Wes Mason

With a radio-sensible sound that brings together the best of melodic acoustic and country pop, Toronto’s Wes Mason sounds genuine and masterful in his single “Worth It.” The 4-minute cut is a skillful track that combines apt guitar playing, slick vocals, and fantastic penmanship. Comparable to the likes of Ed Sheeran, Wes Mason is a charismatic singer whose story telling skills emanate beautifully in this beautifully written track.

Melodic and soulful, Mason sings from the heart as he laments over the anxiety and fear of falling in love. The overall message of the song is nothing revolutionary, but Mason’s artistry and lyricism allows “Worth It” to get past individuality and strike right at the listener’s heart.

“Worth It” has a fantastic production as well, one that allows all the elements of Mason’s charming cut to shine both individually and in cohesion. Every piece of the track from his elegant guitar playing to his melodic and calming vocals shows off Wes Mason’s skillful artistry.

The universality and radio-friendliness is what drives up the appeal of “Worth It.” It’s smart combination of a well-written song with a conventional theme and feel allows Mason to shine while melding well with contemporary charms. The anxiety of falling in love is a common feeling that Mason’s listeners will bond together with.

Wrapping up the wonderful aesthetic of “Worth It” is the genuine performance that Wes Mason delivers the song with. The song’s mild production is set to the perfect level of embellishment, with Mason’s own vocals carrying the feel of the song so that it is not too forced. Even Mason’s guitar playing feels more meaningful than skillful, allowing “Worth It” to feel like a genuine serenade to the heart rather than just a simple pop cut.

“Worth It” is a fantastic song that shows off Wes Mason’s skillful persona as a singer and a songwriter. The lack of flashiness may be a little underwhelming for some, however, the real appeal of the song is in Mason’s ability to deliver a soulful song from the heart. - 24Our Music

Canada has some of musics biggest stars including Drake,The Weekend, Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes. Following those footsteps is 18 year old “Wes Mason”. A singer/songwriter who’s style is best described as Coldplay meets Ed Sheeran, Mason as several accolades to his credit including winning “Best Young Songwriter” award at the 2016 Toronto Independent Music Awards, as well as placing finalist and semi-finalist in several international songwriting competitions. This week (Tuesday August 15th,2017) he released his self titled EP including the single “Worth It” http://tinyurl.com/ydxc2f5w . Rudy Blair Entertainment Media rudyblairmedia.com Chats with the budding star during the filming of his latest music video “Consequence”. https://www.wesmasonmusic.com - Rudy Blair Media

