Mason Jennings is a rising folk-rock musician who has scaled the Minneapolis music ranks and has now embarked upon his first U.S. headlining tour. Iowa State last saw Jennings when he opened for Jack Johnson at the Maintenance Shop in October.

Although he’s only in his mid-20s, Jennings has released two critically-applauded albums and is working on a third. He also started his own record label, Architect Records, this winter.

Bethany Kohoutek: What do you think of all the titles you’ve been given lately, like “folk sensation” and “the new voice of a generation” and that sort of thing?

Mason Jennings: I think it’s kind of silly. I just think it’s great in the fact that people get to hear the music. I get to go out and do what I love to do. It opens doors a little bit, but I don’t take it seriously.

BK: About your songwriting process – I read in a previous interview that you don’t approach songwriting with any “presets” in your mind. Can you tell me more about that?

MJ: I’ve been trying to develop my own sound for my whole life. I don’t really want to copy what’s already been done, because I can’t do it as good as people who have done it before. I guess songwriting, for me, is trying to be as honest with myself as possible, and trying to discover a uniqueness in the music.

BK: There are so many diverse sounds in your songs, from folk to rock to reggae to country to jazz. Were your parents playing this stuff for you or did you turn yourself on to it?

MJ: I just kind of wanted to know what was out there. I just loved music so much, I just tried to get everything I could get. My mom loves rock `n’ roll, and my dad’s into classical music, so that was that. Bob Marley has been a huge influence, I mean, with how much goodness he’s brought to the world and that kind of thing.

BK: A lot of people think your music is stripped down compared with all the hype and illusion that taints a lot of today’s music. How do you stay away from all of that and keep churning out unique stuff?

MJ: I’m not sure. I think maybe that’s just the kind of music I like. I like the stripped-down stuff. I guess I’m not in it to make a lot of money and have people say you’re the next Rolling Stones or something like that. I think its more about me being able to make myself feel better. It’s almost more of like a diary feel.

BK: I read that one of the reasons you became a songwriter is because of an element of sadness in your life. Is that sadness essential to you when you’re writing songs, or was it more of a catharsis at a certain point in your life?

MJ: It’s not essential, I don’t think. The reason I went into it so heavily when I was younger is because music was kind of a lifeline. It was an introduction. It was why I practiced eight hours a day, and I was into it so much. But I think it’s like, once you have a skill you can use, just like anything else, I like to use it to write about joy and friendship and other things that are good, not just sadness.

BK: On that last record, I read a story about you having mononucleosis and being housebound, and you got the chance to get really heavy into reading.

MJ: Yeah, people would turn me onto different books, and fans would turn me on to different things. It was super cool for me. But it wasn’t cool because it was awful. It was like five months of it. I was managing myself at the time and trying to start my own label, and I just got overworked and wore myself out.

BK: What about the title of that album – “Birds Flying Away.” What does that represent?

MJ: That was from when I was really sick, too. I just kept thinking about these big black birds. I just felt like I was going to die. Then when I started feeling better, I just thought about the birds flying. I could visually see it. It was like a fever breaking.

BK: You’re known for having an ultra-devoted, grass roots fan base. Why do you think that is?

MJ: I think that the crowd is really important to the show. I don’t think there’s a division. I just think when I play a show, it’s about the music. People can come see music being made. That’s getting rarer and rarer today. It’s more about a show or visuals. I just really like that we play as a trio – acoustic guitar, drums and bass – and just kind of try to keep it real. I think people dig that. They can still come out and feel like they’re part of music.

BK: Do you ever feel suffocated by all the attention you get?

MJ: No, my life is pretty much normal. I travel so much, it’s definitely not suffocating. It’s actually the opposite. It feels very freeing to be able to travel and do music, and the only way you can do that is to have a fan base. It’s really awesome when people come out to see it.

BK: Has a fan ever done anything wild for you? Have you ever received anything just totally wacko?

MJ: I get a lot of nice stuff. This one girl made me a huge stained glass version of the cover of “Birds Flying Away” that’s just really awesome.

BK: Final question: “Staying power” is a phrase that a lot of people seem to be connecting to your name lately. What do you think it takes to have staying power?

MJ: I think you just have just be human about your music and be willing to put yourself in a situation where you can change over your life. I think with starting my own record label, I can change. Every record is going to sound different. Some people might hate some records, but it will always stay interesting. Just to keep it human.