealing with the complicated emotions that can result from surviving such a devastating illness.

I loved how candid Andrew is in his memoir. He doesn’t sugar coat anything. He exposes both his fears and imperfections. The writing is beautiful and there were parts of the book that really felt lyrical and in some ways like a love letter. It was a great reminder that our adversities may shape us but don’t have to define us. We are free to evolve and with challenge can come triumph.

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is believed that the music of an individual’s late teen years is the defining soundtrack of their lives with a powerful psychological impact. My late teens and early 20s were spent obsessively following pop-punk and ‘emo’ bands: I was always the first in line in order to garner first row and the last to leave at the conclusion of the night having hung out with the bands and getting all the photos (in the film camera days) and autographs my little heart desired. I even dated many of these musicians, am still friends with them 20 years later and went on to work in the music industry for several years. One of my favorite bands at the time was Something Corporate (or, ‘SoCo’ to fans); a piano-driven pop-punk band headed by Andrew McMahon (later of his solo project, Jack’s Mannequin and currently Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness). I hung out with Andrew many times and still possess the photos and autographs to prove it. However, how much did/do I really known about McMahon other than artistically and his bout with cancer? McMahon lets fans into his private psyche in his debut memoir, “Three Pianos”.

McMahon stylizes “Three Pianos” chronologically split into three sections, or three pianos (hence the title) based on the correlating pianos at those periods of his life. McMahon goes as far as kicking off the text and each subsequent section with piano history blurbs while interspersing each chapter with overtures/epitaphs waxing poetic to an instrument. Perhaps this was a device meant to cultivate clever art and make “Three Pianos” stand out; but it is honestly odd and feels quite alienated from the memoir. It is certainly unnecessary and can be skimmed or ignored entirely without any loss of impact.

That aside, McMahon begins his journey exploring his childhood and the traumas resulting from frequently moving, a drug addict father and his years as an overweight teen. Unarguably, “Three Pianos” is beautifully written with a poetic, visual, literary description that puts most other celebrity memoirs to shame and reminds why McMahon’s music was so glorious and pivotal to pop-punk fans. Yet, there is something ‘flat’ and devoid of emotion in McMahon’s storytelling. One can declare events to be traumatic while writing with an illustrative flourish; but it can still fail to come across and truly be emotive to readers. This weakens the content as it simply doesn’t seem as ‘bad’ as McMahon’s spoiled whining makes it seem. “Three Pianos” is interesting, yes, but interesting enough to merit a memoir? That is debatable.

McMahon’s tone continues to sound immature as “Three Pianos” progresses and still holds back from genuinely letting readers into his psyche. This could be due to McMahon’s inability to open up and/or come to terms with his own life events; but then why compose a memoir? In fact, “Three Pianos” reads more like the routine therapist exercise urging patients to put pen to paper about their lives but without McMahon taking accountability. That is a central theme within “Three Pianos”: lack of accountability acknowledging his own hand in events.

“Three Pianos” often suffers from repetition in the points McMahon attempts to convince; but also leaving out important parts leaving readers confused and with unanswered questions. The pace of “Three Pianos” is clunky, slow and thin on the majority (there are ‘good’ parts, naturally).

McMahon’s “Three Pianos” noticeably improves when discussing the SoCo period of McMahon’s life and it is clear this is where he is most comfortable. However, fans hoping for gossip-y insight regarding his band will be disappointed (although it was neat learning what was happening in his life at the exact times I spent meeting McMahon). Much of the text focuses on McMahon’s excessive substance use; which like most other Hollywood memoirs: appears to be bragging rather than realizing the stupidity of his actions especially having an addict for a father. McMahon did a lot of drugs but is flippant about his behavior, mistreatment of others and instead humble-brags about his successes leaving a distasteful taste in readers’ mouths.

The pivotal climax of “Three Pianos” is McMahon’s battle with cancer and his survival. The pace quickens and McMahon is finally raw, open and reveals his inner thoughts and fears. If only the entirety of “Three Pianos” was this strong. McMahon, however, returned to substance abuse after his cancer survival which bluntly: is dumb and taking life for granted. McMahon never admits to this poor behavior in “Three Pianos”.

