Coast Life: Musician amplifies the sound of the Coast with new album

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (WLOX) — There’s a sound to the Coast Life. It lives in our restaurants, beaches and people. One musician is doing his best to make that sound heard.

“I started playing in my early 20s in the clubs and bars on the Coast,” said musician Hank Berumen. “Most of them are gone now. I try to keep it alive through original songs.”

Hank Berumen is a one-man band, and for decades, he’s been the soundtrack of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This summer, he’s playing seven days a week, keeping a loyal audience close and picking up new fans along the way.

“I’m a Hank fan because I enjoy it,” said Ocean Springs resident George Dearning. “I know what I’m going to hear, and he can throw me some curveballs every now and then.”

Now, Hank is sharing a lifetime of experiences in a new album with songs about the place he loves and calls home.

“I’m doing the project ‘Magnolia Sunset’ about the Coast and Coast Life,” said Berumen. “Some of it is fictional. Some of it is fact. The idea came [at Shaggy’s in Pass Christian] because I was playing and the sunset was coming up. People were taking pictures, loved the view here, and I started thinking, ‘Okay, what’s in that?’”

‘Magnolia Sunset,’ the title of the album and feature song came naturally.

“I wrote it about Ship Island, going to the islands, the dolphins, fishing, and all that kind of thing which obviously connects with a lot of people here.”

The lyrics of Hank’s songs make sure no Coast community is left out.

“I did some on Pascagoula, the Bay. I make sure I don’t make anybody mad. I make sure everybody gets a piece of the pie.”

Haven’t heard Berumen play? Don’t worry — he’s not planning on leaving anytime soon.

“I have moved off from the Coast, but I come back. It’s home because I love it, I love the people, I love my friends here and the new friends I meet.”

Berumen says his music has something for everyone who loves the Coast.

“I hope they get the enjoyment of memories of places that aren’t here anymore, and [for] people that have never been to the Coast that they say, ‘That sounds like a pretty good place to go visit, I think I’m going to go down to the Coast.’”

Berumen’s album ‘Magnolia Sunset’ is set for release later this month.

For more information, visit Berumen’s website or Facebook page.

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