Life & Work with Mackenzie Morrow

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mackenzie Morrow.

Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Some of my earliest memories regarding music are from when I was a toddler. My older cousin would bring her CDs over to our house, and I loved “Wannabe” by Spice Girls and “MMMBop” by Hanson. I would dance and move my shoulders up and down to those. The videos are somewhere because my mom has many pictures and videos of my brother and me growing up. I wanted to hear “MMMBop” so often that my cousin lied and told me that “MMMBop broke.” How evil, haha. My mom introduced me to Prince, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and other artists she loved when I was a toddler, too. I remember listening to “Little Red Corvette” in her room. I would also run around the house singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” When I was around eight, my older brother introduced me to Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, Evanescence, Puddle of Mudd, and more. I feel that played a part in shaping who I am as an artist.

Regarding learning instruments, I started with my mom teaching me a couple of simple songs on the upright piano at my grandparents’ (Memaw and Papa) house. I mostly play my keyboard now, but I still play that same piano sometimes when I’m over at my grandparents. Memaw cooks once a week with dishes like butter beans, fried potatoes, vegan macaroni, and “flitters.” She made collard greens, butter beans, cornbread, and creamed potatoes this week, which are my favorites of hers. I’m very close with my grandparents, so if I’m not careful, I’ll get off track and talk about them the whole time instead of my music, back to the piano. My mom had lessons briefly as a little girl, and I wanted to learn piano so badly. I finally got lessons when I was about seven, and my love of music grew.

I went to my first concert in fourth grade to see Kelly Clarkson on her Breakaway tour. She and Aly & AJ (Who I just got to meet this year – what a freaking incredible moment) were the first artists I remember choosing to listen to of my own accord. Aside from listening to CDs from movie tracks like The Lizzie McGuire Movie and The Princess Diaries. I also had some compilation CDs with Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever,” Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle,” and Fan 3’s “Boom” on it that I vividly remember making up dances to with my friend, Natalie.

My mom and I made homemade music videos to Kelly Clarkson’s songs, where I lip-sync in different areas of the house and yard. I’ve been asking her over and over to find those videos because I would love to see them now that I’m older. I saw Kelly again in concert two years ago; she is fantastic. I’ve met many artists, but if I met her, I’d probably cry. I’m surprised I didn’t cry when I met Aly & AJ. I was nervous because I’ve loved them and their music for so long. I thought that if they had terrible personalities, it would ruin everything, but they were the sweetest ever, making me like them even more. During the Q&A, I told them that they and Kelly Clarkson were the first artists I started listening to, and they also expressed their respect for her and stated that they wanted to be on her show. So if you happen to read this, Kelly, Aly & AJ wish to be on your show! Look at me playing matchmaker here!

In middle school, I got involved with Orchestra. I chose the cello as my instrument because most of the other girls chose the violin, and I wanted to be different. My older brother also showed me a couple of songs with violin and cello. The Evanescence song I heard with the cello was excellent, which helped seal the deal on that one. I also ended up being glad I didn’t have to hold my arm up in one place for entire songs at a time, haha.

I started trying to write my songs in middle school, too. I need to find that notebook because I’m sure I’d laugh now. It would be like reading a diary, like when the Impractical Jokers do the bit where they find their “daughter’s diary,” but it would be worse because it’s not made up. Haha. I wrote the first two songs I thought were good in ninth grade. One of them, called “Just Go,” became a favorite of a couple of girls in my orchestra class. I performed it in the school talent show and eventually the Miss South Carolina pageant (which was a total accident – another story for another day). I ended up recording it and putting it on my first EP, which was released nine or ten years after I wrote that song, and it was cool to see things come full circle like that. Speaking of pageants, I did perform “Hello” by Evanescence in one of the high school pageants. Like literally the most haunting song for a pageant. Haha. My friend, who I saw Evanescence with in eleventh grade, performed “My Immortal” in the same pageant one year. Maybe it was even the same year; I can’t remember. We both wore black dresses for it, a surprise. We were the weird kids, which I wouldn’t trade for the world. I mean, being normal is no fun.

My song, “Experimental,” which I recorded back in 2015, has an Evanescence vibe, and I play cello and piano. Shooting the music video was one of the fun things I’ve ever done. Even though it was December and I was freezing and walking through the forest barefoot, trying not to step on spiky things, I had an absolute blast. We had a piano brought out to the woods that I got to play, and we set it on fire, which was so cool. It’s still out there today and is part of a spook trail. We shot my music video for “Six Months” a couple of years later in the same spot, and the piano had been out there so long that I got to take a key as a souvenir because it came right off when I tried to play it. We also took some photos with the piano, and I put some of those photos in the lyric booklet for the Six Months EP. Shooting the “Six Months” video was loads of fun, too. If I could do a music video once a month, I would. I love it.

Acting is so fun to me. I remember finding out that the video for “Experimental” was featured in Drunken Film Fest in the UK. That was a super cool moment for me. It was also featured in the South Carolina Underground Film Festival, which I got to attend, and it was such an incredible experience. The video for “Six Months” was featured in SCUFF, as well, and also became an official selection in jellyFEST in North Hollywood, California. I’m so grateful for those opportunities, and I can’t wait to see where the next music project and video go. The song “Experimental,” I mentioned earlier, was one of the first two songs I ever recorded. The other one was a country song called “Country Over You.” It’s funny that the two are opposite genres. When I hear my South Carolinian accent, most people assume I’m a country artist. What I love about this generation of artists is that we aren’t strictly boxing ourselves into one genre anymore, allowing for much more creativity and fun.

