Meet Ari Mason | vocalist, producer, and viola da gamba player

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ari Mason and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ari, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
All of the inside jokes hidden in the music you hear. I have two sides to my career: I produce and release my own music, and I work with composers in television and film, singing and playing viola da gamba on their scores and occasionally producing. The composer with whom I work most often is a close friend of mine, and we’ve known each other half our lives. Working in entertainment can be difficult because you don’t always know who’s in your corner, but when you have long-term, close friendships with collaborators, everything feels safe and effortless. If you’re watching a TV show or film and the composer has brought on musicians they’ve worked with often, there’s bound to be quite a bit of silliness going on in there. The last big show I sang on, Jupiter’s Legacy on Netflix, had so much of that woven throughout the score.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My solo music is kind of whatever I want it to be, and I love that. When I first started producing and singing, I was making music for a specific subculture. I made what I thought they wanted to hear. The labels to which I was signed had a very specific audience, and I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, so I was churning out this darker, 80’s-sounding stuff. But after a couple of albums, it felt inauthentic, so I went back to my roots in ancient music. I put out an album of renaissance motets. Then I started making music in different styles and genres. Every song was different…indie pop, something minimalist, something maximalist, a song with flamenco guitars. People love to categorize, and I didn’t quite fit in any particular genre anymore, so I released the music on my own instead of on labels–even if it meant my audience wouldn’t expand from their built-in followers. I lost some of my listeners because of this shift, but I don’t mind that that all. Some of them simply didn’t like the new sounds. Some of them didn’t like my aesthetic changes, either. I started doing collage for my cover art, which was a hobby I’d had for years but never dreamed of using in conjunction with my music. I used to wear this dark, heavy eye makeup and blood-red lipstick, but suddenly I wasn’t wearing any makeup, and I was using collage to put myself in different environments that I liked. Everything about my appearance became less performative and more authentic. I had to overcome the innate people-pleaser in me in order to stay true to myself. It wasn’t easy, but I’m so glad I did.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This was my pre-pandemic itinerary for visitors: first we’d to Fred 62 for lunch and malted milkshakes. Then we’d meander around Los Feliz, stopping at Wacko to look at fun, goofy things (and I’d end up buying a ton of their oils, as per usual), Squaresville for some vintage shopping, Spellbound Sky for candles, and maybe head to Magpie’s for some soft serve and Crossroads Trading next door. Since we’re in the area, might as well stop at the Silverlake dog park and pet everyone’s dogs. We could end the night with a drink at Edendale. The next day we’d go to the tar pits, LACMA, and peruse around Melrose Ave, maybe heading towards Hamburger Mary’s in WeHo or Fat Sal’s to split a huge sandwich. At some point in the trip we’d go to Amoeba Records, then The Record Parlour, obligatory In-N-Out, and Mashti Malone’s Ice Cream. We could catch a movie at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (RIP Cinerama Dome). It’s fun to do the touristy stuff, so we’d search for some Hollywood stars on the walk of fame and maybe go to one of the wax museums or Ripley’s. We’d need a day for the Natural History Museum. Closer to my neighborhood, we could get some herbs and trinkets at Pan’s Apothika, head to one of Boba Time’s locations (since my punch card might be full), do an escape room at Escape Hotel Hollywood, and dinner at either Sake House or Stone Grill on Vermont for Korean BBQ. Maybe later in the evening, The Lash will have some good music playing or a show happening. On the last day, The Geffen, The Last Bookstore, and dinner at The Little Easy downtown. I know I’m missing so many things! But the best part of Los Angeles is discovering new things to do along the way.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is dedicated to the best composers I’ve ever worked with, Stephanie Economou and Jon Monroe.

Website: arimasonmusic.com

Instagram: arimasonmusic

Facebook: https://facebook.com/AriMasonMusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/arimason

Image Credits
Ari Mason