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Finding His Voice: Mason Ramsey on Crafting a Coming-of-Age Debut Album
Dreams, Duets, and Debut Magic!
2024 is a year Mason Ramsey will always remember. In the future, he’ll remember it as the year he sang his new single, “Blue Over You,” with Lana Del Rey at Fenway Park. He’ll remember it as the year he officially entered young adulthood, turning 18 years old on November 16, during which he will be on a major 38-date tour across the US. But looking back, Ramsey will most likely think of 2024 as the year when he released his first record, I’ll See You in My Dreams, on September 20th.
“It’s my coming-of-age album,” he said, after a day rehearsing in his Illinois studio. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this now—and I know my fans have as well.”
Both the 17-year-old singer and his growing fan base have been waiting for several years now, ever since a video of him at 11 years old singing Hank Williams’ classic, “Lovesick Blues,” went viral on the internet. While he has released three EPs and many singles, including holiday songs and the recent track, “Shake Shake (All Night Long)” from Twisters movie soundtrack, this is his first full-length album.
Despite the attention he’s received since the video went viral, Ramsey doesn’t feel any added pressure because this is his first full-length record. He seems to be enjoying this moment in his life.
“No, I don’t really feel any pressure,” he admitted. “It’s just an exciting moment for me because it’s my debut album, and I have more excitement than I do pressure.”
While he is known for his incredible voice, Ramsey has become a gifted songwriter as well, constantly jotting song lyrics and ideas down, which come when he’s sleeping or working on his ’68 Chevy pickup.
“I write all the time,” he said. “I’ll be working on my truck and something will pop in my head, and I take it into the studio with me and be like, ‘I came up with this really cool idea.’ And then my producer, Dan Fernandez, will play something on the piano or guitar and we’ll build from there.”
This is how the name of the album (and its title track) originated. Ramsey said it is one of his favorite songs on the new album, but it also felt like a message to his fans, in a way.
“My producer started playing something on the piano, and we didn’t know what to call it,” he remembered. “But I really liked ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’—I felt like that would be pretty cool because I see my fans in my dreams.”
Like the ‘50s and ‘60s artists he grew up with, I’ll See You in My Dreams is reminiscent of country and pop music from a bygone era when romance ruled the airwaves. This album is 14 songs that demonstrate a voice and maturity that stretch far beyond his 17 years, making the possibility of future music even more exciting. Like Lana Del Rey who he sang with, listening to Ramsey, he sounds like he was born in the wrong decade. His vocals wouldn’t sound out of place in a 1957 Las Vegas diner jukebox.
From the nostalgic album opener, “All I Need Is You,” to the romantic closer, “I’ll See You In My Dreams,” Ramsey’s debut record is a memorable ride down more sentimental times and memories. The album includes snapshots like “The Woman From Havana” and the uplifting following track, “Joy,” both of which employ horns in different, powerful ways. The haunting, beautiful “Blue Over You,” which he sang with Del Rey, is also included, showcasing the incredible control and range Ramsey’s voice has developed over the years.
However, long before his viral moment in that Harrisburg, Illinois, Walmart, Ramsey was simply a little kid who loved the ‘50s and ‘60s music his grandparents would play around the house.
In addition to Hank Williams, his musical idols include Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Donny Hathaway, Elvis, Ricky Nelson, and Buddy Holly, whom he discovered when he was six.
“I loved Buddy Holly too,” he said. “But I was raised on Hank Williams because my grandpa would always listen to that music in the house, in the garage…wherever he was, he was always listening to it. This was ever since I was one or two…so really since I was born.”
And as a sign of things to come, Ramsey began picking up and singing these songs at just two-and-a-half years old, already developing his own unique voice. Part of that unique voice is finding ways to connect with his audience, such as through intimate VIP events and performances where he’ll meet and talk to fans. He also connects through his open, accessible lyrics such as the poignant track, “Family Pictures,” which he wrote about his personal experiences as well as the listener’s circumstances and perspective.
“It’s about my grandparents and my life, but it’s also about other people who don’t have families,” he said about where he gets his inspiration. “I try to write about other people as well.”
But it’s playing live, on the stage in front of people, where Ramsey says he feels a real unique connection and bond with the audience.
“I love it when fans get to see me live just because, honestly, they get to see the real me on stage,” he said. “That’s really exciting for me.”
“I engage with the audience…the audience engages with me and it goes like that, and I love it,” he said of this relationship. “Even the people in the back, I try to connect with them too.”
Ramsey has an empathy and desire to write from other perspectives and themes that are much more mature than his 17 years. His strong work ethic and grounded attitude have helped him maintain a work-life balance.
With his work intensifying and becoming busier and busier, how does he manage a successful music career with schoolwork and normal life?
“Very carefully,” he laughed. “It’s not the easiest thing to do and you have to work in between things—in between shows and my schedule. I’ve been touring pretty non-stop this year, but I’ve been keeping on it and doing my schoolwork.”
In addition to Del Rey, his talent has attracted the attention of many names including the Grand Ole Opry and Ellen DeGeneres, who hosted him on their popular shows. He was also included on one of Lil Nas X’s remixes for his massive hit, “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus and Young Thug. He also joined Lil Nas X to perform the song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
“It was a very magical moment for me,” he said about his Boston performance with Del Rey. “I had never been to Fenway Park.”
He says that when he’s on stage, he experiences a magic where the words and melodies take control of his body.
“Being on stage is like having an out-of-body experience,” he said. “From start to finish, I just let the music take over and focus on giving fans a great experience.”
With the rest of 2024 packed with exciting plans as well as any other surprises his burgeoning career will bring, Ramsey said that between trying to graduate from high school and tour as a successful musician, there isn’t much time to relax. But when he does have downtime, it’s pretty simple.
“I work on my vehicles, and I sleep and I take my vitamins, and that’s about it,” he laughed. “That’s all I want and need, really.”
