Mason Via introduced himself to the wider bluegrass and Americana world with his three-year stint in Old Crow Medicine Show and sharing stages and writing credits with Molly Tuttle. However, last year he stepped away from OCMS to focus on his solo career. Next month, he’ll release his self-titled album and his first on Mountain Fever Records. Today, American Songwriter is proud to premiere “Melt in the Sun” the latest single from Via’s forthcoming record. Watch the out-of-this-world video below.
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Make no mistake, the upcoming album isn’t Via’s first solo release. He has been recording and releasing his own tunes for a decade. His debut, Up, Up, Up dropped in 2015. The self-titled record sees him returning to solo work with a fresh outlook after being on the road for three years with one of the most popular bluegrass acts in the country. “Melt in the Sun” is a near-perfect example of what to expect from the new release.
Mason Via on “Melt in the Sun”
Ahead of today’s premiere, Mason Via spoke to American Songwriter about the song and its video.
“Charlie Chamberlain, my cosmonaut collaborator and fellow intergalactic tightrope walker co-wrote this epic song with me and we even started a local jam band in Nashville, Tennessee based around it,” Via said of the song. “We recorded an alt-rock version of this song first and may still release that version but when this bluegrass album came around to be recorded, I didn’t want to hold any of the bangers back, so we grassified it and turned it into possibly my favorite song on the album,” he added.
“I was inspired by watching The War on Drugs shred a sunset performance at Bonnaroo for my first time, I wanted to write something in a similar psychedelic indie rock vein of music,” Via recalled. “Lyrically, I was inspired by timeless poets like Robert Burns, Shakespeare’s sonnets, as well as Appalachian folk songwriters like the beloved Ola Belle Reed. Another inspiration was my father, David Via, who is also a notable award-winning songwriter,” he explained. “The track features a dangerously powerful mandolin solo from producer Aaron Ramsey, who laid the hammer to it and had great musical interplay with dobro and bass player Jeff Partin,” he added.
Via on the “Melt in the Sun” Video
“The song’s title and psychedelic vibe made me think of no one other than claymation specialist Chloe Tyler to create and transport us into a magical world that chronicles a time-traveling alien space cowboy searching to bring back his lost love and find her within the abyss of mirrors and forsaken desert wasteland reminiscent of scenes from Dune or Beetlejuice,” Via said of the song’s video. “Chloe has recently sparked critical acclaim for her amazing work on Wyatt Flores’ recent cover artwork and associated artwork content.”
Mason Via’s self-titled album drops on April 25 via Mountain Fever Records.
Featured Image by Ashli Linkous
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