Remembered chiefly for the solitary success of their single “Voices Carry,” ’Til Tuesday began as a new-wave pop outfit before becoming primarily a showcase for Aimee Mann’s compositions. Arriving late in the new-wave era, the Boston quartet enjoyed an early commercial boost from a sleek video for “Voices Carry” that quickly established itself as an MTV staple. Yet the band proved unable to replicate that breakthrough; subsequent releases met with public indifference and scant critical notice alike. By the time Everything’s Different Now appeared as their third album, chart prospects had vanished, although Mann’s material had already attracted a devoted following that encompassed artists such as Elvis Costello. With that album’s commercial failure, the groundwork was laid for Mann’s transition to a solo career.
After attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Mann—handling vocals and bass—immersed herself in the local punk community, performing first with the Young Snakes and then with an early version of Ministry. In 1983 she assembled ’Til Tuesday alongside her then-boyfriend Michael Hausman on drums, keyboardist Joey Pesce, and guitarist Robert Holmes. The group gigged throughout the Boston region and, the following year, prevailed in a battle-of-the-bands competition sponsored by a local radio station, after which Epic Records extended a recording contract. By the sessions for their 1985 debut, Voices Carry, Mann and Hausman had ended their relationship; its emotional aftermath informed much of the album’s material. Several months after release the record gained traction when the title track reached the Top Ten, while the album itself climbed into the Top 20. Around the same period Mann began a widely publicized romance with songwriter Jules Shear.
The band returned promptly to the studio for Welcome Home, issued in fall 1986. The album yielded modest chart entries with “What About Love,” which peaked at number 26, and “Coming Up Close,” yet neither became a substantial hit. Pesce departed soon afterward and was replaced by Michael Montes; guitarists Jon Brion and Clayton Scoble also joined the lineup. Concurrently, Mann’s relationship with Shear ended, precipitating a period of writer’s block that eased only after she began collaborating with Elvis Costello. Costello contributed to one track on ’Til Tuesday’s third and final album, Everything’s Different Now, released in 1988 and largely shaped by the aftermath of her breakup with Shear. Although it sold less than its predecessor, the record drew favorable notices that highlighted Mann’s maturing songwriting.
Following the release of Everything’s Different Now, ’Til Tuesday disbanded. Mann soon became entangled in contractual disputes with Epic that postponed her solo debut until 1993, when Whatever appeared. The album garnered strong critical acclaim and sustained a loyal cult audience for Mann throughout the 1990s.
