Though the Nashville-based soundmaker and storyteller [Daniella Mason](https://www.daniellamason.com) is no stranger to pop commerciality — earning millions of streams on Spotify — she is a completely independent artist, constantly pushing against the boundaries of genre. The alternative pop singer/songwriter revels in taking full charge of her creative process: from writing and playing music to styling her own photo shoots and doing graphic design.
Mason broke into the music industry as a songwriter, penning songs for Nick Jonas and performing with Demi Lovato and DNCE. First gaining attention for her work with a 2014 single “Shade of You”, she has come to release a full self-titled album in 2017. This year on June 14, she rolled out a new EP dubbed _Mental State_: the new record is the second of four EPs that she'll be releasing over the course of next year as part of her **_State of Mine_** sound series. Each album (_Emotional State_, _Mental State_, _Physical State_, and _Spiritual State_) explores the different parts of our humanity that we tend to suppress and have difficulty embracing.
“Previously, my mind had been a place I had only gotten lost in, essentially making me afraid to go there,” the artist shared. “It's been a new experience for me, and I hope these EPs continue to reveal more and more of what's been hidden."
While the songstress is [busy living life](https://www.instagram.com/p/B0E5oURhpER/) and [reminiscing over the tacos she had at Tennesee’s Bonnaroo Music Festival](https://www.instagram.com/p/BzwhgzcB7RM/), the premiere of her latest video is a continuation of the **_State of Mine_** project. Shot and edited by [Dylan Reyes](https://dylanreyesphotos.com), the video juxtaposes the dark, small corners against vast, bright spaces, deep well and ocean against dry land, gradually bringing chaos into order.
"The aim was to create a dream sequence. It felt like the only way to make this beautifully existential feeling of wandering throughout your mind… how aimless and untethered it can feel,” the artist explained. “But this video also tells the story of inviting someone into the farthest reaches of your psyche, both dark and light, and the vulnerability of it all.“
Check out Daniella’s next show at Coney Island Baby on July 31st [here](https://www.ticketweb.com/event/daniella-mason-charlie-sztyk-seamstress-coney-island-baby-tickets/9729665?pl=CIB).
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Written by: [Valerie Stepanova](https://www.instagram.com/valerie__stepanova/)
Photography by: [Bree Marie Fish](http://www.breemariefish.com)
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