The concluding chapters return to the listless manner of the former sections and emerge stretched out as though McMahon was scraping for material and had to hit a certain word count. Despite this, the finality is strong ‘enough’; and conclusive. Unfortunately, “Three Pianos” strays from traditional memoir form and doesn’t include a section of photo plates/illustrations.

“Three Pianos” is well-written in terms of language but is one dimensional, whiny and makes McMahon unlikable as a person (I still like him as an artist but ‘meh’ as Andrew). “Three Pianos” is only suggested for huge fans of McMahon or SoCo nostalgia but doesn’t offer much to standard readers of celebrity memoirs.

Note: My rating of “Three Pianos” is 2 ½ stars. In lieu of half stars; I have rounded up to 3

[Marissa Benners · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Andrew McMahon fan knows Andrew pours his heart into everything he does and his memoir is no exception. His story is a love letter to the music that saves us and a powerfully rich and heartfelt story of family, fame, love, survival, and rebirth. My own story differs from Andrew’s in many ways but I felt a true sense of nostalgia reading Three Pianos.

I first discovered Andrew’s music as a 15-year-old experiencing love for the first time. While reading Three Pianos, I felt myself returning to the day I discovered Something Corporate as I heard “Down” resonating from my boyfriend’s headphones. That boyfriend is now my husband of 10 years and Andrew’s music has been the soundtrack to our lives from the moment we first fell in love. We had the honor of meeting Andrew at Warped Tour in 2008. We then traveled across Texas and Oklahoma to see him in concert many times and flew out to California for the first Something Corporate reunion in 2010. I walked down the aisle to an instrumental version of Cavanaugh Park and our first dance was to an acoustic version of “Swim”. We now have three children, including our third girl, who is named Cecilia. Andrew’s legacy has played an enormous role in our lives and this book now holds an equally precious place in my heart.

In his memoir, Andrew captures the poignancy and pain of family dysfunction and first love in an incredibly raw and realistic manner. While reading his book, I flashed back to my own experience of falling in love for the first time and then finding comfort in Andrew’s words and melodies when that love was crushed. Although I was sad to learn about Andrew’s heartbreak, it helped me understand why I related to his music to such an extreme degree. His songs already spoke to me but his description of the demons that haunted him during the songwriting process has given those songs even greater meaning.

The latter portion of the book is heart-wrenching but hopeful. I don’t want to say too much about this aspect of Andrew’s story because it truly is his story to tell. I will say that I was deeply moved hearing more about his battle with cancer and the recent portions of his life that I hadn’t been aware of until now. He has walked a long journey towards self-discovery and healing, which makes his redemption all the more commendable.

Andrew has always had an incredible way with words and he has managed to craft yet another beautiful work of art in the process of telling his story. Although it felt different reading his words in the absence of his piano, I could hear his voice and his music in my head as I turned from page to page. There are plenty of references to beloved songs within this book that any fan is certain to catch and appreciate. While long-term fans will likely find the most enjoyment from his story, I believe anyone can find inspiration in this book. Be warned though: You will fall in love with Andrew’s enrapturing writing style and his depth of feeling as he recounts his unstable childhood, rise to fame, dance with death, self-sabotage, and eventual triumph.

Thank you so much to Princeton Architectural Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley. It was truly an honor to read this book and I have already ordered my signed copy.

[Nick C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been an Andrew McMahon fan since the SoCo days but it was very difficult for me to make it through the book. He is honest and releases details not many fans would know, but the constant use of metaphors every other sentence drags along the story of his life that I wanted to hear. Additionally, the therapeutic italicized writings to his “three pianos” broke up the flow of the book, and were usually the points where I put the book down and hesitated to come back for more. I would recommend the book to fans of Andrew’s in a heartbeat, with the caveat that the writing style is off centered to what is anticipated.

