A Biography of Mason Blake

   Mason’s musical influence can be traced back to his younger years growing up with his brother Shane, and his parents, Warren and Pat. Mason was young and impressionable, and music had always been a part of the family. From the styles of Conway Twitty to Randy Travis that his father listened to; from the Beatles to the Eagles while his mother cleaned house; and from Metallica to the Chili Peppers blaring in his brothers room, Mason heard a lot and learned even more.

   Mason started playing drums well before the age of 10 through the school bands where he grew up in early in Sioux Falls and later in the Black Hills of South Dakota. After high school Mason decided that he wanted to pick up a guitar in hopes to become a songwriter someday. He joined Matt Shuck (an older friend of his brother Shane) for two years playing together as a guitar duo known as Matt & Mason, and later Part Time Dawg - a trio with Doug Benton on percussion, guitar and sax.

   While Mason was away at college studying computer science, he began to miss the performance life style he and Matt had experienced so much in the summers. He decided to try some Open Mic jams with Erik Miller and his campus club Friday Night Live (FNL), which are still held several times each semester at DSU. Erik Miller would become one of Mason’s most valuable connections to getting more and more local area gigs.

   Currently, Mason’s busier than ever. Working in the studio on his solo record, playing drums with Watermelon Daze (Erik Miller, Bob Shaw, Andy Shaw, Bob "Jerry Lee" Jones, Gary Klatt), an unbelievable bunch of musicians, and some Madison friends in Madiki (Rich Rislov, Dave Rislov, Doug Jenson, Kyle Stitz). While Mason hopes to have his solo album out just in time for summer to start and the gigs to roll, he still plays around the area with all three bands and loves every minute of it.