Mason Via’s new single, “Melt in the Sun,” may have had the wildest, most varied inspiration of any bluegrass song to date. Originally influenced by Via’s attendance at The War on Drugs’ sunset performance at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, the former Old Crow Medicine Show band member sat down to write some sort of psychedelic indie rock song, but what came out of his pen and onto his page were lyrics influenced by timeless poets like Robert Burns and Appalachian folk songwriters like Ola Belle Reed. A few centuries' worth of influence and a string band twist produced what ended up being Via’s favorite song from his upcoming self-titled album—out April 25th on Mountain Fever Records.
“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 based around it,” says Via with a laugh. “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 & bass player Jeff Partin.” The song’s title and psychedelic vibe inspired Via to reach out to claymation specialist Chloe Tyler—who recently sparked critical acclaim for her work with Wyatt Flores—to animate a music video, or in Via’s words, “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.” Tyler captured Via’s, and the song’s, energy beautifully. Check out the music video for “Melt in the Sun” right here.
“Melt in the Sun” is the latest single from Mason Via’s upcoming self-titled LP. With its acoustic arrangements and top-shelf flatpicking Mason Via was inspired by the music he heard as a child in Appalachia, raised in two mountain towns that straddled the Virginia/North Carolina border. One parent lived in Danbury, North Carolina, and the other lived in Patrick County, Virginia. Via spent time in both homes, absorbing the musical traditions of an area that hosted fiddlers conventions, banjo competitions, and campfire jams. Mason Via is a grand return to his bluegrass-centric roots, gaining a new perspective on his Appalachian musical upbringing after touring the country a few times.
Fans can stream or purchase “Melt In The Sun” today at this link, hear Via’s previously-released singles “Fireball,” “There Goes Another One,” “Falling,” and “Wide Open,” at their respective links, and stay up to date on the album ahead of its April 25th release on Mountain Fever Records right here.
Catch Mason Via On Tour:
March 21 - St. Petersburg, FL - Seven C Music & Coffee
March 23 - Wayne, PA - 118 North#
March 25 - Brooklyn NY - Skinny Dennis#
March 26 - Cambridge MA - Club Passim#
March 28 - Indianapolis, IN - LO-FI Lounge#
April 10 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark^
April 11 - Peninsula, OH - GAR Hall
April 12 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall^
April 13 - Mineral Point, WI - The Mineral Opera House^
April 15 - Columbus, OH - Rumba Cafe
April 17 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Pour House^
April 18 - High Point, NC - COHAB SPACE^
April 22 - Chattanooga, TN - The Barrelhouse Ballroom^
April 23 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall^
April 24 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird^
April 25 - Atlanta, GA - Steve’s Back Deck*
April 26 - Gainesville, Fl - Heartwood Soundstage (Album Release Show)
May 1 - Atlanta, GA - Red Light Cafe
May 7 - Birmingham, AL - Avondale Brewing Company
May 9 - Nashville, TN - The Basement
May 16 - Galax, VA - Rex Theater
May 17 - Fayetteville, WV - Mitchapalooza
May 30 - Panama City Beach, FL - Gulf Coast Jam
June 6 - Wake Forest, NC - Wake Forest Listening Room
July 19 - Nashville, IN - Hard Truth Hills Distillery
^supporting Sierra Hull
#supporting Logan Ledger
*with Surrender Hill
For all tour dates and ticket information, please visit masonvia.com.