[Lauren]

even more of a fan now 🥹👍

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

(CWs: substance abuse, addiction, cancer, mental health, depression)

This is, arguably, the most bias five star review I'll ever write. I've been listening to and following Andrew's music and career since I was 10 years old. I remember the day so clearly. I was watching fuse on summer day in 2002, the music video of a song called "If U C Jordan" comes onto my TV. As soon as the singer (Andrew) stepped on his piano in the video, I stared wide eyed and thought, "I immediately need to know everything about this band and make the music my entire personality for the next two decades." So here we are, following Andrew for 20 years and counting, reviewing his book.

I waited to read this for quite awhile, the main reason being that I wanted to wait until it was my turn to pick a book in my book club and force my friends to read if not just for the sake of more book sales for Andrew. My experience with this book and my friends's experience with this book were very different and it actually made for a lot of good discussions. They had no prior knowledge of who he is, and I very clearly do. My friends had very valid critiques of the book, primarily being, "This guy is kind of a huge piece of shit." at the beginning, which eventually wrapped into "I'm glad he's learning and growing." They also felt at times the prose was "extra" and his details were very dramatic, at times a little too flowery and dramatic. For me, this book was written beautifully. The words came alive off the page. This man has spent most of his life as a writer and musician; being good with words and heavy attention to certain details is what he's done. It's how he's always written his music, and it's how artists generally are. The book is written in three parts, a part for each piano. In between his telling of moments in his life, he occasionally write little blurbs to the piano he's talking to. It's a little strange and takes some getting used to, but I'd be remiss to say that I've never done that with objects that have meant a lot to me in my life. There was an intimate honesty in sharing those blurbs to the piano and felt like, at times like I was a voyeur looking in on something that was supposed to be private. That device in itself made me think about the dynamic between public personalities and fans. We, as fans, are not entitled to anything more than what is given to us, and for him to write so honestly and raw and to share that with the world is a big privilege, as it is for any kind of memoir. Turning moments of your life into a book for everyone to read is daunting, and I felt like the blurbs to the pianos reminded me that this is a real person with complicated emotions sharing the ups and downs in his life that most of us hide from random people in our life.

As the book progresses, he goes from reminiscing on his adolescence and the first part reflecting on his general immaturity at certain points in his childhood as well as the moments when he was forced to act way older than he actually was. The first section is rocky at times, but it just mirrors what he went through in those years. The second section is Andrew reflecting on a lot of trauma, broken relationships, cancer, and how he acts as a person. I'm not going to lie, there were moments when I was like, "Wow. You were not a great person here." And at the same time, I recognized that it takes a lot of therapy and a lot of deep self awareness to write that you were a shit person while also not really writing a redemption for yourself. Overall, I really liked this book. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and I'm more than happy with it. My friends did end up really liking how the book ended and reading his growth as a human page by page. I think the best memoirs remind you that anyone you could put on a pedestal stands on it with shaky legs, not really knowing how they got there and, at any moment, ready to fall. Andrew's book is so unapologetically human. It has a soul that's not so pure but is just trying it's best, exactly like the rest of us. And for that, I give it 5 stars.

I'll end this with a few quotes:

"I am nowhere near fixed and have stopped believing such a destination exists. Not for me anyway. So I do the work. I apologize when I can, I dispense forgiveness if I'm able, and, slowly, I clear the forest brush hoping for a quiet fire season and new growth in the spring." (pg. 221)

"Life is just a series of moments; the most consequential are often camouflaged in the menagerie. But some moments, however rare, dispense of protocol, stalling the clock hands just long enough to catalog the angles of a room, the language as it crashes and climbs. How lucky I was to be so alive, to have lived so hard, to love so much and have been so loved." (pg. 226)

[Nikki | Nikkimariereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. This book is beautiful and honest and raw. I don’t know why I’d expect anything different from McMahon given his songwriting skills, but this is the most beautifully written memoir I’ve ever read (without it seeming pretentious). Can’t recommend the audiobook enough because hearing him read these love letters to his piano hit you straight in the heart. One of my favorite books of the year!

