Yojimbo

Yojimbo is the moniker taken by Mason Hedgecoth, a singer-songwriter and mult-instrumentalist from Richmond, VA, now living in Brooklyn, NY. Recording in a Pro Tools studio located in his home-office, he completed the full-length "Ether Laughter" in 2002, a yet un-released album composed of songs written and recorded with the able talents of many from his hometown, including his father, Fred, featured on lap steel and mandolin. The music reflects a personal shift back towards the music from my childhood, acoustic, personal yet social music shared in a community of musicians playing just for the enjoyment of it. "Tongues" strips the instrumentation down to its barest its elements, allowing the vocals to expose the depth of emotion running beneath the surface of our lives, and its ability to indelibly shape our path.

This full breadth of influence from artists like Norman Blake and Neil Young, and more recently Neutral Milk Hotel, is illustrated in the newest material from Yojimbo, welcoming the addition of a few instruments, including banjo and mandolin. Songs like "Drink From That Fountain" and "Only Way To Travel" reflect the uptempo, driving dynamic of bluegrass, while telling cautionary tales of our nation's moral and political direction. "Dream Song", with its swelling vocal harmonies and choral feeling, describes the unreal space and texture of our sleep world, celebrating its fleeting and fractured manifestation of reality.

Performing in Richmond with bands like Lucero and Tulsa Drone, and Charlotte N.C.'s The Houston Bros., Yojimbo at times featured accompaniment from such varied instruments as harp, dobro, and mandolin performed by a member of the Hackensaw Boys. Yojimbo hopes to establish a performance base in New York, while continuing to write and record.