Mason Jennings: Turning Down Rick Rubin, Battling Agoraphobia, and Chasing Truth Over Fame

What happens when a musician completely rejects the corporate machine?

In this episode of Americana Curious, Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz sit down with singer-songwriter Mason Jennings to discuss his incredible 30-year independent career.

Mason opens up about why he walked away from major label record deals, what it was really like working with (and turning down) Rick Rubin, his fun connection to Prince, and his internal battle with crippling agoraphobia and panic attacks on tour.

Whether you are an independent musician navigating the modern landscape of Soundcloud and AI or a fan of real, raw, road-worn music, this conversation explores what it truly means to protect your creative spirit at all costs.

💡 STUFF WE TALKED ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• Turning down a million-dollar major label deal

• The truth about working with Rick Rubin (and the pitch-black Warner Bros meeting)

• How EMDR therapy helped Mason overcome agoraphobia

• The night Prince played air guitar to his songs at First Avenue

• How AI, Soundcloud, and streaming are shifting the value of music

• The stories behind "Rebecca Deville" and his new album Dark Wings

Chapters:

00:00 – Why Mason Jennings turned down Rick Rubin

02:15 – The wild night Rick Rubin turned off the lights at Warner Bros

04:30 – Surviving crippling agoraphobia and panic attacks on tour

07:10 – The secret story behind "Rebecca Deville"

09:45 – When Prince watched Mason from the box seats

11:50 – How AI and Soundcloud are shifting the future of the music industry

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As a gift to listeners, Zach has curated 7 MUST LISTEN Mason Jennings songs here.

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Ben Fanning and Zach Schultz host Americana Curious, a podcast spotlighting the unsung heroes of Americana music. This show features deep-dive music interviews with legendary independent artists, uncovering the hard-earned lessons, songwriting secrets, and real-world struggles behind your favorite acoustic, folk, and rock-infused songs

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