Creativity After Hours (Jack Mangan of SLAM)
Jack Mangan shares his journey from musician and early podcaster to founding SLAM (Support Life and Music), a nonprofit tackling mental health in the music industry. We also explore his time in the metal scene, writing for the Metal Hall of Fame, and interviewing legends like Mike Nelson and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
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Transcript:
Mike: Hey Jack, how are you?
Jack: Hey Mike, how are you doing?
Mike: Good, thanks. It's a pleasure to meet you in person. It's funny—we’ve been in similar circles for years, but I don't know if we’ve ever actually met.
Jack: Yeah, I don't think so. Maybe we were on opposite sides of a mosh pit once. But it's great to finally meet. I really admire your work. And of course, our mutual friends are great. I know we joked about gossiping about Dani Cutler, but there’s really nothing to say—she’s just wonderful.
Mike: She really is. For context, Dani has actually been on Creatives Prevail a few times, so shoutout to her! She was the one who recommended I bring you on. And honestly, anyone she recommends is an automatic yes—but once I looked into your background, it was a no-brainer.
Before we dive into everything you’re doing now, I noticed you’re a musician. What was your first instrument? Do you play multiple?
Jack: I do play a few, though I’m not sure if this one counts—I was the snare drummer in my middle school band.
Mike: That counts.
Jack: I was the world’s worst drummer. My aunt even got me a full drum kit, but I had no idea what I was doing. Around age 16, I started playing guitar—left-handed, actually. Quick PSA for all the lefties out there: just learn right-handed. Trust me. Your options will be so much broader.
I found an old acoustic guitar in the attic—probably my dad’s—re-strung it, and taught myself to play. I've played ever since. We have a keyboard at home that I dabble with, mostly thanks to my daughter who takes lessons. I also own a bass, though I won’t claim to be a real bass player. I’ve recorded some basslines, but that’s about it. Much respect to actual bass players.
Mike: Did your passion for music start with drums in middle school, or did it come later?
Jack: It really started with Columbia House—those 12 cassettes for a penny offers. Fourth grade. Def Leppard’s Pyromania album was a big one for me. That’s when it became more than just liking songs on the radio. It became a real passion.
In high school, I worked at Sam Goody—so, yeah...
Jack: So working at Sam Goody, I met a guy who said, “Hey, come jam with a friend of mine.” That led to us forming a band under the name Matt Mango, named after the main songwriter. Funny story—we were all broke, but Matt had money. He said, “I’ll fund the studio time, but I want the project under my name and to make the final calls.” We were like, “Sounds good to us.”
So we co-wrote songs and put out two albums. After I moved out of state, there was no dramatic breakup or anything—he kept making music on his own. It was a great experience, and I still record low-fi home demos from time to time with a USB mic.
Mike: That’s awesome. You clearly have a deep connection to music that’s stayed with you, even outside of performing. And beyond playing, you’ve also written about music—for Metal Asylum and the Metal Hall of Fame. Did you start writing as a kid too?
Jack: Yeah, I was a geeky kid who loved writing. I read Tolkien and always imagined I’d grow up to be a novelist. And oddly enough, I sort of did get known for my first novel through podcasting.
There was a little bit of music journalism in my early podcast days. My first podcast was Deadpan, and one of my very first guests was Jennifer Batten—Michael Jackson’s guitarist. She was amazing. I also had Rusty Cooley, who wrote for Guitar World and was once named the seventh-fastest guitarist in the world.
Mike: You had Jennifer Batten and Rusty Cooley on your early podcast?! How did that happen?
Jack: One of the guys from the Matt Mango band, Rich Catino, was doing Metal Asylum. He asked if I wanted to write reviews, and though I didn’t have much bandwidth, I said sure. That evolved into more involvement, and through Rich, I met Pat Gesualdo from the Metal Hall of Fame. I’ve since contributed there too, and even helped at the events—moving stanchions one minute, writing features the next.
Mike: That’s wild. But wait—did I hear you say Mike Nelson from Mystery Science Theater 3000 was also on your podcast?
