Who wouldn’t daydream about a time when fun was as simple as chasing after an ice cream truck or giggling over a clown’s silly tricks? Childhood was carefree, full of laughter and simple joys. Clowns, with their painted-on smiles and colorful costumes, were the ultimate symbols of fun and laughter. But as we grew older, our perception of clowns has probably changed. Suddenly, we realize that these smiles and witty jokes could be masks—facades hiding deeper thoughts and emotions. Mark Mallman’s latest release, Clowns, dives straight into this idea, peeling back the layers of what’s usually seen as fun and playful, revealing a raw, more complicated truth behind that big red nose we all enjoyed watching at some point.
With Clowns, Mallman steps away from the expected, offering a minimalist track that digs deep into his ironic nickname, Mr. Serious—a title so off-base that he even named his best-selling album after it. “I always tell myself I’ll be serious on stage,” Mallman confesses, “but I never make it through without cracking a joke. It’s a way to cope with the darkness of my lyrics, I guess.” For someone whose music often plunges into themes such as existentialism, humor becomes more than just a break; it’s a lifeline. It’s his way of balancing the weight of his songs with something a little lighter, something to soften the edges for both himself and his audience. You could call it a smart coping mechanism, but what’s remarkable is Mallman’s self-awareness and his ability to powerfully express such vulnerability through a simple chord progression that’s coupled with a beautiful strings’ melody. So simple yet he manages to make it extremely powerful.
The inspiration for Clowns isn’t just philosophical. Mallman pulls from a vivid childhood memory where, at a parade, a clown tossed bags of candy to the crowd. Mallman found himself fighting his way to the front, only to catch a bag of dog food. “Why was a clown throwing dog food at a parade? I’ll never know,” he jokes. That moment, much like clowns themselves, highlights the absurdity that can lurk behind what’s supposed to be funny. It’s this contrast that Mallman weaves into Clowns—how humor can both reveal and conceal, offering a shield for a vulnerability that people often miss or misinterpret as simply “funny.”
Piano-driven and emotionally charged, Clowns marks quite a stylistic shift for the artist. He opts for a minimalist direction, offering his audience a truly raw release. Sometimes the most complicated of emotions are best expressed in the simplest of ways—because there simply aren’t enough words or perfect expressions to capture them. Clowns showcases Mallman at his most stripped-back yet, offering a glimpse into the complexities of fun, pain, and everything in between. He reminds us that while clowns may bring laughter, they can’t always hide what’s really going on behind the mask. There is always more to the heart than what the mask
