We recently sat down with post-folk group McKay to talk about their new album, their release show (tonight!), and what’s next for the Nashville band.
“We. Are. Stoked.”
And YOU should be, too. Nashville-based band McKay is becoming the face of the city’s young indie scene, and their new self-titled album drops this Sunday, January 28th (today, for those counting). In the past year alone, they’ve hit just about all of Nashville’s premier indie venues, from coffee shops like Fido and The Well to Music City staples like The End, The Cobra, The Five Spot, The East Room, and The Basement—the list goes on, but you’ll quit reading. Chances are, if you’ve been there, so has McKay. They’re also two-time guests at the legendary East Iris Studios’ Live Nights, not to mention countless DIY house shows (including a TMR one back in October—they kicked ass). This Sunday, they’ll be playing a release show at The Basement, but more on that later:
McKay was formed in 2022, and it consists of Nashville natives Hudson McKay Haining (guitar/vocals), James Eichman (guitar/banjo/vocals), and Peter Dark (drums), as well as Charleston, SC local Zach Shirley (bass). The group met in pairs through work and mutual love for music, and the full band came together shortly after. They got their start playing gigs at the late Cafe Coco: “Cafe Coco was really good about giving groups that otherwise didn’t have a lot of credibility a shot, and that was our first big show where we realized, oh shit, we can pull a crowd.” And they took off from there.
The group describes their genre as “post-folk,” which is a mixture of (you guessed it) folk and indie rock—and when you listen to their music, trust me, you’ll get it. Songs like “Naive” and “Evergreen” have a Dylan-inspired sound, with folky banjos, violins, and harmonicas leading the charge. “Bad Liar,” which recently eclipsed 80k streams on Spotify, and “Plugged” carry these same elements but with a heavier bass and drum groove, sliding them perfectly between the two genres of rock and folk—a pleasing sound but delivered in an incredibly unique way. It’s hard to describe (clearly), so just go listen for yourself…it’ll be worth your while.
Their new album consists of some of their top singles as well as unreleased tracks. Recorded in November of 2022, the album gives us a glimpse into the very beginnings of McKay: “We were so green and fresh upon recording it and hardly knew each other at the time, so recording the album was what brought us together.” It will be their biggest release to date and serves as just the starting point for the young band. Drummer Peter Dark described it as a “collage” or “timestamp” from the first few months of the band’s existence. “There’s a wonderful thing about orienting your artistic life around projects and letting go of it. It feels like we’ve had [the album recorded] for so long, and I’m not necessarily bothered by the amount of time it’s taken us to get it out, but it’s just more exciting than anything to be like, ‘Yes, this is going to be available to people.’” However, despite the exciting release, the band is already focused on the future. “We’re excited to have this one out so we can say, ‘Yeah, we’re working towards what’s next.’”
So, what exactly is next for the band? They have aspirations of going on a more complete tour (including a potential out-of-town spread in May) and packing the house along the way: “Our dream is touring and playing or opening for the bands we love in sold-out rooms—doin’ the thing.” And, remember that list of venues from above? Two key pieces are missing: The Blue Room and The Basement East. Those are the gold standards and short-term goals for McKay, but don’t expect them to stop there.
Their new album, McKay, just dropped TODAY on all platforms, and you can see them ‘doin’ the thing’ in person TONIGHT at The Basement (18+) with support from Riley Whittaker, Karson Leighton, and Otlo.
- DG
https://www.themusicroom.substack.com/p/artist-feature-mckay?r=2rctzi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web