[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”21391″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text]Our interview with gorgeous up-and-coming artist Mason Ashley and her brand new video of ‘Paper Planes’ off of her EP ‘Strangers.’
Music has been in her blood since birth. Mason could hear a song on the radio, march her seven year old self into the house, sit down at the upright piano inherited from her great, great grandparents, and begin to play the song she had just heard.
Check our interview and her video next![/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhk_lBt8PdE” title=”Paper Planes Music Video”][vc_column_text]Describe yourself in 3 words?
Messy. Creative. Sassy.
When was it that you first realized that you wanted to pursue music as a career?
I knew music was my passion when I started. I wrote my first song when I was seven and started performing when I was twelve and I’ve been in love with it ever since.
Who has made the biggest impact on your life so far, and why?
I have so many amazing and influential people in my life so it’s really hard to say…but I think that my Grandpa is probably the person with the most impact on my life. I am lucky enough to have a grandfather that is also my pastor so I never really run out of good advice. I get to hear him every Sunday talk about not only God, but also life. He talks about hardships and pain and love and it really gives me what I need to get through every week. He is probably the best storyteller and I think the songwriting gene probably came from him. His faith and passion are such a huge inspiration and definitely has made an impact on my life.
What is your musical background? Do you have a musical family?
I grew up watching my mom, aunt, and grandma sing on stage at church and I started singing with them occasionally when I was about 13. My dad can pick up any instrument around the house and play it by ear and he plays piano every Sunday in church, as well. We go on big family trips every summer and they are always filled with music. We spend nights just playing and singing any song we can think of and I love it.
Do you ever get nervous performing?
I definitely get nervous performing.. not as much as I used to, but I do still get the normal pre-show nerves. It usually takes me a song or two to warm up and then I’m comfortable on stage. (So I never sing my favorite songs first.)
For our readers who have never heard your music, explain your sound in 3 words?
Honest. Chill. Stories.
How did you get started in the industry?
I did a songwriters camp when I was 12 years old that really pushed me into more serious songwriting and performing. The camp is a week long and you write a song the first day, record a demo of that song in a studio later in the week, and end camp with a live performance of the song. As a 12 year old kid that had never even performed a song for her parents, it was a pretty exciting and scary thing. I ended up doing the camp every summer for a few years and actually met my producer through the camp. So when I was 15 I started recording my first EP with him and it ended up getting played on folk/country radio stations all over the world (15 year old me was country-ish…18 year old me is not). After that record, I realized how serious I was about music and I started writing and recording “Strangers”.
Now tell us about your single “Paper Planes”?
“Paper Planes” is a song I wrote when I was 16 after I met someone who was very exciting and unique and also a songwriter. I had only gone on one or two dates with him when I wrote the song. I wrote it in past tense almost like I was predicting what was going to happen with this guy based on his very “loose cannon type” personality. I expected it to end very badly but I ended up dating him anyway and surprisingly we ended on great terms and we’re still friends to this day.
And about your EP “Strangers”?
“Strangers” is basically a diary of the past two years of my life. These songs are so personal and honest that it almost scared me to release them at first. Most of the songs were written in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep and I needed to sort out my emotions. I could not be happier with the way the record turned out and I think that a lot of people will be able to relate to the record.
What we can expect of Mason Ashley in 2017?
I’m very excited to release two more music videos in 2017! I’ll also be releasing more singles soon leading up to the debut of “Strangers”. I have a few writing collaborations set up that I’m excited about and hopefully some shows on the books too. You can also expect a lot of pictures of my dog and food if you follow my social media accounts.
What is the biggest highlight of your career so far?
I have a few highlights that come to mind; like hearing myself on the radio for the first time, or singing for my favorite magazine from when I was younger… but the most exciting right now is more personal. I recently got an email from a fan in Scotland telling me that one of my older songs, “Into the Song”, made such an impact on him and his fiancé that they will be dancing their first dance at their wedding to it. He told me that when he and she first started courting, they would share music with each other and my song was one of the first shared and it was a part of their relationship from then on. I was so emotional about hearing this because that was my vision for that song and the fact that it made in impact in their relationship meant SO much to me. I’ll never forget it.
Best advice ever given to you?
“When your problems seem too big to handle, give them to God.”
Name one your strengths?
I’m very passionate. When I care about something, I put almost all of my energy into it. I go all in. I think that’s why music has always been my life and I’ve never once lost interest.
What are the 3 things you can’t live without?
My Martin guitar, coffee, and Jesus.
What’s your motto or the advice you live by?
Everything happens for a reason.
What is you favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
Any Taylor Swift, any Drake and Sorry by Beyoncé.
Any advice for upcoming singers?
Don’t be afraid to fail. You’re going to hear a lot of “no”s in this career. You’re going to hear a lot of “maybe you should get a real job”s. You’re going to hit some bad notes and you’re going to want to quit. My advice is to use your failures. I watch videos from when I started and I’m shocked that I didn’t get “boo”ed off the stage. I love looking back at my shaky voice and off notes and realizing how far I’ve come and how far I have yet to go. So embrace the flaws and the “no”s because they’re going to lead you right where you need to be.
Do you have any hobbies?
I love yoga. I drink coffee like it’s a hobby. I go to cosmetology school to do hair. And I love dancing…in my car at stoplights.
Five years from now you will be….
I’m really not a planner… but in five years I will still be writing songs, drinking too much coffee, and hopefully traveling the world with my dog.
Where we can follow you?
My Facebook page: Mason Ashley
Twitter: @themasonashley
Instagram: masonashleymusic
Quote: “She needed a hero, so that’s what she became.”
Travel Destination: Carmel, California.
Actor/Actress: Julia Roberts.
Book: Eleanor and Park.
Drink: Coffee.
Sports Team: Houston Rockets!!![/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Photo Credit: Travis Reinke[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
