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Singer-songwriter and elder statesman of the New Zealand music scene, Wayne Mason’s road to fame began when at sixteen he ran away from home to follow his dream of becoming a musician.
Few New Zealand songwriters have left a mark quite like Wayne Mason. Best known as the writer of 'Nature' - voted New Zealand's greatest song by APRA members in 2001 (celebrating 75 years of APRA), Mason has spent more than six decades crafting songs that have become part of our musical landscape. From The Fourmyula and Rockinghorse to The Warratahs and an acclaimed solo career, his songwriting has earned the respect of audiences and fellow musicians alike.
After All These Years… What are these shows about?
It gives me an opportunity to trace my playing career from my early teenage years, through to the present day. Songs from bands I’ve been in, as well as new material from more recent times.
The shows are a collection of ‘me’. Music I’ve discovered from listening to artists like Johnny Clegg, Fats Domino and John Prine - it all seeps into my own style. It’s a mix of flavours with pop, country and folk influences. My latest band The Superheaters is known for plenty of grooves, with tinges of R&B and blues - all piano based. My latest song - ‘I Never Made It to Cuba’ is a New Orleans style song. In the past, after listening to musicians from the south of America and the blues and barrelhouse styles, I realised those influences changed my writing considerably.
He is one of Aotearoa’s best boogie honky-tonk piano players - raising the temperature with his high-energy driven style .
Mason has a gift for evocative language that builds landscapes of the human experience - giving voice to emotions we can all relate to.
“Mason’s lyrics trace so clearly the geography of the heartland as well as the heart; the melodies themselves feel elemental, as ageless as a sou’wester, as permanent as the hills.” Nick Bollinger - writer, broadcaster and critic.
I don't get to perform solo very often, so I'm genuinely excited for this mini tour. I'll be bringing this anthology of songs from my career, plus a handful or two of stories I've collected over the years.
Playing music, and listening to music creates strong memories in people’s lives. You can date stamp things through your career from what’s happened to you as a musician. It forms the chapters of your life - which I can call upon and share with audiences - which is very special.”
