Mitchel Musso is dusting off his vocal cords and getting back into the music business with the release of his newest song, “Drank.” Out Friday (Sept. 23), “Drank” serves as the first single off his upcoming mixtape, Ghost.
His name is most commonly associated with his roles on the hit Disney TV series’ Hannah Montana, Pair Of Kings, and Phineas and Ferb, as well as Columbia Pictures’ Monster House. In addition to his on-screen roles, music was always a strong focus for Musso growing up, but he didn’t truly find his passion for creating songs until he was able to separate his acting work from his singing career.
Taking some time off from living in the spotlight to focus on himself and spend time with family proved to be a good change of pace for Musso because now, he’s finally ready to step into this new chapter of his career.
“I began working at such a young age that there were other things that I needed to go and experience,” Musso told Music Mayhem about his life after Disney.
He added, “The music’s always been in my life and been a huge part of my life. I love acting too, that’s also half of me, but I think that the music is always something that I wanted to pursue when the time was right.
He picked things back up at full speed, spending most of his days creating in the studio. Co-written by Musso and Chase Biggs, “Drank” serves as the first release since his debut album, but he revealed there are plenty more songs in the works.
“I started Ghost about a year ago, and we pumped out I don’t even know, hundreds and hundreds of songs. We just were making music every single day. Then I would go through, listen to whatever we’ve been working on throughout the week,” he shared. “There was just one day that I said, ‘You know what, man? Why don’t I pull my favorite songs, the ones that make the most sense, put them together and see if I can actually do this by myself.’ That day, I hit the ground running. I wrote on my little dream board that these are the songs that I want. I’ve added to it and pulled things from it since then, but it’s all locked in now.”
He made a strong effort to create a collection that “makes sense” and coincides with the themes he wants to present to his fan base. “Ghost” touches on a vulnerability that Musso has never expressed quite so deeply before. With the electric beat that remains constant throughout the track, he unveils an element of relatability through his assured vocals.
“Help me Lord, lend me a break / Fill up my cup with these demons / They tell me that this shit ain’t up for debate / These people, they look at me all kinds of funky / They fishy, they thinkin’ they brave / I’m goofy, I’m ugly, I’m all types of damage / God, why can’t I ever relate,” he sings.
Watch the music video for Mitchel Musso’s New Single “Drank” below.
“It’s about understanding that no one’s perfect in this life. And it’s about acceptance, embracing your imperfections and overcoming the fear of, ‘you’re not perfect.’ Nobody’s perfect and with this specific song, that was clear to me. That was why I wanted to start with this being the first single. I thought it had a really cool meaning behind it. I also love the sound. It’s very different.”
His new release was paired with a music video, set in a church to match the narrative of looking to a higher power to validate his quest towards self-acceptance.
“I felt like I dropped right back into my lane. I thrive working and what’s really cool about putting these music videos together and the music stuff, is that we can kind of do it on our time. It’s me and my team’s plan,” he said. “It’s been a minute since I have shot music videos and that’s all I’ve been doing to outside of sitting in this studio, is setting up the next video.”
Musso’s music career first began during his time on Hannah Montana when he played Oliver Oken, best friend to Miley Cyrus’s character. While on the show, Musso eventually became a budding artist of his own and started living a life parallel to his character. In 2009, he released his first self-titled record through Walt Disney records.
Although he was proud of the songs he recorded back then, this new set of music allows him to take control of the reins and make the music that best reflects who he has grown to be, both as a person and as an artist.
“Everything that I’m doing right now is definitely different, but I feel like right now I can be more open and genuine about what’s going on in my life, whereas with those, especially with the Disney album, there’s a lot of people kind of in control there. I got to pick and choose some stuff, but in reality, that’s a label, that’s like a machine. So, it’s just different, you know?”
His forthcoming project, Ghost, will include “Drank” along with several other tracks and even a collaboration between Musso and his brothers, Mason (Metro Station) and Marc, who have also immersed themselves in the entertainment industry in throw own ways. He revealed that working with his brothers in this form is something they have never done until now.
“When we were younger, it didn’t really make sense at that time, but we’ve all been through this, you know, crazy life and I think that we just work better together now. We’re more of a unit.”
In addition to getting his music career back up and running, Musso also plans to work his way back into the acting world and even hinted that a few opportunities have already come his way.
“There are great things in the works right now,” he teased. Over the next few months, Musso will release several new singles and eventually, his complete EP.
“I’m going to be releasing additional singles that all have their own vibe. They’re all very different, but like I said, all together, it works.”
Once his music is out into the world, his next goal will be to get back up on stage in front of a live audience and show off all the hard work he’s been putting into the studio.
“I just wanted to get this out, I wanted the fan base to see that we’re pushing something, I wanted a couple singles out prior to touring. So yes, that tour’s gonna come soon.”
Looking back on everything he’s accomplished, Mitchel Musso says that the main advice he would give his younger self would be to “take every day one step at a time and just be yourself,” which also coincides with the message he gives off in “Drank.”
