Life has been busy for Leah Marie Mason in the last few months... from posting a Tik Tok of a song she wrote, to now being on the path to have a sustainable future in Music City. Life can come at you fast and Leah is a walking example. I checked today and the original "Far Boy" post on Tik Tok now has 11.5 million views. It has changed the life of a young, hungry musician forever. It has and will continue to open some much deserved doors for Leah. Just picture this - a few years from now you roll up to your local amphitheater, you’re hammered with beers in both hands, and Leah Marie Mason comes up on stage belting out "Far Boy" as hundreds of thousands of people are screaming the words back to her. It is a dream that isn't far from becoming a reality. This is an absolute smash and was written by some of the best rising ladies in Nashville (Leah Marie Mason, Kelsey Lamb, Royale Lynn, Kaylin Roberson).
Get To Know Leah
"Yeah, so my name is Leah Marie Mason, I'm 21 and originally from Raleigh, North Carolina. Born and raised and have lived there my entire life. I moved to Nashville to go to college at Belmont University, where I'm a songwriting major. I got into music... it's actually really funny. I was in a 70s Rock band when I was younger, so I sang Heart, Led Zeppelin, all the normal things a normal 11 year old would sing. We performed all over North Carolina and got to play a lot of festivals. That is where I started performing in front of thousands of people. And boy, was I hooked. Since that experience, I have really wanted to sing on stage for the rest of my life. I am so lucky to have the most supportive and amazing parents in the world. My dad was in a band in college, so they really stand behind me going to school for music. I'm really happy I found my way to Nashville. I originally went to Berklee College of Music my freshman year and then transferred, I wanted to pursue Country Music, so it made sense. My parents made me promise that if I did transfer, I would have to stay in school. Belmont has a great music program so it has worked out. I was only here for a few months then COVID hit. I went home for spring break and never came back. I was home for 6 months and wasn't doing much with music since I hadn't met many people and was still working on establishing myself at school. It was just really bad timing for me. Being home, I wrote a lot by myself, then finally came back to Nashville in August. I knew I really had to buckle down and get going. I was doing co-writes all the time and building more connections with people. Out of those co-writes I have written some amazing songs that I wanted to release. This was especially important because of not having any music out. I really felt like I wanted people to hear me on Spotify and not just Instagram. So I posted "Far Boy" on Tik Tok and it blew up, which was crazy. It helped change everything for me. I really loved the song and wanted people to hear it, but didn't have the following on social media. I didn't know if this song would reach people, but I'm so glad it did. I'm really excited for what the future holds."
A Song That Pulls On Your Heart Strings
I think we have all had a relationship, with a significant other in our life, that didn't work out where the aftermath leaves you with an array of emotions. Leah paints a beautiful and authentic picture of these emotions by describing her ex and as a "rolling stone". S knows the girl he's with now isn't going to be his last, but at the same time wonders if it was something she did wrong. Leah Marie Mason has a voice made for Country Music. As a listener, I feel the strain of this relationship in her voice and the true sadness she feels with every line, every verse. Even though "Far Boy" is Leah's debut single, I truly think she has found her sound already. It shows as this jam-orama has racked up 389,124 streams on Spotify since being released on February 5th.
Inspiration Behind "Far Boy"
Written By: Leah Marie Mason, Kelsey Lamb, Kaylin Roberson & Royale Lynn
Produced By: Zach Manno
"This was an all girl write. We sat down and kind of talked about our experience with boys - since they suck. The group was just going back and forth and the idea “far boy” came up and we all really liked it. As soon as the write was done, I knew I wanted to cut that song because I loved it so much. I asked the girls if it was okay if I demoed the song and possibly cut it. They were all on board. I found a producer, his name is Zach Manno. He is super talented. We did the demo and I was obsessed. So, we ended up doing a master and I decided I wanted to officially release it. I did that all on my own. I literally did it all on my own, I didn't have a manager at the time, didn't have anyone behind me on the business side. I would honestly go on the computer and watch YouTube videos to find out how to do this stuff. My parents didn't know how to help me. Most of my friends have management and they didn't know how to help me either. I'm happy I did it on my own. I learned a lot."
Q & A With Leah Marie Mason
Q: What was your "lightbulb" moment when you knew you wanted to pursue music?
A: "Um... I’ve known my whole life that I wanted to perform and play music. I had never written a song until I was a freshman in college. I never had any experience writing and was never exposed to it. I realized that when I got to college, that a lot of people were writing their own music. I figured it would be a good idea for me to get started writing songs about my life and life experiences. So, I started writing at Berklee but didn't love what I was writing. It was way more pop at the time. Moved to Nashville and started doing co-writes. After a few, I thought it was so much fun and loved doing it. The experience made me fall in love with the songwriting aspect of Country Music. Sitting down to write with people is like a little therapy session. You get to know someone so quick - in like an hour, having really deep and personal conversations. I think the “lightbulb” moment for me to actually have a shot at music, was when I started writing. It became way more personal. Being able to share my music with other people, it gave me confidence to pursue music."
Q: How has Tik Tok been a stepping stone for your music career?
A: "Tik Tok changed my life! It is so amazing and I couldn't be more happy. I think Tik Tok, for artists, can be tricky. There is a lot of content being put out to get that next big break or things like that. I was lucky because I loved this song and it was genuine to my heart. I was very lucky it got the reaction it did. Tik Tok definitely has that stigma about it, but I can't be mad because that one post really changed my life for the good."
Q: What's been some of the best advice you've been given?
A: "I think the best advice, artist wise, is writing what you know and relate to, because those songs will always be your best. Those songs are the ones that allow you to connect with them emotionally and so will others. I think it's so important to write songs that capture who you want to be as an artist. I have a really clear vision of who I want to be. I know I'm not a Lainey Wilson or Carly Pearce, I'm not super country. I would consider myself more of a “crossover”, like Kacey Musgraves, Dan + Shay or Taylor Swift. I know my lane, which I feel is very important."
Q: Who are song artists and songwriters that influence you and your music?
A: "I have such a wide range of Country Music I listen to, so you might think this answer is weird combination of people. I love Chris Stapleton so much, probably my #1. If I could collaborate with anyone, it would be Chris Stapleton. I love Kacey Musgraves, super vibe, love her. I think HARDY is the best writer in Nashville right now. He is so talented and I would love to write a song with him. Ernest is in the same boat, just so talented. And I am for sure a Swifty. I love Taylor Swift and I think her career is amazing. She changed the path of Country Music for everyone who wanted to be an artist in the industry. I feel like Country Music can be very universal if it's made to be so."
If you are just discovering Leah Marie Mason follow her on Apple Music, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok
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