To coincide with the launch of his brand new album Better Off Bitter, we caught an interview with rock and pop-punk artist Free Mace, to find out more about the songs within the project, his journey to this point, and what his plans are moving forward. Here’s how it went.
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Hi Mason – huge congrats or the new album, brilliant rock and pop-punk sound with a contemporary twist. Where did your journey start – who or what inspired you to make this kind of music?
The journey began as Free Mace relocated to Jacksonville, FL in 2020 after residing in St. Augustine Beach, FL for 2 years. The music scene of St. Augustine was very focused on tourism and cover music; limiting original artists to only a handful of venues.
Out of those hand full of venues, there were very few that attendees would go to for the original content, it was more about where familiar music was at during their vacation. I predominately focused on local draw, because those were the individuals who shared our experiences.
Before moving to Jacksonville, I played one show there and was captivated. There not only were people that came for new and original music, they enjoyed being there. The show wasn’t a side stop, it was the stop. This experience (on top of the significant growing cost of living in St Augustine along with the increasing lack of infrastructure, conservation, and preservation) pushed me to the already established city of entertainment, Jacksonville.
I was surprised with how prominent punk and hardcore was in the city when first arriving. We would share shows with bands that were a lot heavier than the Free Mace Surf-Reggae-Punk sound we were accredited to. The more of these shows Free Mace did, the more our set started shifting to be faster and grittier. I would notice people mosh or dance to our up-tempo, then get all mellow when we would play dub.
I really started looking into the how and why of where does this energy go? How can I get it back? It hit me like a meteor in the Yucatan and I realized it was all tempo. When the music was fast, peoples’ body language would reflect that. When the music would be slow, although they enjoyed it the same, there’s not enough tempo to inspire movement.
“The genre shifted due to wanting to capture this high-energy experience for an album or set, not just a couple of songs. The album, Better off Bitter, comes from the nostalgic sounds of Warped Tour music with a reinvented perspective of mainstream music concepts.”
What does the title Better Off Bitter encapsulate, and how did you decide upon that name?
The album, Better off Bitter, encapsulates beings better off bitter. The feeling of bitterness and the emotional foundation of it, such as sadness or anger. When coming up with the name, I wanted to create a phrase that when read, an individual has a general understanding of what the contents are of the album. In relation to the Free Mace discography, Better off Bitter is the fastest and heaviest album released independently. The sounds of that album wouldn’t have been possible without bitterness as the concept.
Great riffs and humble vocals keep things refreshingly distinct. How do you get started when crafting a new track?
When crafting a new track, it’s a very sporadic process. There are times I am playing a random riff, other times its lyrics being transferred to a song, and sometimes it’s an idea of a song that’s been formulating in my head.
Songs like Good Time Girl feel conceptually poignant and relevant – how do you decide what topics to write about, and what connects the stories throughout this project?
To start with Good Time Girl, it’s clear what the content of the song will be. It was an unhealthily healthy way to release emotions tied to an ex-girlfriend. Keeping it brief and polite, the shared relationship was incredibly toxic with mutual alcoholism, lack of communication and trust, and with unaligned ambitions. The whole relationship took a lot of time out of making the album, so the album reminded me that I had something to do and to prove. Good Time Girl is the most toxic and spiteful song, but was made in order to not be spiteful.
The topics I write about are from experiences or interpretations, with applied poetic elements. I’ve written about societal issues (such as socioeconomic status, federal criminalization of medically apt cannabis), personal experiences (such as lifestyle, relationships), and sometimes I write satirical takes on sensitive topics (misogyny, unapplied sciences). The overall topics on Better off Bitter cover everything it is to be bitter, and why it’s better to be.
Given the full punk rock sound of tracks like Of This World – what’s a live set up like from Free Mace, and do you have plans to perform live or tour this year?
