Willy Mason

Willy Mason entered the indie realm as a wry singer-songwriter whose sound evoked Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash while infusing the cynicism of grunge and punk, leaving listeners astonished that he was only 19. Born and raised on Martha's Vineyard, he absorbed his parents' affection for folk music from an early age. During his teens, Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine entered his orbit, their political and social messages striking a far stronger chord. He fused folk's gentler and more relaxed delivery with the rebellious stance of these new influences. Composition came readily, supplying the teenager with abundant original songs when a family acquaintance invited him onto a local radio program. Sean Foley, an associate of Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes, was driving through Cape Cod when Mason aired the track "Oxygen." Foley, immediately taken with the song, left his contact details at the station, which soon resulted in Oberst and Mason spending time together, sharing stages, and touring across America. A performance at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas drew only three people and appeared destined to flop until one of them identified himself as BBC DJ Zane Lowe. Lowe, equally impressed by "Oxygen," included it on his playlist after the song appeared on Mason's debut album Where the Humans Eat, issued by Team Love in 2004. Critics responded favorably yet expressed uniform surprise that such a literate performer and writer was still only 19. Tours supporting Rosanne Cash, My Morning Jacket, Evan Dando, Beth Orton, and labelmates Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins broadened his following and convinced Astralwerks to acquire the record. Astralwerks reissued Where the Humans Eat in early 2006, appending bonus tracks and videos. That year Mason assembled a band that featured Nina Violet and cousin Zak Borden. His sophomore effort, If the Ocean Gets Rough, surfaced in 2007, soon followed by a live appearance at the Austin City Limits festival. Two world tours had exhausted Mason by 2008, prompting a return to Martha's Vineyard where he performed only sporadically elsewhere. He reemerged in 2012 with Carry On, an album recorded in south London under Dan Carey's production and incorporating digital rhythm tracks alongside electric guitars.