Hi Wes, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
I’ve been really good! I’ve had a lot of great ideas recently…
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Consequence“?
“Consequence” is a song about regret. It’s about losing someone important to you and realizing you made the worst mistake.
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
It was the summer of 2016. I wrote this song after going through a rough patch with my girlfriend. It’s about how I would have felt if we didn’t work things out.
Any plans to release a video for the single?
I have already released the official video to Youtube! It was filmed in Toronto, between Kensington Market and 401 Richmond. In the video, I am walking around an empty room surrounded by romantic memories. At the end, I get a surprise when I see her at a coffee shop.
Watch the music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ7SF1vo-fE
The single comes off your new self–titled EP – why naming the album after the band?
I thought a self titled EP would be best because it’s my first big release, and my first piece of work to show the world. Plus, these songs have been written over the past four years of my life and I couldn’t think of anything better that could represent the whole process in it’s entirety.
How was the recording and writing process?
For the most part, the writing process is kind of a blur. Some of these songs were written while I was quite young. However, the part I do remember is taking them into the studio and creating something incredible with them! It doesn’t get better than taking nothing but words and chords, and creating a whole new project.
You brought some special guests – did you handpick them or how did they come on board?
Fortunately, I’ve had the privilege of handpicking my team! My producer, Ben Pelchat, I’ve known since I was 10. He was my first guitar teacher. He’s at Kensington Sound and is super connected in the Toronto Music scene. I was lucky enough to have some of the best musicians in Toronto play on my record! Chris Sutherland on Drums and Chris Gartner on Bass guitar. It really made a massive difference! Plus, I was fortunate enough to get connected with Jim Sitterly (violinist) and Kevan Torfeh (Cellist) of the Hollywood Strings! It’s feels crazy having such incredible musicians on my debut EP. Once I started recording my EP, Ben also lined up PR (GLO Communications) and Radio (AM to FM Promotions). It really does take a team of people to pull it all together.
How has Ed Sheeran and Coldplay influenced your writing?
Coldplay and Ed Sheeran are the artists that best describe my sound. I have roots of being an acoustic singer/songwriter, but I’m heavily influenced by electronic music and experimental sounds much like modern day ColdPlay. Classic rock is another influence and I like to infuse other genres into my music as well.
What personal experiences did you get to dive into this album?
I have talked about multiple relationships in my songs “Consequence” and “Worth It”. “Consequence” is about my last girlfriend and I referenced the time we were up at my family’s cottage for a romantic weekend! But “Worth It” is influenced by essentially every relationship I’ve ever had. The other songs aren’t really about specific events, they are more or less about ideas that have inspired me. However, I must say my song “Slipping Away” is directly related to a period of time where I lost sight of what was important in my life and I was slipping away from reality.
Any plans to hit the road?
I just got back from a radio tour! We went to Halifax, Saskatoon, and Regina, and then an Ontario tour from Hamilton to Windsor, Barrie to Manitoulin Island, and then Kingston and Ottawa, my last stop. I was able to promote my EP and I play at a couple breweries along the way!
What else is happening next in Wes Mason‘s world?
I’m currently working on the next EP, that will be coming out at the beginning of 2018. I am very excited about this next one… big things are happening. But first, I am heading to South Africa over Christmas with my family!! My father was born there. It is going to be a great place to get inspired and I’m stoked to not only write new songs but record a video log! Stay tuned it’s going to be epic!

Read more at http://ventsmagazine.com/2017/11/23/interview-wes-mason/#8fFuOhkVYiDFVuI0.99 - VENTS Magazine

Ontario based artist, Wes Mason may only be 18 years old, but he’s been creating music since the age of 6, writing at 10 and is now one of Canada’s up & coming artists that you should be keeping an eye on. Wes released a brand new video for his first single, “Worth It” which will be on his upcoming debut EP to be released this fall. Check out the video below, and check out our Five Questions With segment to learn more about Wes Mason!

Care to introduce yourself to our readers?

I am a singer/songwriter from Rockwood Ontario and I mainly play the guitar and piano. I love the sound of live instruments but I am also very inspired by electronic music, so I usually tend to pull influences from all sorts of genres in my music.

Tell us a bit about your music and writing style.

My music is a mix of genres, making it Pop Contemporary Folk. It could also be described as a cross between Ed Sheeran and Coldplay. I often write my songs through storytelling and looking at situations from the positive side of things, while adding interesting instrumental elements to them.

Do you have any upcoming shows? For someone who has yet to see you live, how would you explain your live performance?

I will be adding live shows in July, which you can keep updated on at www.wesmasonmusic.com. I would describe my performance as an intimate singer/songwriter vibe. I play guitar while I sing, and for some performances I am joined by Ben Pelchet who plays rhythm guitar and sings background vocals with me.

If you were asked to suggest only one of your songs for someone to hear, which would it be?

If I was to suggest one of my songs to show a new listener, I would have to choose my latest single, Worth It. I believe Worth It is a good representation of my song writing style, how I like to write my songs and how I originally started with my music.

Canadian Beats is all about Canadian music, so who are your current favorite Canadian bands/ artists?

If I were to pick my top 3 favorite Canadian bands, they would have to be Arcade Fire, The Tragically Hip, and The Arkells. But my favorite Canadian Artist is Neil Young. - Canadian Beats Media