Spotlight: Mackenzie Shrieve

Written by: Chris Arencibia

I don't frequently go out on a Wednesday night, but on this particular late-September evening I found myself at a lower east side basement venue to watch a friend play a set . As luck would have it - Berlin NYC turned out to be the place to be that night, with what ended up being a stacked lineup of some of New York's best up and coming artists.

When I arrived at the venue, there was a loud buzz of conversation carrying through every corner of the room, but that abruptly ended as soon as Mackenzie Shrieve took the stage with her band behind her. Everyone in the crowd immediately turned their attention to the stage where they were gifted with a deeply intimate and personal performance from the Brooklyn-based artist known for her vulnerable and vivid storytelling.

Skylyne was lucky enough to chat with Mackenzie about growing up, her experiences on stage, and what it's like coming up in the NYC music scene.

SKYLYNE: As a new fan myself, your music certainly drives emotion. For fans who are hearing your music for the first time, what feelings would you ideally like to invoke?

MACKENZIE: I hope to invoke feelings of love, nostalgia, excitement, heartbreak, wonder - anything really. Once I put out my music, I kind of release control of things like that.

SKYLYNE: Without your music, can you describe yourself as a person?

MACKENZIE: I grew up in the Bay Area playing sports and camping a lot with my family, which are still two of my favorite things to do. I’m pretty outdoorsy and extroverted, which always led me to take a lot of risks/chase after adrenaline. I’m a big family person and love to travel .

SKYLYNE: I can definitely see that outdoorsy influence in some of your music. Growing up, was there a moment in your life that you can point to as the beginning of your interest in music?

MACKENZIE: I wouldn’t say there is a singular moment, but I gravitated towards music at a really young age. I took piano, drum, guitar, and voice lessons and wrote hundreds of little melodies, verses, songs, etc. I had incredible mentors, one of which I am still very close to today. The moment I realized I wanted to perform live was after seeing Mumford & Sons at The Greek Theater in Berkeley with my Dad at 15. It has always been my favorite venue and it left me completely amazed.

SKYLYNE: That sounds like an amazing show, it seems like most people in music can point to a live show that changed everything. Shifting gears to your music, to me your songs feel so raw and vulnerable. When writing, are you writing for yourself or with an audience in mind?

MACKENZIE: My music has always been very personal, so it typically starts for myself. We definitely keep live performances in mind throughout the production/arrangement process. Mostly, once we finish something, we tend to say something like “they’re going to love this” or “I can’t wait to play this live”, so to answer the question, both.

SKYLYNE: Vulnerability can be painful, but you seem to tackle it head on in a lot of your songs. Is it painful to share deeply personal music or therapeutic?

MACKENZIE: I mostly find it therapeutic. It is sometimes difficult to repeatedly perform songs about painful past experiences, but that’s just a part of the artist experience and audience connection.

SKYLYNE: Few people understand the stress of committing to a career in music. How do you balance your mental health with the pursuit of your art?

MACKENZIE: I have an incredible support system who have encouraged me since I was a kid. I was also lucky enough to find an incredible team of artists, musicians, producers, engineers, etc., throughout my time at NYU who have been with me for the past 5+ years. Without them, it would be a lot a harder. I also work in the live music industry, so I’m constantly learning things about this space that impact the decisions I make about my own music. To be honest, my mental health would probably deteriorate without the pursuit of my art.

SKYLYNE: Seeing you live, it seemed like you used the stage to connect individually with everyone in your audience. How do you make playing to a crowded room feel personal?

MACKENZIE: I love to engage and connect with as many audience members as I can. My music is very lyric forward, which I think makes it easier for people, especially those who have never seen me before, to listen and relate to the songs. My version of the highest compliment is when people come up to me and ask something like “what’s the song where you say xyz”, so I always try to bring people in with the storytelling.

SKYLYNE: That definitely came across when I saw you perform. Describe the moments right before you take the stage. Are you nervous? Excited? What goes through your head?

MACKENZIE: It’s a combination of both! My nervousness fluctuates based on the size of the show or whether or not I’m playing new music, but I mostly feel excitement. I love being on stage and performing with my band. They’ve been with me for over 5 years now.

SKYLYNE: In your new song “So Damn Pretty” I absolutely love the line “I am terrified of everyone, especially the people who are always having fun”. Can you expand on where that lyric came from?

MACKENZIE: Living in NYC can definitely be overwhelming. There are so many incredible musicians and artists here and it’s easy to compare yourself to them, especially when they make it look easy. Being in such a creative city is mostly inspiring, but there are times where it has left me feeling behind where I “should” be.

SKYLYNE: Here’s your spotlight - tell us what you have going on and what’s coming up.

MACKENZIE: My upcoming EP, In The After, comes out on October 20th! The pre-save link is below. It’s the third and final installment of a trilogy I’ve been working on since 2019. The release show is on October 28th at The Bowery Electric. The ticket link is also below!