Musician Willy Mason prefers to hangout on fringes of fame

Of late, South Africa has been blessed with an influx of international musical tourists. From the Lumineers to Diplo to Justin Bieber, it seems like every other weekend some high muckety muck from across the ocean is coming to serenade us.

The latest of these is US singer- songwriter Willy Mason, who'll be performing at the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng today, and in Cape Town tomorrow. 

We cornered him ahead of his performance for a quick Q&A:

You seem to have songwriting in your blood, with both parents being songwriters. How has growing up in a songwriting environment helped you perfect your craft?

A lot of people don't realise that writing takes practice. Some people seem to think it's strictly a gift that some are given; if so it's perhaps more widely given than most realise. It is the practice that prepares one to receive this gift. Growing up in a house of writers helped to demystify the art and ground it in practice.

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Coming from a musical family did you feel it was easier to adapt to the lifestyle that accompanies musical success?

Not in my case, because my parents never had success, so adjusting to my own success was one of the most difficult things in my life, and I still prefer to ride just outside of the mainstream.

Some have described your music as "an ode to a forgotten America". The recent US elections also seemed to centre on a kind of ''forgotten America". What about America has been forgotten and is there a way to reclaim it?

I think America never adjusted to its own success as a nation. Also we haven't been able to make a clear distinction between true successes, like inventions, stewardship, diversity and democracy, and artificial successes, such as the prosperity that's been brought about by warfare and thievery. Without this distinction we don't have a clear sense of pride and responsibility, which are essential for democracy to work well.

Do you find that you're most inspired when you are in a bad place or is it the opposite - or perhaps somewhere in between?

I'm most inspired by personal honesty and clarity, which is often the byproduct of hard times or ''hitting bottom", but it's delusion itself which often leads to the worst places, so art for me is a journey towards the light.

What drives your music?

A desire to heal myself and others.

What's it like touring with Radiohead?

It's exhilarating and raw - their music, for me, is a casting off of the blanket of security, a dive into the unknown and an embrace of the truths that lie there. That same sensation pervaded the tour for me.

WATCH the video for Willy Mason's song Talk Me Down

• Willy Mason is performing at Mercury Live in Cape Town tomorrow, Sunday, May 5. For more information visit tribesgotsoul.com.

• This article was originally published in The Times.