Jason Mraz. (Photo by Jen Rosenstein)
Two-time Grammy winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame Honoree Jason Mraz will uplift Florida with his “Still Yours” tour May 16 in Clearwater and May 17 in Orlando.
Mraz, who first came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in 2018, is known for his signature blend of pop, folk and acoustic soul. His hits like “I’m Yours” and “Lucky” continue to inspire audiences worldwide with his uplifting lyrics and heartfelt vocals.
The solo acoustic tour allows Mraz to touch on all his records from the oldest to the most recent. He describes the performance as free form because he can improvise. He wants audiences to feel good before they leave his show.
His latest album, “Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride,” marks a vibrant, feel-good chapter in his career and features the infectious single “I Feel Like Dancing.” His next album release titled “Grandma’s Gospel Favorites” will be out May 8.
It is a collection of 10 covers and originals that has been in the works for decades, described as a gift to his grandmother, Nanny Razz.
Nanny Razz passed away in 2014, but as the years went by, Mraz realized she wanted him to share that music with the world. Mraz may not be religious, but he sees the way it can bring people together.
“In the end, I believe in music,” he says.
Mraz was kind enough to speak with Watermark Out News by phone ahead of his tour’s stops at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater and the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando.
WATERMARK OUT NEWS: Tell us a little bit about what your fans can expect from “Grandma’s Gospel Favorites,” which may differ from your previous albums.
Jason Mraz: Well, the biggest difference is that it’s mostly an album of covers, and historically, I’ve always released songs that I’ve written. There are two original songs on “Grandma’s Gospel Favorites” that are in alignment with those covers. They’re more my take on spirituality, asking what life is all about and seeking my own answers to provide that comfort or that empathy in this world.
The two songs are “Peach Pie” and “When We Die,” those are the originals on the album, but the rest are classic cover songs. Some go back as far as 100 years and they’re kind of the time-tested songs that my grandmas were actually big fans of. It was the kind of music that my grandparents wished I had made in my life. I did make the album in time for them to hear it; this album was made almost 20 years ago as a gift to my grandmother.
I didn’t put it out 20 years ago because I was on a major label and that wasn’t the program that I was signed up for. But these last few years I’ve been on an independent label, and I’ve had the freedom to share all kinds of music. I’m finally sharing this album that I made for my grandma.
What can you share about being on the independent label and having this freedom to be your true artistic self?
It’s lovely. I don’t have anyone checking in on me to say, “What are you making now?” or “When can we expect it?” It’s really listening to my heart and asking, “Where do I want to go musically?” or “What’s lighting me up?”
For me, writing, recording, putting music out, it requires many seasons, like planting a tree. You don’t get the fruit right away, but when you plant it, you’re going to set yourself up for something. Musical independence has given me great freedom. It’s more challenging on the commercial side because the music business is essentially a huge market. It’s a huge competition. But I’ve withdrawn from that competition quite a bit in effort to listen to my heart and enjoy life and surf different sound waves.
What can you share about how you identify?
Sometimes I identify as a cis pan man or a bi guy. I like a rhymed scheme. You know, our identities are a layered cake, we have parts of us that have things we want to do in this life, and then there’s another layer that’s the things we are doing in this life. Then there’s a layer that says, this is what I’m telling people I’m doing in this life. It takes many years to make that cake and have it be fully ready and realized but I’m enjoying my life as I am.
What can you share about becoming more public about your identity? How was that change for you, becoming more visible about who you are?
I had spent my entire youth pushing thoughts away or hiding from how I had been treated as a young person and I thought if I just avoid this, I won’t have any problems. But as I got older, avoidance didn’t seem healthy or practical. It wasn’t getting me where I wanted to go or wasn’t making me feel like who I was, and so coming out with an evolved identity started to just make more sense to me. It helped in my relationships and in my artistry, it just freed me up. It kind of unlocked a few things that had been suppressed.
In 2018, being able to make a statement that wasn’t even premeditated, it was just finally time. I just felt like I wasn’t being fully true to myself, and so it was an opportunity to reach out and say, “I’m more than an ally, I’m often in there and this is who I am.”
Along with the feelings of being true to your identity, what are some changes you’ve noticed within yourself?
Through the artistry, I think it’s an overarching kind of mission statement that says, “it’s none of my business what you think of me and therefore, I’m going to love everything I make from reggae to disco to gospel favorites.” Life is so full of wonderful things. Why limit ourselves to just one version of it? It’s allowed me to be even more free in my musical expression, which I love. And I’m even more free with how I put myself together and carry myself out of the house. I feel like I just became even more honest, which then taps into everything. The truth shall set you free.
what are some things that you want to accomplish and make sure that you stay true to?
Well, I feel like I’m doing it. It’s continuing to share music. All different types of music, the music that interests me, moves my heart, makes me feel something. I’ll continue to share as I get older and move through life. To continue to have meaningful relationships and that includes with my family. A lot of times I go out, and I create music and I do concerts because I know that my foundation is going to be the beneficiary of that. And if I stop then I don’t have the ability to give as much.
Music becomes really an act of good and I love that. I want to continue to do that through my life. It is to be of service through music, through song. That’s what I’d like to be doing.
You started the Jason Mraz Foundation for inclusive arts, correct?
Yeah, it started in 2011 and over the years we have really refined its mission and refined our giving and our action. We have given over $2 million since 2011 … I love it.
That’s amazing to hear! What are some exciting things that you’re looking forward to as your tour starts?
I’ve spent the last year touring around the world, and that has its challenges maybe from a language barrier or being so far from home. This will actually be my first U.S. tour in a while. In these strange times that we live in, I’ll go so far as even say these unfortunate times we live in, music is an opportunity to bring people together to remind us of our humanity.
Concerts are an opportunity to get together to look around at who’s in the room because when you see someone else’s reality, it can dramatically change yours. There’s something deeper going on at a concert and I’m excited to be doing that back in the U.S. again.
My concert isn’t political in any way, but it’s a humanitarian effort to unify us and strengthen us to get us through hard times.
Listen to Jason Mraz wherever music is streamed and sold. His “Still Yours” tour stops at Ruth Eckerd Hall May 16, located at 1111 McMullen Booth Rd. in Clearwater and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts May 17, located at 445 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando.
For more information about tickets and tour details, visit JasonMraz.com.
Looking for more arts and entertainment? Check out the 2026 Spring Arts Guide!
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