About Masquerade

Hi, I’m Vik! DIY, 30-something female songwriter, producer, & lyricist. Music is my love language. As Masquerade, I make electropunk and post punk music for fun, learning, and catharsis. I am a VerifiedHuman™ Musician.

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My Single "Trust Issues" Feels Like A Velvet Wrapped Dagger

My new single Trust Issues releases on March 13, 2026! Its stark yellow and black colour scheme serves as a warning: You've been here before, on the edge of opening up or shutting it all down. You've been through it too many times. And yet…what if it's different this time? Trust Issues is a song for when trust feels like a velvet wrapped dagger. After almost two months of writing, recording, mixing, and mastering, I'm thrilled to share how Trust Issues came together! Songwriting As my first release of 2026, and particularly as a single, I wanted Trust Issues to follow both thematically and sonically from my debut synthpop album Afterlove. I guard my heart and don't trust easily. Reflecting on this inspired me to pick up my acoustic guitar and start writing lyrics. I had the faintest resemblance of a musical idea back in the first week of December 2025, just prior to Afterlove's release. I started strumming some chords and just blurted "I don't tr...

Six Invaluable Life Skills Songwriting & Music Production Teaches You

Music is integral to who I am, it's what I love to do, and it's the gift that keeps on giving. My songwriting and music production has always been about the love of music and it always will be. How I Got These Invaluable Skills I'm blessed to have grown up in a musical family. Both my parents adore music. They introduced me to the joy of vinyl and have supported my musical journey from the start. When I was eight years old, they signed me up for piano lessons and recitals. I started learning with a group, then progressed into classical training with solo lessons. I was enraptured by the endless sounds I could make, the combinations that seemed to magically express what I was feeling, and helped connect me to others. I picked up the guitar when I was sixteen years old because my best friend at the time encouraged me. Her and I were really into punk rock, and naturally started writing songs together. She would let me borrow her dazzling electric guitar with a pearl white pi...

The Power of Self Hosting and Why I Exclusively Release My Music For Free

Releasing music after a fulfilling creative process is always exciting! There's a lot to consider when it comes to deciding exactly how you want to release your music. For musicians and producers looking to release music commercially, it's important to do extensive research and get as much advice as possible from peers and experts alike. I've done my own research throughout the years, as well as talking to many musicians and producers who are trying to make a living from their music. I'm not giving any form of advice in this post. Rather, I'm sharing my opinion about why I think independent musicians and producers self-hosting their music is the best way going forward. Additionally, I want to talk about why I exclusively release my music for free, as this is integral to my creative identity and independence. Commercializing Music As much as the musical landscape is constantly changing, I've learned that there are several steps fundamental to releasing music co...

Masquerade's Songwriting and Music Production Diary

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