The live setup of Free Mace has been traditionally a 3-piecce, but has been also been a 4- or 5- piece band. With a trio, I hire a bass player and a drummer to back, and that has historically worked with everything we were doing. I like having a 4-piece band because it allows me to be able to focus on the vocals and rhythm syncopation more rather than having to do leads, rhythms, and vocals (because we all know it’ll just be leads). In a 4-piece setup, there is normally drums, bass, an and extra guitar. Now the 5-piece, that’s some next level shit. A 5-piece band opens you up to added instrumentation of your choice (in the past Free Mace has done saxophone, synthesizer, or percussion), and it creates a full sound.
There is potential for shows, but am needing a backing band on location for performances. If you would like a Free Mace show where you are at and have a professional backing band to provide, I will see you there!
Which song from the album would you recommend first to new listeners, and why?
For new listeners I would recommend the song Sunday Afternoon off the Media album released in 2021. Sunday Afternoon has a rad riff, cool FX, and a sincere vocal. The sound of this song is an excellent gateway to the new Free Mace album, Better off Bitter, that will be available everywhere beginning 7/19/2024.
Were there any songs that didn’t quite make the cut – if so, how did you decide upon the final setlist, and what makes for a great song, in your view?
There were several songs that didn’t make the cut and are in a folder ready for later use or to be sold to other artists for use. Initially there were 15 songs for Better off Bitter. Over 3 years of making the album, there were a lot of draft songs as well as songs further down the process. Towards the latter of the 3 years, I was able to hone in on the sound of the album. I wanted similarities with enough differences to keep people entertained, not perplexed.
The 10 songs that made the album checked all the boxes for story being told, sound of the music, and journey for the listener. What makes these songs great are uniqueness, nostalgia, reinvention, and possibility.
What’s the rock scene like where you’re based, and given that this was an entirely solo venture, do you plan to collaborate in the future at all?
The rock scene in Florida is very competitive, but there are growing opportunities for individuals to be involved. The entertainment industry is very advantageous, and many are unprepared for that. I believe by being genuine, those are the individuals that distinguish themselves from others.
I have had some solid members in Free Mace over the 6-year establishment. At the end of the day, it is a business and it should be run as such. This is a solo venture because of how many advising individuals or mentors give you advice while they empty your pocket in this industry. When I collaborate with artists, regardless of as a producer or as a performer, I look for effectiveness, creativity, professionalism, integrity, and ambition. To me, it’s not about hierarchy or structure. It’s about new ideas and perspective, and I’m always open to that.
What was the inspiring sentiment behind Failure By Design, and considering the distant vocal placement and vastness of the sound, where do you imagine listeners best experiencing a song like this?
The sentiment behind the song Failure By Design is an outside view on consumerism and convenience. The idea that with 1-Day deliveries, why even go to a store? What’s the point of going to a store? A sort of modern versus previous worldviews and perspectives that make the suburban lifestyle promoted in the 1950s-1960s even more contained and isolated.
“The idea that we have become so far removed from supporting local businesses, craftspeople, artisans that make up a community. The fundamentals of communication are stripped away when daily lives no longer require other individuals to be a part of it.”
Failure By Design is a split and double perspective on the topic.
The songs will sound great regardless of platform, device, or system used by a listener.
The artwork is great – How did this come about, and does your own creativity manifest itself in any other ways?
The artwork for Better off Bitter comes from the varying personalities seen in a bar. I wanted to have these personalities represented, as well as Florida elements, in an animal-like way to visualize human nature.
What’s next for Free Mace?
What’s next for Free Mace is that there will be an animated music video for a song released on 7/19/2024. In the process is another music video that is Frank Sinatra/Edgar Allan Poe inspired.
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
As stated by philosopher Frank Reynolds, “If life pushes you down, you have to push back. If you’re dealt a bunch of lemons, then stuff them down somebody’s throat until they see yellow.”
My take away is to keep pursuing your dreams, hold onto hope, and keep persevering.
The journey is as important as the destination and just because someone else doesn’t believe, doesn’t mean you can’t. It’s always worth the attempt.
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Find all things Free Mace. Stream Better Off Bitter.
