Freshly Picked - Willy Mason

7 August 2010 by Max Easton

Can you really call a guy who supported Radiohead and played Glastonbury 'freshly picked?' Despite feats like those, I suppose you can. Hailing from New York and playing an interesting brand of minimalist folk, Willy Mason is a name that you probably haven't heard in a musical context. He had his 15 minutes of fame a few years back with the single 'Oxygen,' but it never really seemed to take off. Whether that was from a lack of marketing or the fact that Australian audiences are more familiar with Willie Mason the prop forwards is another story, this story, however, is about Mason as a great musician with a series of great stories to tell in traditional folk environs.

With two albums under his belt in 2004's 'Where the Humans Eat' and 2007's 'If the Ocean Gets Rough,' both released on Conor Oberst's label, True Love, Mason has an impressive set of songs sitting in his discography that are little short of fantastic. Both albums include tracks with personal tales of direction, life and philosophy. From wandering aimlessly through life watching his friends drop out of college to the natural philosophy inherent in 'Oxygen,' Willy Mason proves himself a superb storyteller with a great sense for a melody and tune.

Word is that he's not far off dropping a new album which, with a bit of luck, will result in an Australian tour off the back of it. So get your hands on one of the great couple of albums he's put out already and become a fan.

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