Vincent Mason wants to visit NZ: “We’d have a good time out there”

Country music's global boom is something Vincent Mason is experiencing firsthand, and the rising US artist says it's still surreal knowing fans in places like New Zealand are connecting with his music.

Speaking to iHeartCountry this morning, Vincent reflected on how quickly things have changed since he first picked up a guitar and started writing songs while at university.

“You don't even think about country songs reaching the whole US,” Vincent said, admitting that international success was never part of the plan when he first started making music. “I wasn't really sure if anybody was ever going to hear stuff when I was first starting. I was just kind of writing songs because that's what I liked to do and singing because that's what I like to do.”

Now, with a growing catalogue of fan-favourite songs, support slots alongside some of country's biggest stars, and a high-profile duet with Stella Lefty, Vincent is watching his audience expand far beyond the United States. He said it's been “really cool” to see both his audience and country music itself continue to grow around the world.

What makes Vincent's story even more remarkable is that music wasn't always the dream.

“I never thought I'd be doing this at all,” he said. “I loved music and it was always important to me, but I never saw that or dreamed of it really. I just kind of stumbled into it.” Vincent said everything changed after writing his first song, describing it as something he loved “more than anything I'd ever done before.”

Away from the stage, fans have also fallen in love with Vincent's duet Something to Lose and his relationship with fellow singer-songwriter Stella Lefty. While both artists maintain busy touring schedules, Vincent said they make the relationship work by meeting wherever the other person happens to be.

“We actually spend a lot of time together,” he explained. “It's not really a long-distance relationship. It's just a travelling relationship.”

Vincent also spoke about what it means to perform on the legendary Grand Ole Opry stage, describing it as both “an honour and a privilege”. As someone who fell deeply in love with country music while at university, he said stepping into the iconic Opry circle connects him with the genre's rich history.

“I think the coolest part about country music is you can't really make anything new,” he said. “You can't reinvent the wheel. You can't sing about something that hasn't been sung before in some way. But you can tell your story.”

The singer is also preparing for more dates with Parker McCollum, an artist Vincent says had a huge influence on him during his early songwriting years.

“Parker was my favourite,” he said, recalling the artists who helped shape his love of country music while studying at Ole Miss.

And when the conversation turned to the possibility of bringing that tour to this side of the world, Vincent sounded more than keen.

“That'd be a good one to do it with,” he said. “I would come out to New Zealand with Parker. We'd have a good time out there.”

For Kiwi country fans hoping to see Vincent Mason on local stages in the future, that's a very promising sign.

And if Parker decides to come too, even better!

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Hear Vincent Mason, Parker McCollum and Stella Lefty and more of your favourite country artists on iHeartCountry NZ by using the player below.