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The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Mason Jennings seeks musical zen

mason-jennings
Folk singer and acoustic guitar player Mason Jennings released two albums last year and will play at the Majestic Theater in Madison this Saturday night.[/media-credit]
Keep it real, be here now and live in the moment. Mason Jennings titles his songs just as he lives his life.

This folk rock musician effortlessly conveys to his fans they can love, lose and live, and that they might consider taking an interest in politics, pondering religion and maybe even moving to California. Jennings masterfully expresses his unpretentious life views through acoustic guitar playing and his sometimes clever, sometimes hilarious, but always touching lyrics.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Jennings first visited the state of Minnesota when he was a teenager. At this point, it would be easy to pull out a necessary clich?, and say it was true love at first sight.

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“It’s a rural place and has beautiful woods and lakes,” Jennings said in a recent interview with the Badger Herald. “It’s also got great theaters and venues. I fell in love with the Boundary Waters and the culture.”

Eternally inspired by the land of 10,000 lakes, Jennings now calls the city of Minneapolis his home, where he does most of his recording for Jack Johnson’s label, Brushfire Records. Over the past decade, Jennings has proven himself to be a matchless talented musician, writing all of his own songs and producing multiple studio – as well as live – albums. The process through which Jennings shapes his masterpieces is as authentic and raw as the music itself.

“I have a studio now, so I can flesh ideas out a little more,” Jennings said. “It’s given me a lot of freedom… It’s always evolving. It’s hard to know how it’s evolving because I’m so close to it.”

His loyal fans know what this evolution is all about, and have been following the rise of this musician as well as his melodies all across the United States. Jennings’ musical fire has always been stoked by his transnational voyaging, and as he tours more the inspiration he finds in travel continues to build.

“Places start to spin by,” Jennings said. “As I grow older, travel influences me to pay attention to the things that aren’t changing, the relationships in my life that are more important…the things that stay constant in my life.”

Infamously low maintenance and good-natured, Jennings simply goes with the flow. His albums have enough variety to keep his audiences intrigued, but have enough consistency to perpetually satisfy his oldest, most loyal fans. While Jennings’ album Birds Flying Away is more politically-minded – featuring a song memorializing the death of the late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone – some albums focus more on relationships and life changes.

“My songs follow my development as a person,” Jennings said, “always growing and changing… You can’t really steer it.”

The creation of each individual album is just as free form as his song-writing style. Jennings simply finds it easiest not to push or force things in this department.

“For me, it’s sort of like, I think, ‘Is this something I should put on a record?'” Jennings said. “It’s not a conscious shaping of what I’ll put on an album.”

Jennings isn’t easy to pin down. Even iTunes, the online music store, is unsure of how to categorize this musician, calling his music just plain “alternative.” For his female fans, who find him to be something of a heartthrob, Jennings may be considered a bit of a crooner – a man with his acoustic guitar, singing softly into your ear. It would be easy for him to merely settle into that stereotype, not pushing any boundaries.

But that is not Jennings’ style. As an open personality, consistently welcoming new ideas, Jennings has the same attitude toward his music as he does personal life, which he considers to be highly spiritual.

“I started meditating six or seven years ago,” Jennings said. “I thought it would help with anxiety… I wanted to deal with that without medication.”

A ritual before shows, as well as in his daily life, Jennings has found that meditation, as well as his perpetual search for a higher power, has eliminated his panic attacks. The practice has been a crucial element in his musical development, especially since he’s been on the road.

Jennings’ most recent tour continues with a stop in Madison Saturday night. This Midwestern man has always felt a fondness for Minnesota’s neighboring state, and is especially eager to visit Wisconsin as this year’s Super Bowl game approaches.

“I’m glad I won’t be playing in Madison on Super Bowl Sunday, though,” Jennings said with a laugh. “I can only imagine…”

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