Looking for new music to listen to doesn’t have to be as much of a search as you might think. Aspiring artists can be found anywhere and senior Mason Doan is just one example of an artist who’s not too far from home.
Doan’s interest in music has been apparent since he was a child.
“I played the piano for 10 years of my life, and that musical background [inspired me to make music],” Doan said. “It definitely motivated me to just [be] like ‘Oh, I want to compose my own music and just create my own art and express myself through that way.’”
Other than his piano background being a catalyst for love for music, he notes that his biggest inspiration is definitely his brother.
“He’s a great inspiration because he’s very hardworking and it kind [of] translates to my work ethic,” Doan said.
Expressing himself is important to Doan and through his music, he passes onto the world the ideashe wants people to hear. With such personal messages, it’s no wonder that he stands out from the crowd.
“Maybe people might not see it that way but I feel like if you’re your own artist, then you see yourself differently from other people and it’s just like the message I incorporate into my music,” he said.
Though, Doan remains humble and notes that he’s still growing as an artist.
“I’m just very passionate about music and being able to express myself creatively and I feel like I still have a lot to learn,” Doan said.
His passion for music really shows in how he’s released 15 songs in the past year and a half alone, with three of them being a part of his EP “tint.” Doan first started releasing music online in mid-2020 and since then, has been exploring different genres.
“I started off with making rap music [to] hip-hop music. Now I started exploring different genres such as, like, lo-fi or lo-fi alternative and R&B. Currently, I am making a lot of R&B music; it’s just what I like,” Doan said.
His earlier songs “coast,” “DIGI” and “PG13” are more reminiscent of hip-hop whereas his more recent singles “company” and “we don’t care” lean more towards slow and alternative R&B. His most recent song, “company,” in particular is quite different from his other works and could be described as “dreamlike;” his singing echoes throughout as if he’s in an empty stadium and the instrumental consists of a slow and melodic beat.
For those interested in strictly conventional R&B, his EP “tint” is filled with songs worth listening to. The first track “wya?” consists of faster beats and is performed with a mix of melodic rapping and singing that Doan does best in. The second track “with me” is a nice mix of slow and fast beats. Finally, his last track “bonafide” ends his EP in a sadder tone with its acoustic instrumental.
In regards to future projects, Doan is working on a future album called “tenfold.”
“It’s just a composition of just like my life experiences and like the painful lessons to the really fruitful lessons,” Doan said. “I think it shows a lot of my artistic development.”
While Doan plans to release “tenfold” in the future, music right now is just a hobby for him.
“I would like to pursue music but at the same time, it’s just kind of like, I like to keep it personal and just like I’m happy doing what I like to do,” Doan said.
Doan’s songs are available on Soundcloud, Spotify and Apple Music for anyone who wishes to listen to his music, and you can keep up with him on Instagram @masndoan. He also recently released a song called “untouchable” two weeks ago on Nov. 22, which is out on all platforms.
For those interested in either hip-hop, R&B or other aligning genres, Mason Doan is definitely someone to look out for.
