Willy Mason

eGigs gets to chat to a busy Willy Mason between shows at Jumbo and the Cockpit in Leeds.

How’s the tour going?

It’s going great.

Do you prefer touring with a band or solo?

For big venues a band is much better, but small solo stuff’s ok.

What music did you grow up with that influenced you?

From my parents it was Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, The Everly Brothers, Bessie Smith, Wayland Jennings, but I was listening to Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine, a bit of Radiohead and Talking Heads.

Was it your idea for the house tour of the UK? What was the highlight and low light?

Yeah, it took a while to talk the label into doing it but they did in the end. By the end of it I was pretty knackered because I was playing like every night for a month. It was a great time though, lots of good moments. Getting to see a bit of England outside the city centres, and hanging out with people and getting to know the areas and stuff. Got to see the countryside and eat some good meals.

The shows are mostly sold out, and there’s a lot of venues this time around; why do you think the UK can’t get enough of Willy Mason?

Well for the moment they seem to be into it, let’s see if it keeps up. It’s nice that they’re enjoying it.

Have you been to see any gigs over during this tour?

I saw The Noisettes before the tour started in London and I saw Nina Violet, whose in my band, play last night.

How did you get KT Tunstall on the new single ‘We Can Be Strong’?

I just asked her. We did a tour together so we’re kind of friends.

Your first album was recorded in no more than three takes. I guess with the inclusion of more instruments on this new record you could take a little longer?

Yeah, we took a lot longer to make this record.

You’ve toured before with Evan Dando; he played the Leadmill in Sheffield the day after you. Did you meet up?

No we missed him but we left a t-shirt for him.

If you could tour with anyone, who would it be?

Right now I’m having a great time touring with my band and Elvis Perkins [support]. If I really had the choice it would be Ray Charles, because he’s really good at putting on live shows, and people say that his band had some of the best sound you can get, because of the way they did things. I’d like to learn a bit from them.

What has been your favourite song to play live say, over the past week, as it must change.

I guess over the last week it’s been ‘Save Myself’, because the audience gets involved, and it’s one of the more confident, self-affirming tracks on the [new] record. It makes you feel good when you play it.

Your mum was at Glastonbury with you in 2005. Had any of your family been before?

No never. I don’t even know if they were aware of it, I think it was after their time, they were doing their own thing at the time, trying to get local gigs. I know they both had a great time.

You cover one of her songs on this tour. Did you have to flip a coin (mum or dad song), or is it your favourite track by a parent?

[Laughs] The thing is my dad’s got great songs too but my mum plays hers more often and she’s put out records. I already know her songs, so when it crosses my mind I can just play them. With my dads I would have to convince him to sit down and teach them to me, which takes some time.

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