8 hours ago
Country Artist Ben Mastwyk Releases Let Me At The Night, The Title-Track From His New Album
Ben Mastwyk, the Australian cosmic cowboy and interstellar troubadour, is fast approaching launch time for the release of his fourth album, Let Me At The Night, on July 18th.
Mastwyk's latest single is the title track, a heartfelt country power ballad that captures the restless spirit of someone yearning to break free from isolation and return to the vibrant nightlife they once knew. Ultimately, it's about the human need for connection, expression, and the freedom to pursue the experiences that make us feel most alive.
As Mastwyk explains, at its core, the soulful ' Let Me At The Night ' uses night as a metaphor for dreams, freedom, and the life the narrator desperately wants to return to. " The 'night' represents more than just evening hours—it embodies the energy, connection, and joy found in Melbourne's country music scene and in the broader expression of honky-tonk culture. The narrator's plea to be "let at the night" becomes a cry for permission to chase their dreams and break through the barriers holding them back. What emerges is both a love letter and a battle cry!"
In the song, we follow the protagonist, trapped in isolation, vividly recalling the glory days of barroom dancing and late-night revelry. The verses, draped in acoustic guitar and pedal steel, paint intimate portraits of a tight-knit community—the dancers who came alive when the band played George Jones, the smokers gathering in the cold night air, the familiar faces in every local haunt. These memories stand in stark contrast to the present-day reality of sitting alone with just a guitar and a sleeping dog for company.
Let Me At The Night is a bit of a fantasy record for Ben Mastwyk.
He really discovered the DNA of his band The Millions over the last few records, and this time, they all wanted to push the boundaries. Mastwyk was lucky enough to receive funding through a Creative Victoria Creative Works grant, which allowed him to really lean in and record the album he wanted to make, without cutting corners.
Working with producer Michael Hubbard at The Shrimp Shack studio in Melbourne, Mastwyk initially set out to make a '90s country-inspired record—and in a way, he did. But instead of sticking strictly to that particular sonic palette, he found himself leaning back into the genre-bending, experimental approach he first explored with his original band in the actual '90s. " It's still a country record in my eyes: narrative-based songs that explore the themes I've been circling in my writing for years," he says. " But we've really dialled up the experimentalism—pushed our sonic palette further than we ever have before!"
The songs are more anthemic—designed to kick the party off right from the get-go and sustain that energy till the end (and beyond). Mastwyk recently got the chance to test this new material live at the Tamworth Country Music Festival across three huge nights. And it worked. Big party energy. A crowd ready to rumble!
" Each time I've made a record, I've had a space and an audience in mind. My first album Mornin' Evenin' was written for small rooms, intimate spaces, and quiet Sunday mornings. The next couple were made for Melbourne barrooms—the venues I was in love with at the time. This album, though, was written with festivals and bigger crowds in mind."
With a thematic arc that runs across the album, it picks up where the last few records left off, in the barroom, then blasts off further and further into space. " I've always visualised this album as a spaceship—with the whole point being to see if I can get it to lift off and hit warp speed."
From hot-wired boogie to rhinestone pop, honky-tonk electronic disco to country space-ballads, Shania to Yoakam, George Jones to Orville Peck – the new album serves as a kaleidoscopic ode to the possibilities of country music. Filtered through both heartache and the dance floor, it's a truly mind-expanding and irresistible collection of songs, from an artist firing on all creative cylinders.
