Photo courtesy of Preemo

Like anyone in their early 20s, Leah Mason has spent the last few years navigating the passage into adulthood. Life, love and everything in between made its way onto her debut album, HEXED.

When Mason released her debut EP, Honeydew & Hennessy, she quickly emerged as one of Nashville’s rising talents in the country music scene. It is an EP that she cherishes, from its creation to its release. However, she knew that when it came time for a full-length album, she wanted to try something completely different.

The creative process of HEXED was the polar opposite of Honeydew & Hennessy. Pushing the boundaries of her artistry was important to her, and she took two goals into the studio: not having an ego and remaining open-minded during its creation.

“If I feel boxed in or feel like I’m being told what to do instead of it being more of an open conversation, I shut off completely,” she said “There has to be mutual respect and understanding for a session to be great.”

The first boundary she pushed was leaving familiar landscapes and traveling to Sweden to work with producer Simon Jonasson. In just under three weeks, Mason emerged from the studio with a batch of songs that pushed another boundary - transitioning from country to pop.

“I think a lot of the music I made in the past was to please a specific audience, and I wanted to focus on making music for myself first and foremost, even if it meant starting over in a way,” she said. “I think it’s so important to be true to yourself if you want happiness and satisfaction in the long term.”

There are two songs that stand out to her. “Insomnia” is the only real love song on the album, and she thinks that its bright, fun-loving energy is one her listeners will enjoy the most. “Midas Touch” was the most challenging song to write, but once it finally came together, it was such a satisfying feeling that it became her favorite on the album.

Her time in Sweden taught her that making music should spark joy. She felt genuine happiness when writing and recording the 13 tracks that make up HEXED, and wants to make sure that all her music opportunities moving forward feel the same way.

“Now that I know what that feels like, I refuse to settle for anything less,” she said.

Leah Mason said that heartbreak, anger, resentment, betrayal and frustration were all emotions that made their way from her real life to her music, but so did love, confidence and speaking her mind. HEXED is a raw, spiritual look into her early adulthood. Bottling it up and releasing it into 13 songs has taught her a lot about herself as an artist and as a person. From here on out, her music will be just as personal.