Mason Summit's "Two Friends" Music Video Premiere

Just Out Today!  Brand new video from Mason Summit
"Two Friends"

 
Teen Pop-Americana artist, Mason Summit releases the video, "Two Friends" from his just-released sophmore effort, Loud Music and Soft Drinks. 




LISTEN:  https://soundcloud.com/masonsummit

http://masonsummit.com/



Praise for Loud Music and Soft Drinks:
 
"I’m mad about Mason Summit (& His New CD – ‘Loud Music and Soft Drinks’)...there are elements inherent in his music that remind me of the endless energy and possibility of young adulthood — the cool, the self-edited drama and the ability to rebound from any dark place the music goes. The words and notes he sings and plays fall upon the ear like moments of discovery, each of which string together to fully explore whatever idea or feeling he is trying to convey."--Parcbench
 
"Since I loved Mason Summit's debut CD, Absentee, it goes without saying that I was looking forward to the youthful singer/songwriter's next effort.  He didn't disappoint me.  Country, Americana, blues, event bits of punk are still the fuel for this now eighteen year old musical wiz who has further hones not only his songwriting talents but his musical and vocal prowess as well."--Music Morsels

MASON SUMMIT FOLLOWS HIS 2013 DEBUT WITH THE UPCOMING RECORD,
LOUD MUSIC & SOFT DRINKS

New Songs Demonstrate That Summit Is Already Ahead Of The Curve

Mason Summit came upon the music scene in 2013 at the age of seventeen when he released his debut record, Absentee, to critical acclaim.  Music News Nashville said of Summit, “There’s a grace in his pen and vocal expression that shows a mature artist in the making.”  Summit proves the theory with his sophomore effort, Loud Music & Soft Drinks. 
 
The record is self-produced and again has the artistry of John Groover McDuffie on engineering, mixing and mastering.  Playing several instruments on the record (electric and acoustic guitars-including 12 string, bass and organ), Summit once again brings in a crack team of musicians to round out the sound. McDuffie, who has been Rita Coolidge’s guitarist for many years, wears a second hat as a player, adding electric, pedal steel and lap steel guitars. Zander Schloss (Circle Jerks, The Weirdos) returns to play bass on a few songs, as does Jason Chesney (Old Californio).  Summit enlisted both Shawn Nourse (I See Hawks in LA, Dwight Yoakam) and Lynn Coulter (Rita Coolidge, Carole King) on drums, and Carl Byron (Bo Diddley, Tony Gilkyson) on keys.  James King of Fitz & the Tantrums makes a guest appearance on the song “Right Mind,” arranging and playing on a 3-saxophone-horn section.  He also jumps in to play flute on “Kaleidoscope.”
 
“With Loud Music & Soft Drinks, I wanted the album to have a unified sound while still being varied in subject and structure,” said Summit. “I also tried to experiment a little more by adding new instruments and trying out different recording techniques.”  One example of the experimentation is McDuffie’s reversed guitar on the song “My Blank Canvas.”
 
The song “Two Friends” kicks off the record.  “I wanted to write about a platonic relationship and to have it be lyrically detailed and as personal as possible without drawing on my own life for inspiration,” said Summit.  The Spanish-influenced “Kaleidoscope” was actually written while in Spain and is played on classical guitar.  “In a Lonely Place” shares a title with the Nicholas Ray film as a noir homage. It was written with a political bent, with intent to bring attention to the fact that Los Angeles is the homeless capital of the country and the government’s inability and unwillingness to change that. 
 
“Puddle” and “Later” are two instrumental tracks on the album and were lent to a video produced by the charity Free Arts for Abused Children.  Summit ends the record with “My Blank Canvas,” a personal mission statement about the necessity to create art. “My Blank Canvas” also featured in the Free Arts video.
 
 
Admitting to a retro sound and naming several of his influences (The Smiths, Big Star, Harry Nilsson), Summit claims to be influenced by whomever he is listening to when he writes.  “While writing Loud Music & Soft Drinks, I was obsessed with Elvis Costello, particularly early albums like This Year’s Model, Armed Forces, and Imperial Bedroom.” (Summit’s back cover photo slightly mimics the artist’s record, My Aim Is True).  However, Summit’s songs are not derivative.   He brings his own perspective and experiences to both the lyrics and the arrangements of the songs. 
 
Summit has not only been recording Loud Music and Soft Drinks this year, he also recorded a self-titled EP with his side project, The Clowns Will Eat Me. Along with playing live to hone his performance skills, he also continues to host the teen entertainment series that he founded, Mason’s Noise Parlour. Taking place at Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center in Venice, CA, Mason’s Noise Parlour combines words and music and creates a much-needed artistic outlet for the young adult community. 
 
Growing up with a mother who is a writer and a father who was a musician and actor encouraged Summit’s gravitation towards the arts.  His parents would take him to concerts and folk festivals as a baby and raised him to a soundtrack of Johnny Cash, The Doors, Janis Joplin and Buddy Holly. Summit’s father, Christopher Allport, showed him his first chords and they would play Johnny Cash songs together at open-mic nights around town. 
 
“I think I just listen to music that might not be what other mainstream artists listen to today, and write about some different topics,” said Summit.  “I’ve been raised with a big frame of reference, from Americana-loving parents to a jazz-based guitar teacher.  When I write, it’s a weird and unintentional blend of these and other styles.  I also write about my experience as a California teenager in 2014.  I’m not sure if that perspective is lacking in today’s music world, or if it’s shared by other artists, but it’s certainly my own.” 
 
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PUBLICITY: Kim Grant Kim@KGMusicPress.com