Meet Kennie Mason of Riverside

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kennie Mason.

Hi Kennie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, I’m Kennie, I was born and raised in Jacksonville and I’m the artist behind the band Siichaq. I don’t remember ever wanting to do anything besides make music. My dad is a drummer (he played on all the tracks from our first record), and I must’ve gotten the music ‘bug’ from him. I used to get up on the fireplace mantle with my pink microphone and make everybody listen to me recite Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Around 13, I began to take music more seriously. I had been struggling with mental illness for several years at that point, and it all came to a head when I went through wilderness therapy and a stint in a therapeutic boarding school. Music was a coping mechanism from then on, a lifeline of sorts. My songwriting was atrocious. I look back now and cringe, but it was necessary for survival and the foundation of my writing today. Eventually, my family helped me to start recording my music professionally after a couple of years of playing gigs here and there. We made an entire album and released it, but it’s been scrubbed from the internet now. When I reached my sophomore year of high school, I connected with a group of kids from Fletcher (I did online school after the wilderness therapy debacle), and we started a band called Hensley. We played shows all around Jacksonville and did pretty well, but it was mostly just fun, I think, looking back on it. Eventually, that fell apart as everybody splintered off after graduation. I was in a couple of other bands after that before finally deciding it was time to start something of my own.

I knew my music had to be a vehicle for communicating a message. I wanted to create a project where I had the freedom to express my ideas about politically charged topics like feminism, anti-capitalism, native land rights, anti-war, and gun control. I also wanted a space to be vulnerable about my feelings and experiences, so the idea of being a ‘solo’ artist seemed like the best route. The name Siichaq comes from my Inupiat heritage and is my indigenous name, so it felt perfectly fitting for a project like this- personal, raw, unabashedly opinionated. While Siichaq is technically a solo project, it would undeniably only exist with the collaboration of so many incredible artists, most of whom are local. With the help of my producer and engineer, Drew Portalatin, we picked out the songs for the record and tracked them at Pine Studio in Murray Hill. My dad played drums, and Drew and I traded off on the other instruments, but he brought the record to life. We realized it was time to put together a live band during the recording process. I agreed to play a show before I had a band together, so with a four-month deadline, I scrambled to assemble a live crew. I was fortunate. Daniel Hubert, Cameron Korn, Mary Belichis, and my dad, Eric Mason, were the original group. My dad had to resign as he was leaving to tour with his other band, so Liam Murphy stepped in. They’re some of the kindest, most talented people I’ve ever met and worked with, and none of it would be possible without their contributions. Now, our first album, My Dog Ate My Patriotism, is out, and the plan is to play a bunch of shows, local and otherwise, and keep writing and recording. There’s a lot in the works for next year as well, and we’re just really stoked to get the music out there in the world and to keep using this medium to promote good things!

It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
To say that I have struggled as an artist would be a blatant denial of the privileges I possess. Emotionally, I struggled horribly for many years, and some of my musical pursuits exacerbated those struggles, but I am otherwise extremely fortunate (and doing very well now!). My family and friends are beyond supportive and understanding of my musical endeavors. I have never had to fear an unstable life if a music career isn’t viable, and that is a privilege I will never take for granted. With that being said, it is my duty as a person born into privilege to wield it responsibly by advocating for an equitable society and government. It is a responsibility I take seriously and one of the main objectives of this project!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The truth is that the most important thing about music is its ability to make the world better. I’m not a good instrumentalist; I’m not even a good singer, But the lyrical content sets me apart from others. I’m passionate about writing and connecting with others, but I’m also driven by a need to create songs that provoke more profound thought about our current social and governmental systems. Though this isn’t a new concept, don’t get me wrong. Punk music has been around for ages, long before I was even born, and to suggest that my lyrics are somehow revolutionary would be asinine. I guess I mean that I’ve found an odd balance between showing the audience my soft spots, baring my soul to the world, and raging about how much I dislike the government. I’m occasionally proud of the words in the songs. Still, I’m pleased that I was able to cultivate such a wonderful community of artists that continuously elevate the project and encourage me.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
It means the world to me that anybody took the time out of their day to read this. Thank you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siichaq/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@siichaq?si=Y5wpRfwifZABA5kB
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@siichaq

Image Credits
Brooke Jennings