Growing up in Central Queensland, Mackenzie May is proof positive that a drive to succeed and a heart for music will turn heads, no matter where you are.
Just a couple of months out of high school, the seventeen year old has quietly, but confidently carved out a place in the country scene and is releasing her first single Little Things on March 1 .
Co-written with Sarah Buckley (The Buckleys), it’s the first recorded taste of Mackenzie May’s work, but it’s been years of shows and paying her dues, graduating from the esteemed Junior Academy of Country Music and becoming a finalist in the 2023 Ekka Country Music Showdown.
Just last month she played half a dozen shows at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, everything from stages to pavements, getting out there in front of people to showcase her songs and walked away with her first professional award and the title of the prestigious Tamworth Songwriters Association’s Novice Songwriter of the Year. Not interested in chasing stardom, for Mackenzie, music is a passion and an art and she takes inspiration from authentic and emotional artists like Chris Stapleton, Colter Wall and Sierra Ferrell.
“I’m really excited to be releasing music for the first time,” she explained. “For me the creative process of writing, recording and performing is what it’s all about and if people like what I’m doing as much as I am enjoying that process then that’s really what I’m hoping to achieve.”
Her first recording experience came late last year as part of a QUT project, followed by a session with producer Jared Adlam where Little Things was born.
“The studio was a really natural space for me and I really enjoy the creativity that studio space brings out,” said Mackenzie. “As an independent artist, you get used to doing so many shows and learning about the reaction your songs get, whether it’s in a cafe or on a bigger stage. The studio gives you the opportunity to take everything you’ve learned from road testing your songs with an audience and create something that represents who you are at a point in time.”
If Little Things is that representation, then Mackenzie May has an extraordinary future ahead. Little Things is an ear-worm, but maintains a country integrity that displays a musical wisdom that explains the accolades and interest that continue to grow over her burgeoning career.