LX Mason is back with a moody and dark Halloween treat.
The Sydney-based artist joins us on Close-up Culture to tell us more about his latest track, Fantastic.
Q: You are back with this incredible new track, ‘Fantastic’. I’m fascinated by the lyrics. What personal place did this song come from?
A: Thanks so much! I’m glad you like it.
The song is quite personal to me because it was initiated by conversations I was having with people. In the convos I was having, it was always about “the hustle” and how their hustle was better – not about how you’re doing, how’s the wife, etc.
Anyways, at times when I was most insecure (typically at night) I would find myself wishing I had what they had and did what they did. Confronting the own monster of comparison and insecurity as it were. This song is a personification of that monster.
Q: This is certainly a darker sound than we’ve heard from you. What led you to this acoustic-driven sound?
A: I typically write pretty stripped back. And this one started with me writing the verse (and maybe the chorus) on acoustic. As we tried to add more instruments to it, it just didn’t feel right.
Q: How did your collaboration with Valencia James come about?
A: Val and I are friends and had been trying to get together to write for a while in a studio room or something. And eventually her and her husband Pete (who also wrote on the song) was just like “come over!” So we wrote with bowls of ice cream in their living room.
Q: What did Valencia bring to the song?
A: SO MUCH. She’s a natural when it comes to melodies and lyrically she NEVER settles for anything that isn’t her absolute best. She also supplied the ice cream (thanks Val).
Q: I often speak to artists who talk about their work being therapeutic. Was that the case with ‘Fantastic’?
A: Absolutely. It was a way for me to confront my own insecurities, my own issues with comparison. In a time where I was focusing less on managing and more on the things that mattered in life – this was vital for me.
Q: We are fast approaching the end of 2019. How do you reflect on your year as an artist and your growth in that time?
A: Before I’m an artist I’m so many other things. And this year was about me learning how to stay core to who I am while expressing myself through art. It started out rough but after some crucial conversations, I’m in a great place for the end of the year and into 2020.
Q: What are your ambitions heading into 2020?
A: 2019 isn’t over yet! Still got more coming this year!
As for 2020 I’d love to just keep pumping out more singles for my fans and collaborating with artists by branching out with publishing. Wish me luck!
