Mark Mallman Explores James Dean's Need For Speed On "Stimulate" Single
MARK MALLMAN EXPLORES JAMES DEAN’S NEED FOR SPEED WITH HIS LATEST SINGLE “STIMULATE”
FEATURED ON THE POPULAR TIKTOK MUSIC HISTORIAN
11TH STUDIO ALBUM - MAGIC TIME - DUE OUT JUNE 27
VIA HYGH TENSION RECORDS
ANNOUNCES AUGUST LIVE DATES IN SUPPORT
STREAM VIA ALL DIGITAL PLATFORMS
New York, NY (June 17, 2025) – Acclaimed musician, author and TikTok historian Mark Mallman returns today with his high-octane single, "Stimulate." With it, Mark has announced a run of U.S. dates in August in support [all dates below]. The single is featured on his upcoming 11th studio album, Magic Time, due June 27 via Hygh Tension Records (TLG)/Virgin Music Group. Pre-orders for vinyl, CDs and exclusive merch are available now via Bandcamp. Watch + share the video via YouTube.
Discussing the origins of “Stimulate,” Mark offers, “I had originally written a different song about the relationship between James Dean and Maila Nurmi - who played Vampira on TV. Maila was really in love with James, but he was freaked out by her because she was too paranormal. I threw that song away because the whole story can't be written in a single rock song. That would be a whole concept album on its own. So I started thinking more about James Dean and the idea that he loved his car so much, he loved racing so much - but it’s what killed him. He did it to feel alive. He loved the energy. He lived so fast that it killed him. There’s this idea of death - how we become ghosts - and how the very thing that makes us feel alive is often what ends us. It's the happiest song on the record. Musically, it’s about dancing. It’s still weird, still unnatural, but it’s unburdened by strictness. It's the least paranormal song on the record, but it sure as hell is not normal!”
For the first 20 years of the 21st century, the legendary Mark Mallman is seen as a kind of urban myth — known for musical feats that straddle the laws of what’s humanly possible to channel stream-of-consciousness improvisations into finely crafted Glam and New Wave. Then, during the lockdown of 2020, Mallman reshaped himself as a storyteller for the world of TikTok. Today, he's well known as one of the most popular music historians in the vertical world. Millions of people have viewed his 1000+ videos [@markmallman].
What Gen Z would soon discover is that Mallman’s deep career spans far beyond the edges of a cell phone. He’s written music for Rick and Morty, General Hospital, and The Morning Show. He scored the zombie web series Bite Me 2 with Dick Valentine of Electric Six, and he’s composed for major motion picture trailers. His explosive stage presence and nonstop musical output have earned him features in NME, Wired, Pitchfork, and NPR. He’s honored with a star on the Minneapolis-famous First Avenue nightclub, where he’s been repeatedly named one of the Midwest’s best live performers.
Magic Time is a supernatural concept record chronicling the weird, gritty, and mythic reality of life as a touring musician in America. Blending horror imagery, cryptid folklore, and 25 years of van life, the record plays like a haunted mixtape of ghost stories and sonic spells. Songs reference Christopher Lee, Mothman, witches, and haunted streets.
“I was recalling this story of the Hotel Monte Vista in 2009 — drummer Aaron Lemay didn’t want to stay in the room they gave us because of a bad vibe,” notes Mallman. “Fourteen years later I found out that the hotel is actually haunted. I started thinking of how the music business is like a ghost story in a way. People had been asking me to make a concept album forever, so I chose to make ‘Magic Time’.”
Soon, the ghost songs came flowing. When he lived and recorded in the basement of an old church, the vision of a witch appeared in front of his face so vividly he ran out of the house. In another story, a playing card astrologer said his card was the 8 of Clubs. Days later, he found that exact card face-down in my junk drawer.
After three decades of fearless reinvention, Mark Mallman continues to redefine the boundaries of music, performance, and storytelling. His career path is as unconventional as the artist himself— an ongoing testament to the power of creativity, resilience, and relentless artistic reinvention.
Known for his legendary live performances, viral storytelling, and critically acclaimed discography, Mark Mallman continues to push artistic boundaries with music that is as thought-provoking as it is infectious.
Live Dates:
06/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Lucky Cat Records (Free In-Store Performance + Signing @ 2pm)
08/01 – Kansas City, MO @ Minibar
08/03 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
08/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Parkway Theater
08/29 – Detroit, MI @ The Ghost Light
Connect with Mark Mallman:
Website | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
