Song Premiere: Mason Summit’s ‘Stick It Out’
Some jangly guitar, a little keyboard jam, some positive lyrics. Sounds like the recipe for a nice little power-pop record. That would be Mason Summit‘s “Stick It Out,” the lead single from the 21-year-old Santa Monica singer-songwriter’s fourth album, “Summer Cold,” due Jan. 19.
Pauseandplay.com gives you a preview of “Summer Cold” with the exclusive premiere of “Stick It Out” (click below).
Summit says he was raised on the music of Elvis Costello, Elliott Smith and The Beach Boys, so that explains the power-pop influences.
“I wrote ‘Stick It Out’ in late summer of 2015, right before starting a gap year in between high school and college,” Summit says, “during which time I recorded my last record, ‘Gunpowder Tracks.’ It’s basically a song about feeling paralyzed with anxiety and fear about the future, but resolving to power through it.”
About that keyboard jam: Summit’s Facebook page includes a photo he had taken with The Band’s legendary keyboardist, Garth Hudson. Did meeting Hudson last March prompt the idea?
“I’m really glad you asked about Garth,” Summit says. “I was lucky enough to be a part of a Band tribute concert benefiting the Autism Think Tank, produced by the Wild Honey organization. Garth and his wife participated and playing with them was one of the best experiences of my life. Every single member of The Band has had a huge influence on me in some way, from Rick Danko’s melodic bass playing, Levon’s groove, Garth’s all-around wizardry and, of course, Richard Manuel’s voice. Richard and Garth definitely inspired me to work on my keyboard skills.”
Like his previous albums – “Absentee” (2012), “Loud Music & Soft Drinks” (2014) and 2016’s “Gunpowder Tracks” – Summit self-produced “Summer Cold.” He says he didn’t have a set agenda for his fourth album.
“I didn’t really go in to this one thinking I was making an album,” he says. “I kind of got really attached to the demos I was making of my new songs, and realized it would be counterintuitive to try and recreate them in a studio. So that’s what most of the album is … I tracked a few songs with my band and John McDuffie at his studio.
“Mainly, I wanted to make my most personal and vulnerable record, both in terms of the songs themselves and the performances of them; a good-sounding record that still preserved the imperfect, human aspects of the performances.”
Summit studies songwriting at the USC Thornton School of Music and is a big supporter of social causes. He has performed at events for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Free Arts for Abused Children, and the Autism Think Tank.
About the Author
Gerry Galipault Gerry Galipault debuted Pause & Play online in October 1997. Since then, it has become the definitive place for CD-release dates — with a worldwide audience.
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