Austin Mahone Talks Going Country and 'A Lone Star Story'

It’s been seven years since Austin Mahone released a full-length LP. For Me + You was released in 2016 and what followed were several singles and collaborations with artists like Pitbull, Abraham Mateo, 50 Cent, and Lalo Ebratt. His newest record, A Lone Star Story, is like a homecoming for Mahone.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. I wanted to put out a more consistent body of work,” shares Mahone. The ideas for the new album started three years ago before the pandemic. “I figured, you know what? Why not go and tap back into my roots and do something that’s different from what everyone else is doing right now and something more authentic to me? I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to mesh all my worlds together.”

Mahone was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. His father’s side of the family was made up of cowboys and ranchers. The singer-songwriter gained a decent amount of traction as a teen star with singles “11:11” and “Say Something,” while some even deemed him the “next Justin Bieber.” Mahone made the move to Miami, Florida when he was only 16 and fell in love with hip hop, R&B, and rock and roll. A Lone Star Story ties the sounds he grew up on, primarily country music, with all of his contemporary influences.

The LP was recorded in Nashville. Mahone worked closely with producer Jim Jonsin who has credits with Beyonce, Usher, Lil Wayne, Eminem, and more. “There’s been a lot of full circle moments happening for me lately,” Mahone exclaims. The first time he recorded in Nashville was for his first single, “11:11,” when he was just 14 years old. It was the first time he cut something professionally. “To be able to come back and do a full-length album here in Nashville, it’s so special to me.”

Photo by Xavier Sotomayor

The first single Mahone released for the new era is the summery, breezy tune “Sundress.” It acts as the perfect segway from Mahone’s previous releases into this new chapter. It features an acoustic foundation mixed with autotune, reminiscent of R&B soundscapes. “I had never put out a country song before as an artist. I wanted something that had the guitars in it, something that was heartfelt,” he says. When asked if it was daunting to put something quite different out for his fans and general listeners, he responds, “Not really. I’m from the country and I am country. For me, it didn’t feel that weird.”

To expand on the idea of being “country,” a follow-up came with the heavy-hitting, twangy track “Kuntry.” The fast-paced and high-energy music video for “Kuntry” steals the show. In the visual, Mahone is surrounded by tricked-out lifted trucks that are owned by his family members in Texas. “For a record like ‘Kuntry,’ there’s a lot of things I can do to make a video look country,” Mahone exclaims. “It felt the most real to link up with my actual family and do what they love to do in the country and shoot that. Everyone has their own version of what being country means to them; this is just mine.” The backwoods theme perfectly elevates the party anthem.

Besides the uptempo entries on the record like “Dirty Martini,” “Ride of My Life,” and “Cruise,” Mahone gets vulnerable on tracks like “Coming Home,” “Holes in the Wall,” and “Wings.” The latter is his current standout as he finds it to be the most personal. “It explains the way I grew up,” he states. “‘Wings’ is just one of those special records that hits people in the heart.” In the bridge, he croons, “And I was raised / To remember where I’m from / And the roots run through my blood / By the good Lord’s grace above / I’m flying on the wings of love.” Besides the striking imagery in the lyrics, Mahone’s vocal capabilities find a place to shine through.

A Lone Star Story is the most authentic Mahone has ever been in his 12-year career. Compared to his past artistic ventures, some taking place when he was in his early teens, this is the one that feels the most like himself. He shares, “Sometimes you have to take those lonely paths to get where you wanna go. When you have a big team, a lot of people can put their ideas on you. No one’s gonna tell my story better than me. With this project, I just had to take an upper hand on everything.” Mahone sold his masters a few months ago and he became an independent artist again; he’s his own boss controlling his narrative. And even though that comes with pressure, it also comes with liberation. A Lone Star Story is him reclaiming his identity. “I really prefer having the power and the freedom,” he goes on to say, “I guess the real meaning behind A Lone Star Story is that freedom.”

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