Jocelyn Mackenzie Announces Debut Solo LP

Brooklyn musician and hyper-creative Jocelyn Mackenzie - formerly of the critically acclaimed indie-folk trio Pearl and the Beard - has announced her debut solo album PUSH, due out early next year via Ani DiFranco's Righteous Babe Records. A beautiful collection of songs about healing through radical self-love, PUSH was written entirely for string quartet and co-created with an all-star lineup of arrangers, engineers, and vocalists, including composers Sam McCormally (Fellow Creatures, Igual Que Tú), Emily Hope Price (Pearl and the Beard, Jenny Lewis), Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady, World Inferno Friendship Society), Adam Schatz (Landlady, Sylvan Esso), Emmy-nominated vocal engineer Dan Brennan (Sorry to Bother You), vocalist Jo Lampert (TuNe-YaRdS, David Byrne's Joan of Arc), and many more.

With the news of the album, Mackenzie has released the first single and McCormally collaboration "BETTER," along with an incredibly joyous music video which premiered today via BrooklynVegan. Filmed entirely during quarantine, Mackenzie created the video using crafts at home and enlisted the help of fans across the world, who submitted footage of their own.

I wrote "BETTER" over five years ago in a wave of genuine gratitude for the unconditional love I was receiving during a really rough time. I had no idea how accurate and necessary its message would become. Sam McCormally's beats and string arrangements really expanded "BETTER" and transformed it into this incredible pop anthem of finding and using our power. When quarantine hit and I had the idea for the music video, I knew I needed to invite as many people as possible to connect on this project. With everyone going through this new and scary time, it seemed like a way to bring people together in a creative way that would hopefully offer everyone a boost to keep going. On my end, I was determined only to use whatever art materials I already had in my house as a gentle stand against the idea that we need money to make a difference. We each have the power to make the world better in our own unique way, exactly as we are, and it was amazing to see how joyfully everyone came together to co-create something so joyful, powerful, personal, and moving. - Jocelyn Mackenzie

Jocelyn Mackanzie's debut album PUSH is due out early 2021 via Righteous Babe Records. You can stream the lead single "BETTER" HERE, and you can watch the official music video HERE. She has also launched an IndieGoGo campaign, with a wide range of perks including PUSH vinyl, a private concert, a songwriting session, and even a personal psychic reading from Mackenzie herself. For all up-to-date information on new music stay tuned to www.jocelynmackenzie.com.

Listen to "BETTER" here: