Old Soul in a young voice
Macey Mac embarks on the next phase of her musical career
Story by Carlton Reese
Her talent undeniable, her personality captivating, and her Mississippi accent charming, Macey Mac possesses the tools necessary for stardom, and today she finds herself at the crossroads of her singing career. Up to now, the 20-year-old Mac has ridden her powerful vocal energy to certain distinction on the rails of tunes made famous before her by artists whose names reside securely in the pantheon of music.
The road to fame and fortune runs through Nashville, so Mac recently made the move from Ocala to make her mark in the Music City, where it’s going to take more than just belting out Reba McEntire covers. The next step for Mac: writing and performing her own original songs.
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“I’ve been song writing a bunch and discovering more about myself as an artist and writing my own songs, telling my own story,” Mac said. “I’m working with some great writers; working in the studio and zoning in on what my sound is.”
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From the 14-year-old prodigy who left everyone’s jaw agape with her national television appearance on “America’s Got Talent” in 2018 to her most recent outing on “I Can See Your Voice,” Mac has demonstrated quite clearly that she earns mention with the great mezzo-soprano singers of our day. To hear her bust out McEntire’s “Fancy” and segue quite easily into Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” then The Allman Brothers Band’s “Whipping Post” reveals not just her versatility, but also her profound respect for sounds of all genres in which her enthusiasm is equal across the board.
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And now it’s time to create her own path.
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“I needed to pursue being a full-time artist because I was doing these cover gigs and songs,” Mac reflects. “I could do that and live comfortably — I even probably could have worked at Disney and been Tinkerbell!
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“If you want to pursue being an artist artist, you’ve got to write your own songs.”
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Having signed with Cadence Music, the next step on the journey is releasing material that she has written and performed, music from her soul that reveals the multiple dimensions of her personality, passions and musical tastes. This means hours in the writing room collaborating with some seasoned veterans along the way. The process is a slow one, with meticulous attention to detail so that when songs are released, they strike the correct chords both instrumentally and lyrically.
Mac’s interest in such a diverse array of genres begs the question, “just what kind of songs can we expect from her?”
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Performing covers, Mac appears just as comfortable frolicking through a happy country ditty as she does aggressively pushing through a heavy metal jaunt. Her literary pilgrimage at this point is quite a mystery and all bets are off as to its destination. Mac herself provides only subtle hints as to what her fans can expect.
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“There’ll be some things that are slightly unexpected,” Mac says of the tunes currently under construction. “At the same time, you have to expect the unexpected. Some songs will lean more into the rocker, fiercer side of me and other tunes will be more positive and upbeat and uplifting.”
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Mac does admit her songs will be a reflection of her personality, which is a clue pointing more toward sanguine tunes. She considers herself “friendly and warm” and that “I want to incorporate that into my song writing.”
So what for certain can fans expect of the next Macey Mac evolution?
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“It’ll be in singles form as far as songs coming out here and there and eventually an album will come about,” Mac states. “As much as people are itching to hear my originals, I’m itching for everybody else to hear them. I’m so excited to finally get my music out there.”
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Mac released her first single in February and said that she expects to be “realeasing a single every six weeks.” The last thing she or anyone on her team wants to do is rush the process. The past six years, Mac has enjoyed a measured amount of spotlight thanks to her numerous television appearances and extensive live performances throughout the south. Even so, once her catalogue of tunes hits the public airwaves, she will be considered a newbie by industry standards.
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“I will be a newcomer insofar as releasing music out there, but I do have skin in the game,” Mac said. “It’s been strategic, not releasing music prematurely. We are making sure we are getting it just right and not just putting something out there just to have it out there. We want to put something out there we can be proud of.”
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When the songs are stamped and the album finally comes to fruition, it will be the culmination of a young girl’s dream to be what she loves combined with some life-altering experiences along the way to shape her journey in precisely the right way.
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It started in the Magnolia State, Hattiesburg to be specific, and at age 11 she first hit the stage to perform for an audience. From there, it was on to places such as Tupelo and Meridian, where the ghosts of Elvis Presley and Jimmy Rogers, respectively, made their mark on her. There was a spell in Brandon before moving to Florida, where Ocala lured the Macs to put down stakes. Performing with local bands such as Slickwood and the Orange Blossom Opry Band played large roles in her artistic trajectory.
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She describes herself as a bit of a “hippie gypsy” so the thousands of miles required of a budding musician come quite naturally to her. Her journeys are a part of her journey and the main reason her tastes are so eclectic.
“I love the Beatles; I love the Stones, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty…” Mac can go on forever listing the artists who have the greatest influence. “One of my favorite artists is Aretha Franklin and I love doing the Led Zeppelin things.”
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The music she adores and covers all come from a generation far removed from hers, but it does not feel that way to her.
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“I’m an only child. I grew up around adults; grew to be an old soul — I love classic rock and classic country.”
Today’s music world is dominated by technology — drum samples, pitch correction, and time correction seem to define this era of digital recording. The backlash may be taking place, however, with the emerging popularity of traditional vinyl and analog recording. Then here comes Macey Mac, who could emerge as the bridge to the next phase of modern music: new talent with an old soul.
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The ghosts whispering in her ear have names like Lynn, Twitty, Bobby Gentry and even Robert Plant — legends today’s up-and-comers should know but all too often do not.
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So now, Mac heads into the studio with those souls accompanying her every step of the way and soon the public shall hear not only Mac’s voice, but also detect the influence of rock and country music history as built by the legends upon whose shoulders she now proudly stands.