Here’s the latest single from Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Mason Jennings. Jennings lives in Minneapolis, and If was written in the aftermath of the ICE occupation and murders earlier this year. The song poses a series of questions in an absorbing conversational, intimate style. Though the questions are simple, they are direct, deep and thought-provoking, leaving you with the sense of being immersed in something profound: “If you had one life // Just one life // And it wasn’t the life you wanted // Would you still live it? // If you had one dream, just one dream // And the dream became a nightmare // Would you still dream it?” Jenning’s understated vocal performance pulls you into these ideas and subtly confronts you with big, challenging questions.
Directed by Regan Hagar, the video intersperses footage of a human life developing with natural images, like sprawling trees, flowers blooming and bursting open. It’s a powerful artistic statement in itself, and one particular image lingers: the sprawling tree overlaid by the head of the unborn child, a delta of blood vessels matching the broad spread of tree branches.
This is the second single from Jennings’ brand-new album, Dark Wings, just released on Stone Gossard’s label, Loosegroove Records. Remarkably, this is his 18th studio album. Developed with drummer Scott McPherson, it’s a collection of songs that rejects easy answers and embraces more challenging themes, from childhood scars to dark thoughts, trauma to political division. Jennings says: “These last couple years have been destabilizing and challenging for most of us. In times of stress and grief and anger, I continue to turn to, and have great faith in, the Creative Spirit and the power of hope and love in the human heart. That’s what this album is a result of and a testament to.”
The recording environment and approach were unusual; while Jennings was on tour, he returned roughly once a month for sessions with McPherson and a rotating team of artists. He explains: “Dark Wings was a new kind of approach for me. My drummer friend Scott McPherson, who has played with everybody (Elliott Smith, Beck, M Ward, She & Him), had a studio space where his company McPherson Goods made bags and clothes. It was a Willy Wonka-type scene with all sorts of vintage instruments, machinery, antiques, and folk art. Scott decided it would be fun to try something different, so he had his engineer friend Aaron Featherstone bring in his studio gear, turning the shop into a temporary recording studio. The vibe was cool. Once we started tracking, I was stoked on Scott’s production and Aaron’s engineering, so I kept writing without ever having a clear intention for what we were creating. Scott is friends with tons of musicians, and he invited a great cast of characters to come play on the songs. My favourite tracks from these sessions ultimately became this album.” The level of collaboration and the magic of capturing unexpected magic in the moment has led to a finely crafted and expertly performed album. Check it out.
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