Cynthia Mason
Philadelphia
After several solo self-releases on cassette beginning way back in the 90's, Cynthia released her eponymous album in 2000, which earned her a “Best of Philly: Creepiest Chamber Pop Songstress” award from the Philadelphia City Paper. She appeared on BC Camplight’s album Hide, Run Away (One Little Indian) singing on several songs, including “Blood and Peanut Butter,” which was featured on Grey's Anatomy. In 2005 The Believer magazine included Cynthia’s quiet, stirring cover of Richard Buckner's "Surprise, AZ" in their music issue compilation. In 2007, the High Two label released Cynthia’s album Quitter's Claim, a collection of stark, intimate songs she recorded with longtime collaborator Larry D. Brown. In 2015, Cynthia released Cinematic Turn, which was recorded at Miner Street Recordings with producer Brian McTear and featured musicians Christopher Sean Powell, Ramon Monras-Sender, and Peter English. Later that year, she graced the stage at the Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Most recently, Cynthia contributed vocals to Sun Airway's album Heraldic Black Cherry. The song "All in" was featured on Netflix's Spinning Out. She also recently returned to guitar study at Settlement Music School in Germantown, Philadelphia.
When she is not playing music, Cynthia is a middle-aged mom who practices law. She began her legal career at Philadelphia Legal Assistance, representing victims of domestic violence in their family law cases and later trained with Good Shepherd Mediation to mediate legal disputes. She lives with her family in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia where she runs a neighborhood law office with her husband.
"This music is as vivid, evocative and narratively compelling as a film." -Magnet Magazine
“Her graceful, understated songs frequently awed clubs full of noisy chatterers into silence.” -Time Out New York
“Her songs are confessional, indicting, personal and fierce, but her detached delivery leavens the emotion conveyed by the performance and allows it instead to be felt by the listener.” -Performing Songwriter Magazine
“Her entrancing, hushed songs never go to obvious places. Instead, they feature unexpected chord progressions and intriguingly elliptical lyrics.” -Philadelphia Inquirer
“Mason's placid delivery and appealing production have lulled me into believing Pennsylvania is a modern-day utopia with mood-lighting.” -Prefix Magazine
“Laid thick with Nick Drake-y drones and Mason’s plainspoken vocals, Quitter’s Claim showcases a lot of what there is to love about the New Folk movement/thing — a kind of ageless directness.” -Philebrity
“A dark, introspective set of starkly gorgeous miniatures.” -Metro
Cynthia G. Mason’s tracks
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