CityLife

Farmer Mraz brings fruits of his labour to city

HOME ON THE FARM: Mraz

RARELY has CityLife come across an artist who, on paper, is as niche as Jason Mraz appears.

‘Jason Mraz is a skateboarding avocado farmer from San Diego,’ wrote our own Paul Taylor by way of introduction last year, which we have to admit we’d struggle to summarise more succinctly.

Intrigued and ahead of a gig to showcase tracks from his We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. LP, CityLife spoke to the Grammy-nominated man in question to find out more:

What’s it like being one of the music industry’s hottest properties right now?
I’m just a traveller. Because we move from town to town on a daily basis, we rarely get to revel in the hype. But it’s only good news. The shows are selling out across the board and that makes the live energy grand from the get go. And best of all, it means people still want to sing about peace and love.

Which music stars inspired you when you were growing up and why?
 I listened to the radio, so I was influenced by everyone from Michael Jackson to Milli Vanilli to Guns and Roses to REM. But thankfully my dad had a collection of Cat Stevens albums while my mom was listening to jazz. It was well-rounded enough.

What about contemporary music? Who do you like and why?
Bob Schnieder, a brilliant prolific songwriter based out of Austin. We play this song writing game together; he picks a word or phrase - like “trash” or something - and you have a week to write a song about that subject. There’s no win or lose, but if you don’t do it, Bob's going to say you’re a p*ssy. Nobody wants that.

'I’m Yours' seems to be a favorite for auditions on shows like X Factor and American Idol. Do you like these types of shows and why you think they are either adored or criticised in equal measure?
As a songwriter, you hope a song can become adopted by anyone. These shows are a great way to celebrate music and the joy and humor or soul it brings us. Criticising anything is a silly way to keep busy. 

There are many singer songwriters in the chart right now. What do you think sets you apart from them?
I am happy to be sharing this time in the history of life with everybody! There is no mountain to own. Everyone deserves a view.

What’s the best song you have written and why?
This week I’ve reconnected with a song called Unfold. It’s about letting go and bowing to everything that comes at you. Because we have such a rigorous schedule, singing every night, the songs become mantras and you want to play the music that thrills you on that day. Setlists will always vary as will favourites.

How would you describe your album to newcomers to your music?
I think it’s a colourfully acoustic ass-shaking example of love, life and relationships… with some badass horns.

What can Manchester fans expect from your live show on Friday?
Colourfully acoustic ass shaking and the sound of a few thousands voices singing together in perfect harmony. And doves. Millions of doves.

Jason Mraz plays Academy 1 on Friday, April 3. £17.50. Call 0161 832 1111.