JASON MRAZ

Jason Mraz:
The Remedy For Today's Pop Music

It's been over a year since his debut album, Waiting For My Rocket To Come, and Jason Mraz is still diligently and patiently traveling all over the world to promote his record, which rose into the Top 100 on the Billboard 200 album chart. His ubiquitous single, "The Remedy," has also reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 Tracks chart.

That's not too shabby for this young singer-songwriter who used to entertain regularly at a small café in Mechanicsville, Virginia. His suburban roots have kept him grounded as the first traces of fame gently nudge themselves into his life – being recognized on the street, appearing on talk shows and touring with the likes of the Dave Matthews Band and Liz Phair.

He recently sat down with Playback and talked about the challenges of writing songs on the road, different inspirations for songwriting and why he admires artists like Bjork.

It seems like you're always on tour! Through all the chaos, where do you usually find yourself writing songs?

The best place is in the bathrooms at gigs where we're playing usually between sound check and show time I have about two to three hours just to chill. And I'll lock myself in the bathroom back stage. It's got great acoustics, and I know no one's going to bother me. I also still do my late-night shifts of writing to start planting the seeds.

What usually sparks your desire to write a new song?

Anything and everything. It's always exciting to complete a song and share it, so starting it is easy because you love that feeling of completing it. Gosh, I probably have a huge catalog of starter songs! "The Remedy" was a starter song for eight months before I ever even attempted to put a chorus on it.

You have a lot of romantic themes in your songs. Have you written a song recently about your love life?

Basically every song that I perform is based on a relationship. It's a relationship to somebody -- anyone who tugs on my heart, anyone who makes my brain spill out a phrase.

For the last year and a half we've been working the album and doing interviews. The only thing you end up in a relationship with is your career; and that just gets old. Most recently I started writing a song in anticipation of a new relationship. I met a girl couple of months ago, but I was overseas for a month so sometimes we couldn't get a hold of each other. A lot came out of that because I just couldn't wait to see her again. It's been a long time since I've really been in love, and I think I'm going that route with this girl.

How has your success affected your songwriting, if at all?

I was surprised by the hype with songs like "The Remedy." Success puts a heavier burden on your songwriting and your creative abilities. You need a lot more focus and a lot more meditation. It takes the right foods and the right amount of sleep to keep your body and mind sane.

You also have to keep in focus who you're writing the songs for and why. Are you writing songs to keep feeding the hype? The hoo-haa, my friend calls it. Or are you writing songs for the same reasons you've always written them ‚ because you love doing it and because you can tell certain messages in songs that you can't tell people directly.

So how do you think you've grown as a songwriter in the past year?

I pay attention to formula, which is bizarre. I never used to do that. I used to be like anti-formula! Just let the song come out! But eventually songwriting formulas kind of grow on you. It's like okay, I've have had enough of the verse. The emotion should lift up, and you end up telling a story. You have rising and falling action. It's the same way that there's a formula to writing a novel or telling any story.

I'm a lot more educated, but at the same time I still don't know what I'm doing. And I don't want to know what I'm doing because I want to keep that unknowing. I think that's what makes people unique.

Who was the last artist you saw in concert?

Bjork. She's clever. She lives the music. She lives the art. When she's making a product, whether it's acting in a movie or writing a film soundtrack or whatever -- she just goes for it! She puts every ounce of thought that needs to go into it, and doesn't waste any bit of energy or sweat. I admire the heck out of that.

How do you think you're applying that same theory with your own career?

I'm just learning now how to balance work with art. I've got my own space on the bus where I've got my recording gear, so when I'm traveling I'm not wasting time. I've got all my toys -- everything I need if I want to start working on a song. I have tons of notebooks, and the computer's always ready to go.