Press
Nashville Music Guide: Lucky 13 Q&A with Mason Ashley
NMG: What was the first song you ever performed?
Mason Ashley: I wrote a song when I was twelve years old called “Shine.” It was inspired by my fascination with the stars and with nighttime, which is something that has always inspired me. I performed it at a student songwriter camp showcase to a packed audience in one of my favorite venues and it was a moment that I will never forget.
NMG: Did you come from a musical background?
Mason Ashley: I grew up with music surrounding me. We listened to it all the time in our house and played and sang along. My parents are the worship leaders at my grandpa’s church and I have grown up singing there. Almost my whole family plays at least one musical instrument and/or sings (which often results in family-band jam sessions).
NMG: What personal advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue this career?
Mason Ashley: The main advice I would give to an aspiring artist would be: just be honest. I spent my early writing years trying to disguise my emotions and stories in metaphors and insincere lyrics because I was afraid of someone hearing and judging me for feeling a certain way about something or someone. Since then, I have learned that the beauty in songwriting and performing is that you get to help others realize that they are not alone. Music is so powerful and connects people in ways that are incomprehensible and the only way to create that connection is by being honest with yourself and through your lyrics. I’d rather be brutally honest than be afraid.
NMG: What are 3 things that you have to have with you at all times/never leave home without?
Article Info
Title:
Nashville Music Guide: Lucky 13 Q&A with Mason Ashley
Publication:
Nashville Music Guide
Without music, I would be … just an almost seventeen year old Texan girl, working as a waitress at a cafe, about to start my senior year of high school, with a whole lot of unspoken words trying to find their way out of me.