We were lucky to catch up with Kennie Mason recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kennie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I have worked on is Siichaq, the musical project that I am pursuing now! I have been involved in several bands and made solo music in the past, all of which brought a lot of joy into my life. However, in the past, my motivation for creating art has centered mainly around the enjoyment I derive from making it and the catharsis of creative expression. I still do genuinely love the process of making and performing music, but Siichaq is now a platform for social and political commentary.
The name Siichaq comes from my Inuit heritage and is the name I was given by my Inuit family when I was born. I selected the name with the hopes of starting conversations about my Inuit heritage, which I am still continually learning about. One of the goals of this project is to bring more attention to my heritage and to learn along with my audience so that there can be a productive and educational dialogue surrounding Inuit people’s history, land rights, and culture.
With advocacy at the forefront of my mind when starting this project, I have set out to write music that opens up broader discussions about topics that I am passionate about–human rights, social justice, reproductive rights, anti-war advocacy, and equality. Not all of the music is explicitly political or angry, but it all comes from a place of intention, care, and honesty. I think that ultimately, the aim of Siichaq is to approach creativity with as much sensitivity and authenticity as possible, and hope that it inspires people to be aware of the state of the world and how that impacts themselves and others. Music and art alone cannot fix everything, but I hope it can at least serve as a tool for reflection and motivation to make the world a better place!

Kennie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

For anybody I haven’t met yet, hello! My name is Kennie Mason, I am a 22 year old Florida-native and the artist behind Siichaq. I grew up surrounded by music because my dad is a drummer, and it has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was given toy instruments as gifts for holidays before graduating to a real guitar at 13, which is when I began writing my own (very, very bad) music. It has been the sun around which my life orbits since then, and I have spent many years experimenting with my sonic identity.
I think if anything sets the Siichaq music apart, it would have to be the diversity. After a decade of writing all sorts of music, I still haven’t been able to pick just one thing, but I have embraced that quality and hope that people enjoy the variety that’s built into this project! I try to write what feels the most natural at the time, and what feels honest to me in that phase of my life (which can be anything from acoustic/folk to metal, depending on the day).
I think the thing that brings me the most pride about this project is the opportunity it’s given me to bring up social and political issues that I am passionate about. I have never considered myself an outstanding musician, but I have been able to overcome a lot of that insecurity by focusing on honesty and advocacy over being the ‘best’ instrumentalist or singer.
The main thing I want people to know about me and, subsequently, Siichaq, is that I care! I care SO much. About every song I write, every person I meet at a show, every topic that comes up in the music, about the world. Getting to make music is the greatest privilege and something that I cherish immensely. If I can use this privilege to bring a little joy into somebody’s day or inspire somebody to get involved with social/political advocacy, then I have accomplished my goal as a creator.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Unequivocally, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the opportunity for connection. I have met the most inspiring, kind, creative, and accepting people through music. I struggled for many years to find a community where I felt understood and welcome and getting involved with my local music/art scene changed my life. I believe that everybody needs a community and a place where they feel like they belong. Performing live and attending shows has given me a space to make friends, learn, and grow. And the best part of the music scene is that you don’t even have to be a musician to get involved! Long before I started performing live, I started attending shows and that is how I met most of my current friends. The music community is a space where everybody is welcome and where everybody has a chance to connect with others in a meaningful way. Music is the only language that everyone speaks, and there is something unifying about participating in the scene.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I am still in the process of unlearning is that every song and every performance has to be perfect. I am extremely intense about music, and I put loads of pressure on myself to do everything exactly right. This meant that for a very long time (and even still, sometimes), I would get beyond frustrated if a song didn’t come out how I wanted it to or a performance didn’t go perfectly. I think it must be human nature to expect excellence from yourself in regard to your craft. It started to make me go insane though, and I would reflect on performances negatively if I didn’t deem them ‘good enough’.
What I’ve been learning recently though is that art is NEVER going to be perfect, and if you go into it with the same need to control it like I’ve had, you’ll never be satisfied. A friend told me a couple of months ago that after years of playing shows and getting frustrated with himself or the audience, he realized one day that none of it actually mattered. What mattered was the joy he felt from making music with his friends. He said that instead of getting annoyed when an audience would talk over their set or he played a guitar part wrong, he would turn and look at his bandmates and he would feel gratitude for the opportunity to be there at all.
That was the splash of cold water in the morning that I really needed. Since then, I’ve played ‘bad’ shows. I played a set while recovering from strep throat, while running on two hours of sleep, while feeling generally self-hating and anxious. But they weren’t bad shows, not really. Because I was playing with my best friends, and I was getting to share a piece of myself with the people in the room.
So, all that’s to say–make art for art’s sake. We all mess up, we all have off days, we all play bad shows. Don’t lose sight of what is at the core of your craft: passion, love, and connection.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siichaq/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@siichaq?si=49CEA1mqY2xhFVmn

Image Credits

Lauren Nash, Chris Denmark, Brooke Jennings, Chad Perna