Mason Andrew Freak: a life as he remembered imagining it

 Thirty six years old and one of the strangest artist on the scene of junkies and weirdos. Nihilistic and a professional optimist. Mason Andrew Freak has consented to an interview the first in nearly half a decade. Under the condition that it was done over email here are seven questions with Mason Andrew Freak.

Any music in the works?

Drew - “not at the moment taking a sabbatical to replenish my health physically and mentally. Had a rough go the last couple of years nearly derailed the project with all the bad luck and darkness surrounding my life. I want to find a new direction but at the end of the day there are only so many ways to rock n roll. So probably not going to reinvent the wheel with whatever comes next.”

how is Pink Alice after her failed attempt at pop stardom?

Drew - “She is doing well. It’s harder than she thought to be the front person interviews a such and the singles did not perform the way she hoped. But I will say she is one of the best bass players in the business. And the drummer I am working with Jacks Mulholland is like a drum machine in how efficient he is in the attack. I think drums are the defining characteristic of rock n roll only one who really pulled boom bap sound was Steve albini with big black. Just grateful to have the opportunity to work with someone who can carry a groove chase you like train with pummeling double bass.”

What are currently listening to?

Drew - “Jack White solo albums have been a favorite as of late. Always into the stranger Tom Waits stuff and the replacements. But bread and butter rock music is my kick lately. I not a traditionalist in the way I feel music does always change but there is the difference between a spider and a scorpion, you know? Rock is guitar and drums. There is great music that is not rock… but it’s not rock.

Any tour dates on the schedule?

Drew - “no. I am still banned in Knoxville and the last tour was a headache. When your stuck a bus with three other people you go kinda crazy. I miss Japan, and I long to tour Europe again but we been just hanging out in the mansion we have dubbed Grim-Metal-Bedlam.  Trying to build our own studio so we can improve. The sand some of the rough edges off. We’re not going commercial I just would like to not have that be the one critique leveled at our albums. Great songwriting horrible productions and mixes.”

Can you talk about the metamorphoses that happened since sewn among thorns?

Drew - “yeah I got a little more confidence the reception to that album has been interesting.  I had avoided straight forward rock music for over a decade mostly because that was the obvious choice to me and what started as a way of reimagining my life fundamentally changed I kinda actualized the blurring of my internal life and the objective one.”

Can you talk about your songwriting process?

Drew - “the melody’s came from decades of improvised music on tape recorders and over a thousand songs. I then collaged all those melodies together making new tracks rewriting lyrics and I finally quit resisting my urge to use open tunings mostly open C and open D-minor. Everything after fifteen years of pain started making sense.

Why don’t you include the lyrics with he releases?

Drew - “a combination of them being to personal and a belief in my heart in what you hear is what you heard. Change is natural process. I have rewritten elements of those songs three or four times. And collaged just as many songs together to make a new song. You cant b precious one must keep moving forward.”