Rachel Mason is a prolific and multifaceted artist. In the course of her career she’s released ten full-length records and shown her artworks, which range from sculpture to video performance, at esteemed art institutions around the country.
Her latest project is a 21-song cycle titled The Lives of Hamilton Fish, which Mason performs live, accompanying a feature-length film of the same name. The paired performance is equally indebted to the Who’s Quadrophenia and the Steve Reich opera The Cave, with video and music interacting in fluid, complex ways—but the tunes themselves lean more towards the American folk tradition of John Prine.
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The plot chronicles the true story of two men named Hamilton Fish who died on the same day but led vastly different lives. Mason is about to start a tour of performances—catch it at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on June 23 and listen to the songs from the opera exclusively on VICE today.
