For as long as he can remember, Mason Voght has been a performer. As a current junior at Southern Lehigh High School, he is involved with both the theater and choir programs. Between songwriting, creating music videos, and making his live performing debut in last year’s “Battle of the Bands,” Voght has always known that his purpose is to be a musician.
“I was singing before I talked,” Voght said, “Whether it be humming or made up words, I always sang. That was my thing.”
Voght’s family has always encouraged him to explore music. His great-grandmother was an opera singer, his great uncle performed with a band, and his aunt currently works as a recording artist.
When he was in sixth grade, Voght wrote his first pop song, “Polaroid Pictures.” Though this song was never released, Voght says that he is still proud of the song’s lyrics, despite him considering them to be cliché. “Polaroid Pictures” drew inspiration from the break-up singer-songwriter sound that was popular around 2018. In recent years, Voght’s musical style and songwriting process has evolved with the release of dozens of songs and covers.
“I think my music and its lyrics have matured a lot over the past five years,” Voght said. “I used to just write songs that I thought could be hits, but now I write them because they hold a deeper meaning to me.”
On October 14, 2022, Voght released his first extended play (EP), “Reroute.” The EP is centered around mental health because Voght dealt with many changes in his life leading up to its release. This fall, Voght created “Reroute” CDs which are available to purchase through his Instagram account @mvoght.
“I made ‘Reroute’ as a way for others to know that it’s okay to feel negative emotions,” he said. “Everyone has their struggles, but music allows us to get through it.”
Last May, Voght made his live debut at Southern Lehigh’s “Battle of the Bands.” He performed three songs from his debut EP: “the only one,” “garden,” and “goodbye.”
“The best part of creating music is being able to perform in front of a live audience,” Voght said. “Getting the chance to perform at ‘Battle of the Bands’ helped build my confidence because I learned that people would actually listen to me and hear what I have to say.”
On December 15th, Voght will release his sophomore EP, “Curtain Call.” It will consist of eight upbeat tracks inspired by late 2000’s pop dance hits. He specifically wrote one of his new songs, “Stopwatch,” to be a fun and danceable track for listeners. Voght hopes that after he releases “Curtain Call,” he can begin filming new music videos using the profit from his CD sales. Additionally, Voght’s music is now available to stream on all platforms including Apple Music and Spotify.
After high school, Voght dreams of pursuing a career in music, and signing with a record label. He hopes to one day tour the world and share his music with a broader audience.
“I feel most like myself when I’m performing and creating music,” Voght said. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
