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Married life suits musicians, The Masons

By Staff | Mar 27, 2019

Husband and wife duo The Masons recently released a new album and are ready to take their unique Americana brand of country rock music on the road in 2019.

Based out of Audra, West Virginia, The Masons have been around for nearly 10 years and have released two full-length albums during that timeframe. The duo consists of Cindi and Skip Mason – both sharing vocal duties – while Cindi tackles the upright bass and Skip wields the acoustic guitar. Occasionally the duo becomes a trio and includes Mark Dinaldo on drums.

While the band is originally from West Virginia, they are also snowbirds, regularly spending their winters in Florida where there are ample opportunities for the band to bring their infectious blend of music to audiences. When the temperature begins to rise, The Masons trek back towards West Virginia, performing in various states along the way.

The Masons are storytellers, using their unique blend of genres to accentuate their ideas and speak to their audiences. ‘We love the story song, which conveys many messages through strong lyrics about everyday life,’ explained Cindi Mason. ‘We gravitate strongly towards songs that have upbeat, toe-tappin’ rhythms that make people feel good and have fun.’

With a focus on merging their Appalachian roots with their love of classic rock, The Masons have created an energetic fusion which has helped the band grow their fanbase throughout West Virginia, Florida and the surrounding states.

A mixture of artists has influenced The Masons’ sound, helping them to refine their Americana rock country vibe. Cindi explained that they are heavily influenced by bands of all genres but, ‘primarily from the 1970s as well as traditional Appalachian, from The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band to Hank Williams and Peter Rowan. It’s all in there somewhere, as we love to mix genres – often in the same song.’

The Masons released their first, self-titled album in 2014 and their latest album, Hard Life, in January of 2019.

Hard Life is a comical, upbeat look at the world, featuring songs detailing the ‘so-called difficulty of living in South Florida in the wintertime (Hard Life) and the ever-changing technical world to someone not born into that time (High Tech Blues)’. Other songs on the album include the ballad ‘Room on This Earth,’ and the bluesy ‘Arms,’ both examples of The Masons’ diverse style. Cover tunes, ‘Love at the Five and Dime’ and the classic ‘Ripple,’ reinforce The Masons’ attraction to the storytelling song. The CD finale, ‘Tax Lady Rag,’ is a toe-tappin’ instrumental wrap-up which showcases The Masons’ ability as instrumentalists as well as great storytellers.

Both albums are available for purchase on their website, www.themasonsacoustic.com/, www.CDBaby.com, and as digital downloads on various online platforms. Or, better yet, you can purchase merch in person whenever you catch one of The Masons’ many upcoming live performances.

The band has multiple shows planned for the upcoming spring and summer, explained Cindi. ‘Our April shows are in south Florida,’ said Mason, ‘but we return to West Virginia the first part of May and will be playing shows in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and surrounding states throughout May, June and through October. Those shows are listed on the website and we are adding shows frequently. All shows are also listed on all of our social media pages.’

Readers can keep up with all The Masons info by following them on various social media platforms, including www.facebook.com/themasonsacoustic, www.twitter.com/TheMasons2017 and www.instagram.com/themasonsacoustic.

Richard Allen is a freelance writer for various publications. He can be reached via email at richardallenwrites@gmail.com or at www.facebook.com/richardallenwrites