Our friend Kei Akiyama took the time to interview a couple members of the Square Pegs. We’ll reproduce one interview today and another tomorrow. Today’s interview is with the Chris Mason in Nashville who doesn’t play in net for the Predators.

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background in music, and your career now.

Chris: Hi I’m Chris. I started playing and writing songs when I was in college in the late 90’s. Somewhere in there I decided I can try and maybe do it for a living. Got out of college in 2001 and started making records and touring around and playing. That’s about it. Playing as many shows as I could.

That’s cool. It’s good to see you mature in the music sense. You are now involved with the SquarePeg Alliance right?

Chris: Yep.

What is the SPA?

Chris: Um, its really just a group of friends, we’ve all been friends for a long time and so the SPA is something that was already there. We just put a name to it. We’re all involved in each others lives and songwriting. We used to get together, a small group of us and kinda bounce song ideas off each other. Its really just kind of a support group. We’re in each others corner and trying to spread the word. We’re a community of artist, we run into each other and enjoy each others music.

Has being involved affected your song writing in way, make you want to write better? After all its gotta be encouraging to be surrounded by great singer/songwriters.

Chris: Well yeah! We get together and share songs with one another and that is always challenging. To hear what others were working on and it would encourage me to go back to the drawing board. So yeah it has encouraged me to write more.

How would you describe the camaraderie between all of you 13?

Chris: We’re all big fans of each others’ music, um some of us hang out more than others because of touring and schedules. It’s a decsent size group, but we’re all friends so it’s a great support system.

Are there any plans of touring as a group as a whole?

Chris: Not that I know of. But for example, when Andy P and Jill go out, that would be a SPA tour, or any two or three go out, that would be an SPA tour. It’s not necessarily a corporate thing.

How about a compilation album or a sampler cd?

Chris: We’re trying to figure that out now. We did a “scientific study” on SPA.net by saying, hey would you buy a record with a bunch of songs we already recorded, or one with new songs. It came back and most folks wanted new songs. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It would be easier to do songs we already recorded, but we’re rethinking that. Also an idea we’ve been tossing around is that each of us doing somebody else’s song. Like a cover record.

That is a great idea. That would be a hit.

Chris: That was Osenga’s idea. I think it would be great. I would love to do that. It would be a compilation worth buying.

What other ways are you guys planning to raise recognition about SPA?

Chris: Its really an organic place this was born, with us being friends. I think the way that its growing now is a great way to have fans of say Jeremy Casella and Derek Webb, introduce those people to like Andy Osenga and Eric Peters. Just kinda this crossing over, this big network, catering to people who really believe in the music—the fans. I think that’s the best way to grow and support it, and help us get the word out.

Especially with the dot netters.

Chris: Yeah, well thanks and see you soon.