Jack: Yep. Second episode.
Mike: WHAT?! I’m a huge MST3K fan. I need to hear that episode.
Jack: He was great. Super nice, exactly like what you see on screen—funny but grounded. I had initially reached out for a small skit idea when he wasn’t doing much, and he politely declined. Later, when I launched Deadpan, I tried again and he said yes. I was floored.
Mike: That’s incredible. Especially considering how early in podcasting that was—people didn’t even know what it was back then.
Jack: Totally. This was 2004–2005. I was also doing skits for another podcast called Dragon Page, and the people behind it—Evo Terra and Michael Mennenga—were early pioneers in the podcast space. Evo actually encouraged me to start podcasting fiction, and that’s what launched my own show.
Eventually, they formed a network called FarPoint Media, and they invited me to be part of it. That gave me more credibility, which helped when reaching out to high-profile guests like Neil deGrasse Tyson. I had him on twice.
Mike: That’s amazing. So FarPoint Media helped open a lot of those doors?
Jack: Yeah, it sounded more legit when I could say I was part of a media group. People weren’t asking for your download stats or analytics yet. So when I reached out to PBS to get Neil deGrasse Tyson on the show, I pitched it as a FarPoint Media show—and it worked.
We even had a PR person in the group who helped line up guests like Jennifer Batten and Rusty Cooley. It wasn’t that I was chasing down huge names—it was just the right timing and right connections. The podcast world was so new, people were willing to try it out.
Mike: Totally. It’s funny how many people think podcasting started in 2010 or something. But back in 2005, I was downloading shows on my iPod Mini!
Jack: Right? We were podcasting before it was a thing. And the community felt small and genuine.
Mike: So how long did Deadpan run?
Jack: A pretty long time. I actually had a target endpoint: episode 288. It was a running joke—we said we’d stop when the show got “too gross.” Not even a good joke, but it stuck. I think we ended up going past that a bit, but that was always the goal.
Really, I stopped because life changed. I didn’t want to keep going just to keep going. The show had a loyal following—we even had meetups where listeners came in from the UK, Canada, all over. But I knew it was time to wrap it up while I was still enjoying it.
Mike: That’s such an important call to make. Knowing when something has run its course—even if it’s something you love—is part of the creative journey too.
Jack: Absolutely. And to be clear, I wasn’t burned out. I was still having fun. I just felt like I didn’t have much new to say with that particular show. I didn’t want to force it or let it become a slog.
Mike: So during all of this—music, podcasting, writing—you also had a full-time job. In IT, right?
Jack: Yeah. I’ve worked in QA engineering for years. And before that, my first nonprofit job was with Easterseals New Jersey. To be honest, I took it because it was time to move on from my last role, and a friend helped connect me to the job. But I’m really proud of the work I got to do there—especially helping build a women’s shelter.
That experience gave me a lot of admiration for the people doing the frontline work. Even though I was in IT, I’d be in the same training rooms as people dealing with mental health crises or helping those with severe challenges. It gave me a foundation I still lean on today.
Mike: So in a way, that nonprofit thread was already part of your life long before SLAM.
Jack: Yeah, exactly. And while I was doing music, writing, podcasting, and working full-time, I was also raising a family. That was the most important part of my life. So I guess you could say I was living a triple life—family first, day job second, creative third.
Mike: That’s a great way to put it. And it’s something I think a lot of creatives can relate to—that it’s okay to have multiple things going on. Your creativity doesn’t have to be your day job.
Jack: 100%. But it does take a lot of energy. Now that I’m older, it’s a little harder to stay up late writing or editing and then get up early for work. But I’m still grateful for the experiences. Whether it was photo pits at concerts or writing reviews at 2 AM, it all meant something.
Mike: So that brings us to SLAM. Tell us what it stands for and what inspired you to start it.
Jack: SLAM stands for Support Life and Music. It’s a 501(c)(3) nonprofit I launched in January 2025—so we’re only about four months old as of this recording. I incorporated last summer and set everything up with a fiscal sponsor, The Funding Studio. Huge shoutout to them—they’ve been incredibly helpful.
