Mason Jennings

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Mason Jennings
Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Blood of Man
  US 147 October 03, 2009 (1 week)

Mason Jennings (* 1975 in Honolulu , Hawaii ) is an American singer-songwriter . The Minnesota resident singer-songwriter Jennings is best known in the US for his simple and haunting melodies, intimate lyrics, and political and literary topics, which he presents with his dark tenor voice. His songs can be found in the surf film " Shelter ". Jennings is married to Amy Turany Jennings and has a son August (born January 2003).

biography

Born in Hawaii, Jennings moved his family to Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania at a young age . At the age of 13 he learned to play the guitar and began to write his first own pieces. After dropping out of school, he traveled to the United States and finally ended up in Minneapolis to pursue his musical career there.

In 1997 he produced his self-titled debut work on a 4-track recording device in the basement of his rented apartment and played all the instruments himself.

Jennings began performing weekly with drummer Chris Stock and bassist Robert Skoro in October 1998 under the name "The Mason Jennings Band" at the "400 Bar" in Minneapolis. The growing local media coverage and the increasing number of fans prompted the band to tour USA-wide. With the exchange of Stock by the jazz drummer Edgar Olivera and occasional guest appearances by the saxophonist Chris Thompson, the sound spectrum was further deepened.

The 2000 album Birds Flying Away reveals Jennings' penchant for political activism and his propensity for narratives about rural characters. After the album was released, Noah Levy took over the drums.

In 2002 Jennings released the studio album Century Spring and a collection of acoustic rarities Simple Life . An EP for the album Century Spring included the opening track of the album Living In The Moment, two other live tracks and the previously unreleased song Emperor Ashoka . In addition to the new albums, Jennings released his previous records on his own label "Architect Records".

In 2003 Skoro and Levy were replaced by bassist Chris Morrissey ("Bill Mike Band") and drummer Brian Mcleod.

On February 10, 2004 Jennings released the album Use Your Voice , which u. a. included the songs Keepin 'It Real and The Ballad of Paul and Sheila , a funeral song for Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone. Keepin 'It Real was reportedly written at the request of the producers of the film Shrek 2 . On September 30, 2004, the band released a DVD called Use Your Van , a documentation of the recordings for Use Your Voice and the subsequent promotional tour. The DVD was filmed by Andy Grund.

On June 17, 2005, Minnesota's largest newspaper, The Star Tribune, published an announcement that Jennings had signed with the major label “Glacial Pace” (part of Sony's “ Epic Records ”). Allegedly “ Modest Mouse ” front man Isaak Brock (founder of “Glacial Pace”) convinced Jennings after “The Mason Jennings Band” opened several concerts for “Modest Mouse” in 2004. Jennings had long avoided the big music corporations in order to meet her own desire for artistic freedom.

On May 16, 2006 Jennings released the album Boneclouds for the label "Glacial Pace". The album was recorded at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota with producer Noah Georgeson. Before the recordings, the drummer Mcleod left the band to join the Minneapolis-based hip-hop band "Atmosphere". David King, drummer for the band "The Bad Plus" jumped in for the recordings.

In October 2006 the EP If You Need A Reason was released with the tracks If You Need A Reason , Sacred Place , Fighter Girl , Boneclouds and To You .

Discography

  • 1997: Mason Jennings
  • 2000: Birds Flying Away
  • 2002: Living in the Moment EP
  • 2002: Century Spring
  • 2002: Simple Life
  • 2004: Use Your Voice
  • 2004: Use Your Van DVD
  • 2006: Boneclouds
  • 2006: If You Need a Reason EP
  • 2008: In the Ever
  • 2009: Blood of Man
  • 2010: The Flood
  • 2013: Always Been

Members of the Mason Jennings Band

The Mason Jennings Band began playing in October 1998.

Current members

former members

  • Brian Mcleod - drums (2003-2005)
  • Noah Levy - drums (2000-2003)
  • Robert Skoro - bass (1998-2003)
  • Edgar Olivera - drums (1999-2000)
  • Chris Stock - drums (1998-1999)

swell

  1. ↑ US chart history

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Jennings, Mason
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American singer-songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH 1975
PLACE OF BIRTH Honolulu , Hawaii , USA