19-year-old Eagle Mountain, Utah native, Mason Rupper, better known as MASN, wants you to come into the same world he’s in when he writes his songs. He recently dropped his new track “Fire” along with accompanying visuals, directed by Brendan Vaughn. “Fire” follows MASN’s latest release “Hate Me!” which came out last month. This new track is a prelude to MASN’s debut EP How To Kill A Rockstar,’ out August 21^st. 

The singer-songwriter broke onto the scene last year with his hit single “Psycho!” After the track dropped early last year, it exploded online and garnered millions of streams worldwide. Shortly after, he released “Val!um” and later “Psycho!” (Remix) featuring Trippie Redd which marked MASN’s first release with RCA Records. MASN’s expansive creative palette distills into a dreamy melting pot of lo-fi beatcraft, indie experimentation, hip-hop fluidity, and lush pop. VMAN spoke to MASN about his early inspirations and new music releases.

VMAN You’re from a small town in Utah, how did your parents react when you told them you wanted to be an artist?

MASN It was really cool actually. They were really skeptical at first obviously, but over time they saw how serious and invested I was into making it happen for myself so they were very supportive all around. There were times my mom was driving me to work construction every morning at 5am in the winter, and had she not done that for me I would’ve never been able to save money to record and support myself.

VM Were there any artists in your family or close friends who inspired you?

M None in my family, but there were a few friends of friends who I noticed doing music that kind of showed me how possible it actually is for the average person to get into.

VM How old were you when you picked up your first guitar and started writing songs?

M I picked up my first guitar when I was 4 years old but I never ever got serious with it. I would do little concerts in my driveway to nobody with a little toy guitar and then eventually a friend got me to take guitar as a class in 7th grade, but I still never progressed or played often. I fell in love with guitar and got really serious last summer, and I wrote my first song on my guitar this year.

VM When you started off making music for SoundCloud, what sound were you going for and for who?

M I was kind of just a melting pot of emo rap and indie rock from the beginning. I started out making music for friends. To this day I still do it for the people closest to me, and now the rest of the world.

VM What artists/bands do you look up to in music?

The 1975, Jeremy Zucker, Juice WRLD, and The Japanese House, to name a few.

VM Your song “Psycho!” racked up millions of audio and video streams, why do you think so many people can relate to that song?

I think it carries a relatable tone of angst towards something that makes you “go psycho”, whatever that may be.

VM What were you going through when you wrote “Hate Me!”?

M Nothing. It’s like I was a courier for that song, a messenger. My subconscious kind of delivered it through experiences I’ve had vicariously through friends that have had toxic/chaotic back and forth relationships.

VM In your new single “Fire” you sing “light a fire in my heart” what ignites that fire in you?

M Lots of things. Songs I love, people I love, love in general, adrenaline. Just living fast and passionately in the direction that makes me smile the most.

VM What was the concept behind the music video for “Fire”?

M I kind of wanted to build my “bedroom” in nature—which just consisted of a mattress on top of a mountain—and tell the story that way. I did this because, to me, it fits nature’s themes of vulnerability and intimacy, along with its beauty and rawness. It’s just authentic.

VM What do you hope people get from your debut EP, How to Kill a Rockstar?

M I hope they get a place to go whenever they want that feels like home. Somewhere they can pick the song and sit in their car watching a sunset to just de-stress or reflect on whatever situation they might be dealing with. Whether they are alone, or just want to have a good time with friends, I want it to be an experience.

Click here to stream MASN’s new EP How to Kill a Rockstar now!