Interview with the soulful musician Macy Todd
When did you start writing music?
I started writing when I was 14 and finally able to make out chords on a guitar.
You are from Atlanta. Tell me about the development of your work in college and pushing your writing in your last album. Did you think of a southern r&b sound when putting together your band. It’s deep but soulful.
I never really thought of southern R&B as my “sound” necessarily, it just sort of worked out that way while recording my first EP. My band turned out to be the first band I put together for a release show, they had vibe and were freakishly talented so that was all that mattered. It just ended up working out that soul was there in everyone.
My influences are always changing and I’m constantly inspired by new music i discover so easily, thanks to Spotify. I’ve always been a huge fan of Brandi Carlile as a singer and writer- but lately I’ve been getting into a mix of deeper and more unique artists like Sufjan Stevens and Frank Ocean.
You have a soul influence in your live music. Do you like to set a certain pace in different live venues?
My live experience with my band has been limited.
That’s something I’m hoping to change in the future because the live part of music is my favorite part. So far, we’ve played at some cool venues but I wouldn’t say we’ve played enough venues to take note on how we do each. But if it comes down to a venue in Atlanta like an Eddie’s Attic, I’ll talk about my music because that’s the atmosphere..
I like that to some degree, but I think I like making people dance more. When my adrenaline really kicks in, its game over.
What do you have planned for the future?
I’m working on my first full album. I’ve only ever done an EP and singles. The sound is different, but it feels more like what I wished I would’ve sounded like two and a half years ago. My experience in the studio before making this album has always been rooted in fear. I didn’t think I knew enough, I didn’t trust myself enough because I was always afraid of other people’s opinions, the respect of others being lost if my ideas were dumb. But let’s be honest, when you’re new at something you’re always going to sound dumb. I’ve gotten past that at this point, I just want to make something that I would want to listen to – I want to be my own biggest fan this time.
Describe your creative process or specific sounds, stories, or music that is cool at the moment.
The pain is everything in my life right now. Even before when I was writing super bubbly pop songs, I wrote out of pain to some degree. But the new music is deeper and definitely more mature – no bubbles.. well maybe just a few here and there. 😉 When it comes to the pain, I always ask, “did I put this on myself?” and while that very well may be true (let’s be honest, it’s true 95% of the time), I never regret what comes from it. It’s unfortunate to feel so deeply sometimes, but it’s worth it when I can write about it and learn more about myself for the greater good. I’m always learning, always changing and hopefully always growing.