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Andrew McMahon is one of my favorite artists. I knew I love his song-writing and have learned of his life through his music, documentary, and social media but wasn’t expecting such a well-written, honest, raw, and dare I say lyrical, reflection on his life. As a fan I was kind of hoping to get a little more about current day since there are about seven years and two albums missing, but they might be considered more ‘mundane’ than the journey through his youth. By the end he might not come off as exactly likable but it was refreshing in it’s honesty. Overall: really well-done.

[Melissa Klawans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Andrew McMahon and have been listening to his music for over half my life. Some of his songs are among my all time favorites. I definitely learned things about his childhood and upbringing, how certain songs came to be, and how the journey of his life has really brought him to the person and musician he is today. No issues there.

I just didn't feel like this was that well-written. It was overly flowery and metaphorical that honestly made it hard to follow. Obviously if you love Andrew McMahon and/or any of his bands you will love this book and the stories within. But for a casual fan (or not a fan at all!) I really think this memoir would not hold your interest.

[Nicole Bjorklund · Rating 3 out of 5]

It really kills me to give this three stars 😂😢 but I really didn't love this as much as I wanted to. I've been a fan of Andrew McMahon for nearly 20 years now, so I knew some key parts to the story, which I expected. There was definitely a lot I did not know already which was great, but the little blurbs addressed to the piano itself just kinda felt annoyingly pretentious to me. I didn't know whether to roll my eyes or laugh. Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan, but not my favorite memoir by a musician.

[Lianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 if I’m being generous. I’m a big fan of his music and it was fun to draw the connections between his songs and the parts of his life that inspired them. I found myself pulling up his song lyrics to read alongside the book. Overall he’s a much better lyricist than a prose writer; I found the book overwritten but I got used to it after a while. I think maybe a more successful format would have been a collection of songs/lyrics with accompanying narrative about what inspired them.

[melody]

to know me is to know my love for andrew mcmahon- he’s my favorite artist, i’ve seen him live 10 times, my old tumblr was named after his song, and his music was so formative to my adolescence and early 20s. i honestly put off reading this for so long because i thought i knew most of what he’d talk about (i have read his wikipedia an embarrassing amount of times probably), and also there was a period of time where i thought i’d moved on from his music (lol!). andrew’s lyrics and songwriting have always spoken to me and his writing felt similar, sometimes it was so beautiful but sometimes i was like maybe someone should have told him to write more clearly. i loved reading about so many people and stories that are referenced in his music, and i think it’ll mean even more to me when i see him again (seeing the same tour 3 times… lol). anyways andrew mcmahon i love you forever!!!!

and because no one asked, my top 10 songs from all of his projects:
- what gets you off
- cell phone
- MFEO pt. 2
- watch the sky
- the astronaut
- synesthesia
- caves
- dark blue
- high dive
- last straw, az

july book for the buzzword cover challenge!! includes technology (microphone)

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter introduced me to Andrew McMahon a few years ago. I am not into punk music or pop music, but I took her to one of his shows and he was wheeled out playing a grand piano. Totally cool. I love piano. I am more familiar with his music now and like more of it, so I listened to this audiobook.

He is lucky to be alive, and I am not just referring to cancer. He is lucky to still be married. I felt like most of the book I was waiting for him to figure out life. I would have liked more of his recent history, when he presumably was a little more stable, but he is honest about his own weaknesses and growth. Lots of life-pondering material here. I liked his perspectives on forgiveness and family relationships. His writing is impressive - he is able to communicate feelings well and concisely and with beautiful language.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had this book since it came out -which was at a time that I wasn’t big into reading- and while I remember starting it, I’m almost positive I never finished it. Andrew McMahon is one of my top 3 favorite artists of all time. I first heard Something Corporate’s “Watch The Sky” on a mixed CD my neighbor’s granddaughter made for me in middle school. And so began my love for music, a lifeline I have turned to every day since. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen Andrew live and I decided to read this before seeing Something Corporate reunite on stage next month. This book was just as captivating and beautiful as his music and I love this man even more.

