Yesterday saw Mason Ashley release her brand new single “You Should Know“. We wrote up about the single release, but that isn’t the only bit of news we have for you.
We also managed to grab an interview with her. She took some time out to answer some of our questions about her new track “You Should Know“. Her new music is definitely something we’re excited about.
She also discussed with us some details about her brand new EP, her previous track “Strangers” that has been racking up the YouTube views and Spotify streams, what she hopes the future will bring, as well as Hurricane Harvey and the devastating affects in her hometown of Houston. Not only that, she also gives us a special message for her fans.
Hi Mason, we hope you are well today. What have you been up to lately?
I’ve been pretty busy preparing for the new single and the EP release! Also been traveling back and forth from Houston to California and eating way too many tacos.
For the readers who haven’t heard your music before, how would you describe your sound?
It’s kind of a mix of a lot of genres. It has some pop influences, singer-songwriter influences, and some throwback 80’s/90’s sounds too.
You’ve just released your brand new single “You Should Know”, can you tell us more about the song?
The song is about using music to tell someone how you’re feeling. It’s about saying everything you never said to someone and knowing it might not change anything but at least you said it.
Where did the inspiration for the song come from?
The inspiration for this song actually came from someone writing a song for ME. I started thinking about how cool it is to be a songwriter and how I can use that to say anything I want, to anyone I want to, through music.
The song is part of a new EP, titled “Strangers”, can you tell us more?
“Strangers” is a six-song album that I wrote all based on true personal experiences and stories. It has a lot of different inspiration and sounds throughout and I really think it’s an album that could fit into a lot of genres.
What was it like recording the EP with Jeffery Armstreet at Red Tree Recording Studio?
The recording process was honestly a blast. I’ve been recording with Jeffery for years and I love working with him and I love that studio… It really became like a second home to me during the recording process. There were nights where we’d be there recording vocals until 2 am and some days I’d show up in pyjamas. It’s a very fun and laid back environment.
The other tracks on the EP include “Strangers” and “Paper Planes”, which were released earlier in the year, what was it like to write and record these songs?
Both of those songs came from very real places and basically wrote themselves. I recorded part of “Paper Planes” at a beautiful studio in Nashville, Tennessee. We got pretty experimental with the production on “Strangers”. It started off as a very acoustic song and turned into something much bigger than that at the end.
They also had music videos released, what was it like to film them?
The music video shoots were such a blast. We had such a great crew working on them and we had fun with it. Plus, getting my hair and makeup done for me every day wasn’t bad either…
“Strangers” has been massive to date, with 34,000+ views on YouTube and 48,000+ streams on Spotify. What’s it like knowing that it’s garnered that much attention?
Honestly, it’s surreal. I would have never thought that many people would be watching and listening to my music. It’s so inspiring to me that total strangers (pun intended) are connecting to my songs… I’m so excited to see what comes in the future.
You also released a five-track album, titled “Into The Song” in 2015, how has your sound developed since the release of that album?
My style has changed A LOT since then. Most of those songs were written when I was 15 and it is much more of a folk/Americana album than “Strangers” is. The new album is much more mature and a lot less twangy.
Music has been in your life ever since you were young, what was it like growing up learning to play instruments and being passionate about music as a whole?
Music is an incredible outlet for a young girl. It gave me a safe place to express myself and sort out my feelings. I would spend hours writing, learning new guitar chords, or teaching myself how to play the latest Taylor Swift song.
You’ve been writing songs since you were young too, what have you learnt and how have your songs developed over the years?
The main thing I’ve learned is that confidence is so important in writing. You really have to be borderline fearless as a songwriter and not be worried about what people think. Music is about baring your soul and sharing your emotions… I really used to be afraid of that. I’ve learned that music and life are easier if you’re just honest about things.
You mentioned on Facebook at the end of August, about driving around your hometown of Houston after Hurricane Harvey. Can you tell us more about what it was like during this time?
Harvey was so devastating in so many ways but inspiring in others. It was the craziest thing to be driving down the road I take every day and seeing abandoned cars floating beside me. It’s tough to explain getting texts and videos from friends with water reaching up to the second stories of their houses. You just feel so helpless at times like that. But it was so amazing to see my town come together and rebuild and encourage each other. My family took clothes and food to shelters and the amount of items they had were almost too much to deal with. Everyone pulled together and showed love and kindness and THAT is how you deal with a disaster.
What are your five favourite songs to listen to right now?
- “Good Old Days” by Macklemore feat. Kesha
- “Bloodstain” by Wrabel
- “Sorry Not Sorry” by Demi Lovato
- “Malibu 1992” by COIN
- “Feel It Still” by Portugal, The Man
And, finally, is there anything you want to say to your fans, who have supported you through every musical release?
The best thing I know to say is just THANK YOU. I’m just a normal girl from a very small town with big dreams and the fact that I’m even getting to do interviews like this is a truly insane. Thank you to everyone that believes in me and supports me, I love you all!
We want to say THANK YOU to you, Mason Ashley, for these amazing and insightful answers to our questions. We also want to thank you for your music because we totally love your releases, especially your new one “You Should Know“. We look forward to the release of your EP.