I’d say most of my music is technically pop, but I have elements of other genres mixed in, too, such as electronic and even punk and hip hop in my upcoming album. You may enjoy my music if you enjoy Fletcher, Aly & AJ, Avril Lavigne, Sasha Sloan, or Nothing Nowhere. And if you like an excellent sad lyric, you’ll appreciate it. Music is an outlet for me, which is why so many people who have listened to my music end up telling me how relatable it is. The cool thing about music is that I can write about an experience that happened to me. Then, someone else who looks at life through a completely different lens from their background and experiences can listen to that same song and have their interpretation of it that makes it relatable. It’s the coolest thing ever. I’m excited about the upcoming release of my first album because I’ve grown a lot as an artist and a person since my last release. This album is a look into my life experiences over the past few years and the changes in the world. It’s focused on mental health and contains some messaging that will hopefully help someone out there who may be feeling alone.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road in music is always challenging when you want to make it more than just a hobby. I started in music composition in my first year of college. I was excited to delve into music, but there were just too many rules, and I realized I needed to be more authentic regarding creativity. After the first semester of my first year, I got into a car accident, fractured my pelvis and collarbone, and dislocated my hip. I had to take the next semester off, and then I transferred colleges and switched majors to Sports and Entertainment Management. I had some pretty cool opportunities, like working at the CMA Awards and doing internships at two different artist management companies, one in Charlotte, NC, and one in Nashville. I met Ashley McBryde, Rhiannon Giddens, Brothers Osborne, Marty Stuart, and more during my second internship.

I also worked on projects for Metallica from our other branch. It was a pretty cool experience. I learned some amazing things and had some cool experiences, but it confirmed that I didn’t want to be on the back end of things. I’m an artist, so it would never work for me. Money can be a challenge, as well. It’s expensive to record, etc. Being a business owner on top of this journey has been challenging. I started my online fitness coaching business, Mackenzie Muscle, LLC, in 2020, right before COVID, and I didn’t record at all for two years so I could focus on my business. That was killing me inside, and I had to get back in the studio. I went all in and recorded my first album from July 2021 to June 2022. The songs were written in 2019 – 2022. 2019 was a rough year for me; needless to say, the past couple of years have been tough for everyone. There has been a lot of change for me, from leaving an emotionally abusive relationship and starting a business to going through the pandemic, grieving losses both from loved ones, including my younger cousin, passing and the end of friendships, growing a business, and having those growing pains as a person and going through the motions of healing, finding a stable relationship, and not knowing how to handle that. That’s why this album is so close to me. It is a compilation of the trials life has held over the past couple of years, and it’s really about mental health and how even in the darkest hour, we have hope. I haven’t written many Christian songs, but there are hints of my faith there, especially with “Anxious Girl.” It’s the first song I’ve written when I’m feeling well and anxious. I can listen to it for comfort. I’ve dealt with anxiety my whole life, even as a toddler, so the struggle can be real, but God always gets me through it somehow, and that’s what that song is really about.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Although I started as an instrumentalist with piano and eventually cello, I would say that I’m a lyricist at my core, through and through. I always had a knack for poems and writing, even in elementary school. Songwriting most authentically embodies who I am as an artist and person. Music is an escape for me because I write about the things weighing on my heart and mind, and it’s a way I can express myself when I don’t know what to say. I feel like Julia Michaels, Sasha Sloan, Fletcher, and Nothing, Nowhere are my spirit animals because I’m known to write some depressing stuff. I feel like the lyrics should have depth. So I’d say I’m known for my depth.

I’m most proud that I’ve continued to pursue music. I know so many talented people who say, “I don’t make music anymore,” “I don’t play guitar anymore,” and “I don’t sing anymore,” and it’s unfortunate. I never want to stop doing this because it’s what I love. I’m also really proud of my growth from the first EP release through this first album, and I’m excited to share that growth with the public.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
A lot of early opportunities came from doing internships in the music industry, as well as being involved in CMA EDU. I was also blessed to have the chance to learn from professors who had real-life experience in the industry. From there, I have kept putting myself out there, and I don’t keep what I do a secret on the music or the fitness end.

Pricing:

• Pricing depends on the event and logistics, but feel free to contact me and we can have a conversation. I’m working on new merch for the upcoming project, as well, so keep an eye out!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://mackenziemorrow.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackenzie.morrow.music/ @mackenzie.morrow.music
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mackmorrowmusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mackmorrowmusic?lang=en Username: @mackmorrowmusic
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/dCbZFANX9G4
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/09xKl7GjKOETUqTQFXqOr2?si=z3nQutz1Q0OJOxXU7wMg3Q
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mackenzie.morrow.music?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits
Sarah Stiles, Christina Wagner, Desiree Jenschke, Aaron Pate, Jarod Phillips, Debbie Morrow