Wide Mouth Mason is a Canadian blues-based pop/rock band, consisting of Shaun Verreault (vocals, guitar), Safwan Javed (percussion, vocals), and Earl Pereira (bass, vocals). The band hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and has been active since 1995.

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Career

Wide Mouth Mason took its name from the jar of the same name ^[1], and independently released its first album, The Nazarene in 1996. Although only 2,500 copies were pressed, it still drew interest from the major labels ^[2]. The band signed with Warner Music Canada and re-recorded much of The Nazarene with some new material. The new album would be the band's eponymous major-label debut; it was released in 1997 in Canada and the U.S., and a year later in Japan. It established the group's fusion of pop/rock/blues, and yielded the hit singles "Midnight Rain", "My Old Self", and "This Mourning". The album went Gold in Canada ^[3], and the band was nominated for Best New Group at the 1998 Juno Awards ^[4].

Wide Mouth Mason released a new album in 1999 with Where I Started , a continuance of its prior sound, but adding elements of jazz and world music. Its lead single, "Why", backed with scratches and cuts from childhood friend and DJ Muchi Mambo, was a major hit in Canada, and was followed by two other hits, "Companion (Lay Me Down)" and "Sugarcane". The album, like its predecessor, attained Gold status in Canada.

In 2000, the band quickly followed up with the album Stew . It was more pop-oriented than the band's previous efforts, but also eclectic, hence the title of the album ^[5]. The singles "Smile" and "Change" were chart-toppers in Canada, and the album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2001 Junos.

Wide Mouth Mason returned in 2002 with two albums. The first, Rained Out Parade , featured a heavier emphasis on the blues, a deliberate lo-fi production style, and the hit title track. It received a 2003 Juno nomination for Rock Album of the Year. The second album, Greatest Hits , was released exclusively in China.

When its contract with Warner expired, the band signed a license agreement with Curve Music in 2004. The following year, the band would again release two albums, this time on the same day. One was The Essentials , a greatest-hits album, and the other was Shot Down Satellites , a new studio release featuring a hard rock-centred style and the single "I Love Not Loving You". The disc was produced by the band and their former co- manager, Ross Damude.

In 2006, Shaun Verreault released his solo debut, The Daggerlip Sketches , focussing on acoustic-guitar-based material. It featured new songs and stripped-down versions of familiar material from his band. In early 2008, the Wide Mouth Mason's official website announced that Verrault was releasing a second solo album, titled Two Steel Strings , and that the full band was writing new material for a future release ^[6]

In 2006, Earl Pereira started MOBADASS , a band with a sound described a blend of rock, dance, pop, reggae, and soul. Pereira is the band's lead singer, bassist, and songwriter. In 2008 they launched their debut album entitled Island Rock , as well as the video for their first single Home To Me . Pereira remains committed to making time for Wide Mouth Mason.

Discography

Singles

• "Midnight Rain" - 1997
• "My Old Self" - 1997
• "This Mourning - 1997
• "The Game" - 1998
• "Why" - 1999
• "Companion (Lay Me Down)" - 1999
• "Sugarcane" - 1999
• "Half A Chance" - 2000
• "Smile" - 2000
• "Change" - 2000
• "Ease Your Mind" - 2000
• "Rained Out Parade" - 2002
• "Reconsider" - 2002
• "Bootleggin'" - 2003
• "I Love Not Loving You" - 2005
• "Phantom Limb" - 2006

See also

• Music of Saskatchewan