Ahead of the release of her debut album, out in April, we interview MacKenzie Porter about her forthcoming debut album.
Hi, how’re you doing? Thank you so much for talking to me so early.
I’m good.
We’re so excited for the release of your debut album, it just must feel so liberating to finally be able to announce it.
Oh my gosh, it feels so good, I’ve been telling people that you do so much work in the background, and people must be thinking ‘what is she doing,’ they’re not aware of all the work we’re doing to prep, with videos and content and recording and writing. To finally be able to show what we’ve been working on feels so good.
It feels like ducks, everything looks so serene but their legs are going underneath the surface.
Exactly, that’s a really good analogy for all the work, just from us and my team, it takes so much work to put this out.
Last year was your first time performing in the UK, how was that experience for you in terms of relating to the fans and getting to experience C2C?
It was so much fun. I had travelled there before, for vacation, but to play shows there I did not know what to expect. It was a totally different vibe, obviously still country fans but I just felt like they really paid attention and knew the songs. Sometimes when you play here, people are more partying but there they really paid attention to the music, which feels so good as an artist.
Well let’s get into the debut album. It’s obviously been so many years coming but listening to it today, I just felt like you get so many more sides to your music from listening to the whole thing through. What do you want fans to take away from the album and learn about you?
Yeah, I think that you’re totally right, before it was just such a singles game for us and now I get to tell a fuller story. There are songs on there that will never be singles, but they will still hopefully connect with people. I’m excited to have those moments and those deeper cuts on the record, because those are usually the songs that I go back and listen to on someone else’s record. This will tell a fuller story of who I am and what I’ve been through. I’ve had a pretty basic life, I think that a lot of people will relate to it just because it’s just been love and heartbreak and pulling stuff that I think a lot of people have experienced.
Even just the title of the record is compelling, the title track takes you so off guard, because it falls later in the album but it’s so deeply personal. Can you talk a bit about that track and the evolution of the song?
Yeah, so I wrote that at a writer’s camp with two of my best friends here in Nashville. We were kind of at the end of writing for the record, and I thought I wanted a more autobiographical, story-esque song about my life. We started writing it and they asked me about growing up and my first time. We were really just chatting and then we formed it into a song. It really does start with January 29th – which is my birthday – up to right now, where I’m expecting a baby, this whole progression of life. We all come out so innocent and pure and then life throws you and tosses you around a little bit, we all get these scars but I think that’s also what’s beautiful about life too.
I feel the more personal people get with songs, the more it relates to a huge audience, so that song really hit for me. In terms of the evolution of the record, there is a great balance of internal and external cuts, how did you go about measuring up where you wanted your songs to be? It’s so seamless even with so many voices in there.
I think that for me, if I didn’t write the song, I wanted it to be my story too. I wanted whoever wrote the song to have somehow got inside my head and wrote something that I have gone through or related to. There are several songs on there that I heard and thought ‘well that’s my story’ and I thought if they related to it, and I related to it, then I’m sure other people will as well.
You look down the list and it’s really a who’s who of Nashville songwriting.
Yeah, there’s definitely some big ones on there, like Hillary Lindsey and then I have a song in there called “Pay Me Back In Change” by Emma Klein, she’s brand new to Nashville. She wrote that song by herself in her bedroom and I heard that song – such a rough work tape of it – and we cut it. It’s a mixture of all that kind of stuff alongside songs that I wrote.
You worked with Joey Moi on production for this record. Can you talk a little about working with him and what he’s done for your music?
Yeah, so he was one of the first people that I met in Nashville and the whole reason I got to sign with Big Loud. He’s Canadian too, and so for some reason I had my eyes set on him from day one, I was like ‘he will be my producer.’ I weasled my way in with him and then I got my record deal. He is a genius when it comes to music and he will take a song and make a few different changes that make it a hit. His little touch on it is so impressive. I knew from all his past stuff that he was my guy and he’s been my biggest champion since I got it.
Finally, I just wanted to touch on your journey from Canada to Nashville. I think all Canadian country artists have such a unique sound.
Definitely, I think when I got here, I definitely had to break a lot of stereotypes a little bit, I remember the first couple of meetings I was told not to say I was Canadian and I was kind of bummed about that. I don’t think that way now, I think there are so many incredible artists from Canada and Australia. You have to come to Nashville, it’s where the hub of songwriting is, but all of those borders have been broken and I really do think that some of the best talent is coming from other places too – specifically women in Canadian country. They’re working their butts off – I’m friends with both Tenilles and Madeline and Megan – everyone is grinding, and it does pay off. It’s a hustler’s game. I think we’re changing the narrative though.
It’s very easy for people to see the success, but there’s so many years of graft that go into a debut album.
Oh yeah, and honestly a lot of disappointments and things you wish had played off a little differently. It’s not a fast path for anybody. I do believe everything happens at the right time, for the right reason.
Thank you!
