Singer Mraz redoubles efforts to keep fans happy

By Cortney Harding

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Jason Mraz is nothing if not a man of his word.

"I promised a lot of people I'd do an acoustic album, but then my new record turned out to be my funkiest project yet," the laid-back San Diego singer/songwriter says.

Rather than simply hope his fans would adapt, Mraz has taken the unusual step of releasing acoustic versions of every song from his new album on three EPs, the second of which was released April 15.

The first EP, "We Sing," came out March 18 and has sold 18,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The full-length album, "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things," will be released May 13 via Atlantic. It's the follow-up to his 2005 sophomore album "Mr. A-Z."

Both EPs are available at indie retail stores and online. The final EP, "We Steal Things," will be released as a digital bundle with the new album.

"I think fans will want both versions of the album," Mraz says. "I like being able to give them options, and they really wanted to hear different versions of the tracks."

Mraz has adopted "a very smart strategy, because he's keeping fans excited," says music retailer Eric Levin, owner of Criminal Records in Atlanta. "His audience tends to be people who want it all, and all the releases fulfill a customer need."

Mraz's fans are particularly excited about the album's first single, "I'm Yours." Since he released a demo version on an EP that came with his last album, more than 300 people have posted versions of themselves covering the track on YouTube.

"I never instigated any of the covers," Mraz says. "But I can see why people are drawn to the song, and because it is about generosity, I wanted to share it."

Reuters/Billboard