Jason Mraz Knows Love Songs

The way Mraz talks about the human connection to music makes it all seem so simple and easy. He understands the power of emotion. He knows this because it’s what he looks for in music as a listener. It’s a big reason why his writing helped launch such a successful career. 

That career really hit its takeoff point with the release of his debut album, “Waiting for My Rocket to Come,” which turns 20 this October. Then, Mraz says his ambitions were much different and more aligned with someone in his twenties. He wanted to be cool, smoke cigarettes and have a fun time on tour. This is a far-off cry from the version of himself today who does plenty of humanitarian and environmental work. The notoriety and speed of the industry was an unexpected challenge for his younger self, who was just a singer making his name in coffee shops like Java Joes in San Diego.

“I kind of went with the flow. I trusted the musicians around me. I trusted my manager. I trusted the enthusiasm of the label. But I gotta admit man, I was just so kind of scared. But I didn’t have time to be scared because our schedule was so busy,” he reflects. 

The song that really helped Mraz’s debut take off was “The Remedy.” Not only was it the first Mraz song myself and many others heard, but it hit as high as #15 on the Hot 100 and was one of the biggest songs of the year. It also opened a door filled with insane opportunities. 

“The biggest thing was it kept us on the road. When we first started we were an opening act and when that song took off we started getting into bigger clubs and theaters, and bigger acts to support. [We were] Touring with Dave Matthews Band. We got to open for the Stones a couple times,” says Mraz. “We finally graduated from a van to a tour bus. But at the same time we were just reckless. It was a party. Which is the total opposite of who we are today. Because sustainability is all about taking care of yourself and your environment. And 20 years ago I wasn’t thinking about that at all. I was even smoking during the show! Which is crazy.”

All jokes aside about his early days in the industry, Mraz reiterates how blessed he feels to have had a past life that “The Remedy” was a big part of. Still, even with that hit happening two decades ago, Mraz has been able to find success all these years later.

“You know my manager told me you’ll be lucky if you get 10 years. That’s the average. And that kind of put [in my head] like, ‘Ok. Let’s have fun but also keep working. Keep showing up and keep trying to write great songs,’’ remembers Mraz.” “I was 28, and I had been writing songs for about 10 years when I wrote ‘I’m Yours.’ And then I put it out a couple years after that. Which breathed life into the machine all over again. Which was bananas. So it kinda bought me another 10 years. I got really lucky.”

Mraz’s luck didn’t stop there. He won Grammys for both “Make It Mine” and “Lucky” that following year in 2009. Then in 2012 he released “I Won’t Give Up” that debuted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then he’s released three more studio albums. With his ability to craft witty, straightforward songs that hit home with their relatability, it’s no wonder the hits haven’t stopped coming. So what does Mraz write about at this stage in his career? What inspires him?

“The throughline is optimism. Especially in this world we’re living in where it feels like we’re going backwards in many ways. While technology advances there’s other things in civil and social situations that are just going backwards. And at the same time I’m getting older,” he says. “So I’m trying to stay optimistic on all these different topics and not have, say, a mid-life crisis but I’m certainly experiencing, you know, getting there. So that’s what my songs are reflecting. A new perspective with the same familiar optimism.”