Willy Mason

4/23/09
Hometown: Martha’s Vinyard, MA

Rock history is filled with American artists taking the long way around, building an audience overseas and then attempting to translate that success at home. Some make it, and some don’t. The jury remains out on Willy Mason.

Born to folk singers on Martha’s Vineyard, Mason knocked around that island with an assortment of local bands before recording his own material. Mason’s music was heard on a local radio show by a friend of Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame. Oberst signed the still teenaged Mason to his Team Love imprint. An e.p. and touring followed with Mason forging a sizable cult audience in the UK. His first album “Where Humans Eat” also appeared on Team Love in America and Virgin in Great Britain.

Willy continued to concentrate his efforts overseas, gaining notoriety for his tour of homes throughout the UK. Fans could request Mason for a show at their house. Those performances created great word of mouth, and the album sold well into the six figures.

Astralwerks stepped in stateside for “If The Ocean Gets Rough” in March of 2007 and Mason shared the stage with Pete Townshend at South By Southwest that month.

Mason has left Astralwerks and is mulling plans to release future titles independently. He joined us at Relay Recording as he was passing through Ohio on his way to a gig in Louisville. We’re glad he stopped.