The mission is to raise awareness around mental health in the music world—substance abuse, suicide, depression. For too long, we’ve just accepted that “artists suffer.” The 27 Club. The tortured genius myth. We want to change that narrative.
We want to offer resources, encouragement, and visibility—so musicians know they’re not alone. That there’s help. That people care.
Jack: So SLAM is still very new—we just launched in January—but we’ve already got some good momentum. I was actually at NAMM this year, talking to people about SLAM and the work we’re doing. Not in an official booth, just roaming the halls and sharing the message.
We’re starting with what we call SLAM Summits—video panels and podcast conversations under the umbrella of Artist Voices. Some are full interviews, others are short clips or written pieces. The idea is to bring in musicians and creatives to talk about mental health in an honest but hopeful way.
Mike: I love that. It’s such an important topic, and I appreciate the way you’re going about it—sharing these stories in a way that’s uplifting rather than bleak.
Jack: Yeah, that’s key. We want to talk about serious stuff, but not in a way that brings people down. One of our early guests, Mark Lopes, said something that stuck with me: “I hope other musicians see this and know they’re not alone.” That’s it. That’s what this is all about.
Mike: Absolutely. And that tone—serious but optimistic—is hard to balance, but I think you’re doing a great job.
Jack: Thanks. I also had guests like Kevin J. Anderson and Kathy Rankin on a summit where we talked about grief, creativity, and our shared love of Rush. It was personal, moving, and full of laughs—exactly the mix we aim for. It’s about emotional honesty, not gloom.
Mike: What’s next for SLAM? Where do you hope to take it?
Jack: Right now, we’re focused on continuing the Artist Voices series and growing our audience. It’s something I can do with very little money—just my time, some tech, and help from friends. But long term, we want to expand.
We’ve got fun ideas for fundraisers, some of which are already in development. And we’re looking into offering more direct services too—resources, peer support, maybe even access to counseling. But I want to be clear: I’m not a therapist. I know what I don’t know. We’ll bring in licensed professionals when the time comes.
Mike: That’s such a smart and respectful approach. It’s about creating a safe and supportive space while staying in your lane.
Jack: Exactly. And to build sustainability, we’ll need more funding. I’m not here to ask for money right now, but for anyone who believes in this mission, we’d love your support. We’ve started calling our donors “SLAM Club” members. Even small contributions can help keep this going long-term.
Mike: That’s incredible. Definitely keep me in the loop—I’d love to support however I can. Okay, a few fun wrap-up questions. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Jack: Whitesnake, with Great White opening. Outdoors. It rained on us. But yeah, not a bad way to start!
Mike: That’s awesome. Do you have a go-to artist you’re listening to right now?
Jack: Oh man, too many. But I’ll give you two: one is NITE—spelled N-I-T-E. Super melodic metal band with a gravelly-voiced singer. I’ve been obsessed. The other is Erik Satie, a French composer from over 100 years ago. His piece Gnossienne No. 1 is hauntingly beautiful. I’ve been seeking out every version of it I can find.
Mike: That’s such a cool mix—metal and classical. Totally makes sense.
Jack: Yeah, metal comes from classical. Most people don’t think about that, but the structures and techniques definitely overlap. And honestly, metal musicians are often the kindest people you’ll meet—then they go onstage and become absolute beasts.
Mike: Last question: if you could give one piece of advice, what would it be?
Jack: Persist. No matter how hard things get, just keep going. You’re not going to feel better overnight, but a better day will come. And if nothing else—persist for the next hug, the next amazing meal, the next great song or movie or book. Persist for you.
Mike: That’s beautiful. Thank you again so much for being on the show, and congrats on launching SLAM. I’m excited to see where it goes from here. We’ll have everything in the show notes for people to check out.
Jack: Thank you. I think you’re doing something really important here too. I appreciate the chance to share my story—and thanks for the great questions.