[Nova Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dunno if you’d love it if you weren’t already a fan, but I love Jack’s Mannequin and I really enjoyed reading this. I’m impressed by the way his lyrical writing style translated to prose. The stories felt a little self indulgent at times, but what can you expect from an artist writing about themselves..

[Caroline Filley · Rating 3 out of 5]

i feel like i grew up to a soundtrack of jack’s mannequin (specifically the song dark blue) so this was a special book. i had watched the film he made during his cancer journey and overall was impressed by the poetry of his writing. only docking stars bc it was slow at times (i.e. him just repetitively talking about drinking/doing drugs on tour) but overall beautiful book. especially loved the audiobook with the piano tracks!

[Dylan Bekker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew McMahon is one of my favorite performers partially because he explains so much of the context behind his songs. I think my favorite part about this was understanding more of that. He’s gone through so much, partially his own fault and partially the fault of others, but I loved the ending so much as he learns to accept what has happened to him.

[Matt Knepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago, now, I was a big fan of Something Corporate and was devastated when Andrew McMahon broke up that band. Then, assuming his next endeavor would pale by comparison, I reluctantly gave Jack's Mannequin a shot. Eventually, I ended up enjoying that band's music even more than SoCo. And again, I was devastated when he broke that band up, too. Not surprising, I now find myself a fan of In the Wilderness. I expect, as with the previous two iterations, this will be my favorite of his bands. I guess, really, I am simply a fan of Andrew McMahon.

We have gotten windows into his life through his lyrics, his work with his Dear Jack charity, and the Dear Jack film. But in this memoir, he tells us stories behind the music, of his childhood, his three bands (so far), his family, and of course his successful battle with leukemia. Not your typical musician's autobiography, Three Pianos is divided into three sections, each centering around a piano that featured in that phase of his life. He even writes passages as if talking to each of those pianos. Andrew McMahon is open, honest, and emotional. Like his music, this memoir is so poetic and full of metaphors. His writing is lyrical...exactly what you'd expect (but don't always get in a different medium) from a singer/songwriter.

[Amanda Del Brocco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew is one of my favorite musicians of all time and I love everything that he creates. I've had the pleasure of seeing him perform live at least 7 times and loved every moment of the Instagram Lives that he has been putting on since the beginning of the pandemic. His music has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life from high school, through college, through my 20's, and now into my 30's. When I read that he was publishing a book, it shot to the top of my reading list immediately. And now that I've read it... I really appreciate the book because it was definitely enlightening and puts a whole new perspective on all of the music. I've been listening to it in a whole new light all week since finishing this book. However, I didn't love the writing in this as simultaneously felt stilted and too poetic.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andrew McMahon has been in a few bands. I am a big fan and took a shot on this one.

I…kind of liked it? Here’s the thing, memoirs are anathema to a history nerd. The subject is writing about themselves in a generally salacious way. Andrew is 39 and he seems to be working through some things. He’s in therapy and it seems like he is starting to see how he can be difficult with those around him. Also, he doesn’t spill the tea (as the kids say). He often glosses over big moments by not naming names or even naming the songs they inspire.

There is a germ of a very good biography here but written by McMahon everything kind of gets crushed by his overwrought prose and lack of distance from the material. He’s a good writer, but I don’t know that he is the best judge of his own choices.

If you love his stuff, you may like it. If not, I don’t think there is any chance you do.

[Valerie Hernandez · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry to be like this when it comes to memoirs or biographies because you're really judging someone else's life and it's horrible.
I have to start by saying that I loved Andrew since Something Corporate, loved his ability to reinvent himself in the music industry, loved his songs I think he's an excellent lyricist and musician, but as a book writer or at least this one wasn't for me.
It took me a long (long, long) time to finish reading it. The parts where he describes his relationship with the piano are very far-fetched and make no sense in the story.
I love Andrew and will continue to consume his music but this book was unfortunately a miss for me.