About Brent Mason
Brent Mason rolled back into Saint John NB in the spring of ‘92, after several years roaming North America in his best imitation of Jack Kerouac, riding his thumb and working carnival midways in Canada and the US. With a fistful of songs born out of an ‘On The Road’ ethos, and a burning desire, Brent recorded his first ‘singer/songwriter’ album. A true early indie effort, Head for the High Ground set a long and vital career in motion. Brent performs innovative original music with insightful powerful lyrical content.
In Spring 2020, Brent will release his 11th album, ‘Fireflies’, continuing a commitment to honest, provocative and often beautiful songs that has earned him international respect. He’s been called “the David Adams Richards of New Brunswick songwriters” by Brent Staeben, Artistic Director of The Harvest Jazz and Blue Festival.
Brent has been nominated for and has won several East Coast Music Awards and Music New Brunswick awards including Folk Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. He is also the youngest recipient of the Stompin’ Tom Award for his contributions to Atlantic Canadian music traditions.
In winter 2020, Brent went on his 3rd Home Routes tour in support of his record in British Columbia. It’s a testament to his significant songwriting and storytelling abilities that Brent has been chosen 3 times for this coveted, juried circuit. Brent has also toured across Canada, the UK and Beijing.
Brent is regularly invited to local stages including Harvest Jazz and Blues, Stanfest and many other festivals and music events in the region. In his hometown Saint John, his Wednesday nights are legend, hosting O’Leary’s Open Mic Night. 25+ years at this regular gig has earned him the moniker “Godfather of the Saint John Music Scene”. He’s co-written several recorded songs with award winning artist, Jessica Rhaye, and conducts songwriting workshops in schools throughout the province.
Brent is also a published writer and filmmaker whose conceptual mini-series “Grave Concerns” was picked up by CBC and broadcast nationally. These artistic “crop rotation” techniques into other genres finds Brent working on stories and word craft that informs his writing across the board.
After 10 albums and thousands of performances, Brent is a unique performer, combining humour, spontaneity and intriguing, compelling storytelling. Brent’s shows are entertaining and memorable; he takes audiences on a wild ride from tender sweetness and a deft touch with troubled characters, wry observations on politics, to spitting anger at the unjust forces that twist our world.
With his latest release ‘Fireflies’, acclaimed Saint John songwriter and musician, Brent Mason continues into his third decade of penning songs that are inspired by the world he sees around him. Including his East Coast Music Award nominated love letter to the Wolastuq (St. John) River Songs, Brent’s 10 previous albums contain a poetic and unflinchingly honest catalogue of songs. Brent Staeben, Music Director of The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, calls Brent “the David Adams Richards of New Brunswick songwriters”
‘Fireflies’ is a 10 song collection that was written in a 3-month period in the World’s Smallest Studio: a re-modeled chicken-coop on Brent’s own property.
On his new album ‘Fireflies’, Brent takes risks, trying new approaches to vocal presentation, guitar playing and new genres. You’ll find sweet gentle folk tunes, country’n’ blues, some forays into heavy rock and even some swampy reggae-tinged rhythms around his words.
Critics are noting that Brent is reaching new heights with vocals, sounding more comfortable and smoother than ever before. Relaxed and confident in his role as a senior ambassador of the NB music scene, ‘Fireflies’ is the work of an old hand who is still willing to be brave enough to grow.
Produced by Grant Heckman and Tim Davidson, ‘Fireflies’ takes Brent Mason in bold new directions, incorporating horns, some heavier tunes, and some sweet folk, all with the great lyrical content we’re used to.
In a career spanning 2 handfuls of strong albums, with ‘Fireflies’, Brent Mason finds new heights!
“Brent sings with an unparallel confidence and ease on his new record. His songwriting is nothing short of inspiring on Fireflies - lyrically rich with an uncanny wit, musically adventurous and compelling. It’s rousing roots rock, soulful Canadiana with (WOW moments) as on the Reggae feel on one of my favourite tracks ‘Frogs In A Pot’.”
* Brent is a director on the board of Folk Music Canada, served on committees for the East Coast Music Awards, the Canadian Country Music Awards and the Canadian Folk Music Awards, as well as the National Juno Advisory Committee for Country Music.
History & Achievements:
• New Brunswick Writers Federation 2020 - Short Fiction Award - (Root Cellar)
• New Brunswick Writers Federation 2020 - Single Poem Runner-up - (Heart of the Harp)
• Best of Saint John 2017- Male Artist of the Year
• Music New Brunswick 2017 Nomination - SOCAN Song of the Year (Song In Me - cowrite w/ Jessica Rhaye)
• Saint John & Area Music Awards 2016 - Solo Artist of the Year
• Music New Brunswick 2015 Nomination - SOCAN Song of the Year (When Jesus Met Whiskey)
• Music New Brunswick 2015 Nomination - Solo Artist of the Year
• Music New Brunswick 2015 Nomination - Folk/Roots Album of the Year (All The Pretty Horses)
• Music New Brunswick 2012 - Folk/Roots Artist of the Year
• The Originals 2010 Popular Music Award, Canada’s Cultural Capital celebrations in Saint John New Brunswick
• "River Songs", album inspired by the St. John River, was featured on most-watched episode of Land and Sea in 2009.
• ECMA 2007 Stompin’ Tom Award for contributions to Atlantic Canada’s musical traditions.
• "Angel on the Tree" was licensed for the CBC TV documentary - The Paramount
• Original soundtrack & host for Grave Concerns, a nationally broadcast CBC TV series
• Songwriting workshops in regional high schools
• Concerts/Workshops in Beijing, China
• Lyrics from the song "Deep Woods Off", a composition about the lumberjack days in New Brunswick, is featured in NB elementary social studies textbooks.
Past Performance Highlights:
• Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
• Tay Creek Folk Festival (headliner)
• Bonfire Festival (headliner)
• Stan Rogers Folk Festival
• Paddlefest
• Markham Village Fest
• Larlee Creek Hullabaloo
• Floodstock
• Shivering Songs Festival
• Rising Tide Festival
• Home Routes Tour of Northern Alberta
• Concerts/Workshops in Beijing, China
• UK Tour (Village Pump and Warwick Festivals)
• Host of longest running "Open Mic Night" in Canada (over 1000 shows)