It all began with a book that, like a faded, wrinkled treasure map discovered in a dusty attic, inspired Michael Whiteman and I Am The Manic Whale to undertake their latest musical adventure. The quartet’s fourth and latest album, Bumper Book Of Mystery Stories, grew out of Whiteman’s love of tales of the uncanny, inspired by the 1963 The Boys’ Life Book Of Mystery Stories.
“I found a copy of that in a spooky, dusty second-hand bookshop when I was a teenager,” says Whiteman. “It’s probably a bit dated now but I’ve always loved reading ghost stories and spooky stories. I found the book again a couple of years ago, re-read it and thought this would be a great theme for an album. We already had a couple of songs
