Mackenzie Shivers Announces New Album 'primrose Was In Season' & Shares New Single 'johnny Gown'

New York-based, folk-pop artist Mackenzie Shivers announced her new album, primrose was in season, will be released on March 1. On the album, Shivers boldly gives a glimpse into her healing process after losing her first pregnancy, triumphantly capturing a depth of feeling that illuminates both her resilience and vulnerability. Electric guitar, a mix of dance beats and organic drums, and Shivers's trademark piano bolster her most adventurous work to-date.  

With the announcement, Shivers shared the new single and music video “johnny gown,” a danceable, synth-driven track that proves her soul-baring lyrics aren't just for ballads. Chorus.FM featured the track calling Shivers, “an artist to watch as this year unfolds.”  

“When I wrote ‘johnny gown', it struck me how we are all working through things no one else sees,” explains Shivers. “I had been working so hard to let myself feel all emotions after having a miscarriage, because that was the only way I knew how to move through the grief. Radical acceptance of all feelings. And while that was essential, it was also very exhausting, and it affected how I moved through the world. I felt like I was wearing this heavy yet invisible cloak, this secret. It was a reminder that you never know what someone is going through. We all have our sh*t.”  

“johnny gown” follows the releases of ethereal pop opener “a cautionary tale,” and the evocative “pedestal,” which both capture an internal struggle to confess that she is not always as put together as she seems, all while pulling the listener into a stunning musical terrain.

The tracks have been praised by Adobe & Teardrops, NYS Music, Glamglare, Wildfire Music, The Indy Review, and The Week In Pop who said of “a cautionary tale”, "A ballad that ponders the inner introspection that moves through hallways and quarters of deep loss, Mackenzie combines powerful vocal vulnerabilities and piano guided affirmations that move forward in progressions fortified by understated electronic percussive sequencing.”  

“The creation of ‘a cautionary tale' and the subsequent nine tracks that would make up my upcoming album was creative and buoyant, bringing joy to a very difficult time in my life,” states Shivers. “I was struggling to get pregnant and stay pregnant. I felt like the odds were against me, like I couldn't gain control of my own life. But in the studio, I felt like I had some control over what I was making, and I was also having a blast.”  

“a cautionary tale” and “pedestal” are also available to purchase as a 7” vinyl exclusively on Bandcamp HERE.  

Shivers' fourth full-length album primrose was in season, produced by frequent collaborator Kevin Salem (Rachel Yamagata, Emmylou Harris), is vivid feminine alt-folk, a powerful portrait of inner fragility and strength that's at once gossamer and deeply profound. The ten new compositions intertwine magic with grief, illustrating the two can, and often do, co-exist. Shivers' sound is constantly evolving yet instantly recognizable.

She proves her artistry is as versatile and definitive as the title's early spring bloom. She is someone who is unafraid to grow, to dig, to unearth all sides of herself. The self-portrait she paints is honest and flawed, shimmering and spirited. The title, a lyric from the gritty and grooving “hush now”, holds meaning beyond its wistful beauty. The primrose, signaling the end of winter with its vast array of colors, has a reputation for healing wounds.  

“This album has been an empowering way for me to move forward,” says Shivers. “And I hope it gives listeners a space to feel any and all things. Because if there's one thing I've learned from this process, it's that nothing you feel is wrong. Feeling all emotions is the only way to move through them. Maybe even towards joy.”

Photo Credit: Desdemona Dallas

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