Willy Mason

Casting himself as a classic rambling, dreaming, singer songwriter, Willy Mason grew up playing along to his parents' Bob Dylan and Jonny Cash records before discovering bands of his own generation such as Rage Against The Machine and Nirvana. Raised in a hippy community on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Mason was heard playing on a local radio station by a friend of Conor Oberst and, on the strength of his track Oxygen, signed to his Team Love Records label in 2004. The song became something of an anthem for Mason, reaching Number 23 in the UK charts as the 19-year-old toured Europe and America, sleeping in a van and playing wherever he could. Albums Where The Humans Eat (2004) and If The Ocean Gets Rough (2007) were lo-fi, homespun, folky affairs that showcased on obvious songwriting talent, delivered with a road-weary sneer; and he went on to feature on records by Lianne La Havas, The Chemical Brothers and Mark Lanegan. After a lengthy hiatus he returned in 2012 with third album Carry On (produced by Kylie Minogue's producer Dan Carey), and toured with Mumford & Sons, Ben Howard and Laura Marling.