Mason Ramsey on crafting a coming-of-age debut album.
2024 is a year Mason Ramsey will always remember. In the future, he'll remember it as the year he sang his new single, “Blue Over You,” with Lana Del Rey at Fenway Park. He'll remember it as the year he officially entered young adulthood, turning 18 on November 16, during which he will be on a major 38-date tour across the US. But looking back, Ramsey will most likely think of 2024 as the year he released his first record, I'll See You in My Dreams.
“It's my coming-of-age album,” he said, after a day rehearsing in his Illinois studio. “I've been waiting a long time for this now—and I know my fans have as well.”
Both the 17-year-old singer and his growing fan base have been waiting for several years, ever since a video of him at 11 years old singing Hank Williams' classic, “Lovesick Blues,” went viral on the internet. While he has released three EPs and many singles, including holiday songs and the recent track “Shake Shake (All Night Long)” from the Twisters soundtrack, this is his first full-length album.
Despite the attention since the video went viral, Ramsey remains unfazed by the fact that this is his first full-length record. “No, I don't really feel any pressure,” he admitted. “It's just an exciting moment for me because it's my debut album, and I have more excitement than I do pressure.”
Writing All the Time
While he is known for his incredible voice, Ramsey has become a gifted songwriter as well, constantly jotting song lyrics and ideas down, which come when he's sleeping or working on his '68 Chevy pickup.
“I write all the time,” he said. “I'll be working on my truck and something will pop in my head, and I take it into the studio with me and be like, ‘I came up with this really cool idea.' And then my producer, Dan Fernandez, will play something on the piano or guitar and we'll build from there.”
This is how the name of the album (and its title track) originated. “My producer started playing something on the piano, and we didn't know what to call it,” he recalled. “But I really liked ‘I'll See You in My Dreams'—I felt like that would be pretty cool because I see my fans in my dreams.”
Like the '50s and '60s artists he grew up with, I'll See You in My Dreams is reminiscent of country and pop music from a bygone era when romance ruled the airwaves. This 14-song album demonstrates a voice and maturity that stretch far beyond his 17 years. Listening to Ramsey, he sounds like he was born in the wrong decade. His vocals wouldn't sound out of place in a 1957 Las Vegas diner jukebox.
From the nostalgic album opener, “All I Need Is You,” to the romantic closer, “I'll See You In My Dreams,” Ramsey's debut record is a memorable ride down more sentimental times and memories. The album includes snapshots like “The Woman From Havana” and the uplifting following track, “Joy,” both of which employ horns in different, powerful ways.
“Long before his viral moment in that Harrisburg, Illinois, Walmart, Ramsey was simply a little kid who loved the '50s and '60s music his grandparents would play around the house.”
In addition to Hank Williams, his musical idols include Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Donny Hathaway, Elvis, Ricky Nelson, and Buddy Holly, whom he discovered when he was six.
“I loved Buddy Holly too,” he said. “But I was raised on Hank Williams because my grandpa would always listen to that music in the house, in the garage…wherever he was, he was always listening to it. This was ever since I was one or two…so really since I was born.”
And as a sign of things to come, Ramsey began picking up and singing these songs at just two-and-a-half years old, already developing his own unique voice. He also connects through his open, accessible lyrics such as the poignant track “Family Pictures.”
“It's about my grandparents and my life, but it's also about other people who don't have families,” he said. “I try to write about other people as well.”
Fenway, and the Stage
In addition to Del Rey, his talent has attracted the attention of the Grand Ole Opry and Ellen DeGeneres, who hosted him on their shows. He was also included on one of Lil Nas X's remixes for “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus and Young Thug, and joined Lil Nas X to perform the song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.
“It was a magical moment for me,” he said about his Boston performance with Del Rey. “I had never been to Fenway Park.”
But it's playing live, on the stage in front of people, where Ramsey says he feels a real unique connection and bond with the audience.
“I love it when fans get to see me live just because, honestly, they get to see the real me on stage. That's really exciting for me.”
“I engage with the audience…the audience engages with me and it goes like that and I love it,” he said. “Even the people in the back, I try to connect with them too.”
He says that when he's on stage, he experiences a magic where the words and melodies take control of his body. “Being on stage is like having an out-of-body experience. From start to finish, I just let the music take over and focus on giving fans a great experience.”
School, Tour, Repeat
With his work intensifying, how does he manage a successful music career with schoolwork and normal life? “Very carefully,” he laughed. “It's not the easiest thing to do and you have to work in between things—in between shows and my schedule. I've been touring pretty non-stop this year, but I've been keeping on it and doing my schoolwork.”
And when he does have downtime, it's pretty simple. “I work on my vehicles, and I sleep and I take my vitamins and that's about it,” he laughed. “That's all I want and need, really.”
For the latest updates and to explore more of Mason Ramsey's music, visit masonramsey.com and follow him on Instagram @masonramsey.
Story by Gen Handley. Photos by Kristen Johnson, Alex Crawford, and Faith Nguyen. Originally published in Beach Happy Magazine, Fall 2024.
