NYU sophomore Andie Mackenzie showcases lyrical pop at its finest in ‘Afterthought’

If you happen to’ve exhausted the tracks on Spotify’s steered playlists like “Chill Vibes” and “Lorem,” and nonetheless need extra, look no additional than Andie Mackenzie’s newly launched debut EP “Afterthought.” A sophomore finding out music enterprise at NYU’s Steinhardt College of Tradition, Schooling, and Human Improvement, Mackenzie employed her data of the trade to launch her five-track EP.  

Throughout her first 12 months, Mackenzie met fellow music enterprise main Luke Bonenfant, who helped her produce “Afterthought” in his New Jersey studio. 

“We made a demo of ‘Do Your Worst,’ and it was really identical to a take a look at run,” Mackenzie mentioned. “We had been identical to, ‘can we vibe musically?’ and the demo we made — just about aside from the drums — sounds very comparable [to the final version]. [It] was fairly full, and remaining vocals had been even on it. So we had been like, ‘OK, I feel we will make an excellent group.’”

After recording demos of 5 of Mackenzie’s songs, the group noticed potential for an EP. Bonenfant labored on the manufacturing aspect, but additionally contributed his personal musical abilities, in response to Mackenzie.

“I are available in and I play every part, however a number of occasions Luke is certainly a a lot better musician, particularly recording-wise,” Mackenzie mentioned. “He’ll normally simply monitor the devices as a result of he can get it carried out in fewer takes, however for some new music that’s going to be popping out, I’m extra concerned with the enjoying course of.” 

 “Afterthought” opens with the tune “Forethought,” which is paying homage to what you would possibly hear strolling by way of the streets of New York Metropolis. Mackenzie used sound bites from her first 12 months at NYU to include snippets of music, conversations and metropolis noise into the tune, all of the whereas permitting her sturdy lyricism to shine by way of.

“Over this previous 12 months, I took a number of movies and pictures, simply on my cellphone,” Mackenzie mentioned. “They’re principally all my pals and moments all through the 2 semesters which can be one way or the other concerned with the EP, whether or not it was pals who I’d share songs with or [people] I’ve talked in regards to the state of affairs with or the individual from the state of affairs [that inspired the album]. It was actually random. I actually simply sat on GarageBand and threw clips collectively.”

As a San Diego native, Mackenzie views the ocean as a reminder of house. In that vein, “Fringe of the Blue” makes use of beach-related imagery to clarify love and relationships, with lyrics like “A sandcastle fairly to take a look at / However not meant to final.”

“There’s this place referred to as the La Jolla Tide Swimming pools in La Jolla and I had gone there,” Mackenzie mentioned. “I used to be additionally simply coping with heartbreak just a little bit. I used to be really going by way of like a rut throughout Christmas, in order that’s once I wrote ‘Fringe of Blue,’ and I simply began eager about the ocean. Typically I really feel like I simply need to discuss to the ocean. It simply looks like it’s this void that may carry your feelings someplace else.”

“Steps of Her Brownstone” is by far the standout monitor from Mackenzie’s EP. The lyrics inform a narrative of the artist’s heartbreak, and the manufacturing is dynamic. Its sound is extra upbeat when in comparison with her different songs, but additionally, in response to Mackenzie, extra fictitious. She defined the issue she typically discovered discovering a stability of fact when writing songs primarily based on her personal life.

“One thing attention-grabbing for me when it got here to the music is, clearly it’s about folks in my life or a state of affairs,” Mackenzie mentioned. “One of many struggles I had was writing and being real in regards to the emotions and the state of affairs with out fully dragging the individual into the music.”

The EP concludes with the titular monitor, “Afterthought.” The tune leaves the listener with a way of closure, particularly when juxtaposed with the opener’s ambiguity. Mackenzie asks the exhausting questions of a former companion on this tune, whereas questioning if she is “simply an afterthought.” 

As an entire, “Afterthought” is the proper soundtrack to play doing homework or pondering life in Bobst Library. The EP’s songs all exemplify a spread of Mackenzie’s artistry, whereas nonetheless remaining cohesive.

Contact Karina Rower at [email protected].