Sonny Mackenzi moved to Atlanta with a dream and set out to do what makes her happiest, making music. Her style is unique and her own, often described as “a mischievous daredevil and the girl-next-door with an edge.” With her new single “New Crush” recently released, we wanted to sit down with Sonny and hear about her passions, what inspires her and what we can look forward to in the future.
We love your single “New Crush”, what were some of your inspirations for writing it?
Actually, “New Crush” was written in LA by Nash Overstreet from the band Hot Chelle Rae, and artist Kiana Brown while I was in Atlanta working on other music. At first I wanted to pass on it because I felt it was too different from the direction my music was going, but my manager asked me to sit on it a while. After a few days, I just couldn’t get it out of my head, and I knew I had to do it. The funny thing is that everyone who hears it tells me “Oh this song is one thousand percent you!” And they all just assume I wrote it, which is great.
Who do you think your biggest inspirations are?
There are a lot of talented artists on my radar that I like to pull from, but lately I’ve been really moved by Beyoncé and Janet Jackson, especially now that I’m moving into my performance phase. I’ve also been studying Tina Turner lately. I love her persona on stage, and I would love to incorporate that fierceness to my artistry.
What is your biggest accomplishment so far?
I think just the fact that I’ve made it to a point in my life where I can really do music 100% of the time is a huge accomplishment. This has been my dream since toddlerhood, so to be here in Atlanta, working with the team I’m working with is a dream come true, and I know I’m living a life very few will ever get to experience. For me, that’s huge.
If you could work with any artist right now, who would it be?
Lately I’ve been drawn to Flume. I love the dance elements in his music, and the emotional tone in the lyrics of the songs he puts out. There’s this unique element of dance and depth that is really attractive to me.
Is there any music we can look forward to in the near future?
Yes! I’m actually working on finishing up my EP now. I have a few more songs to record before it’s complete, but I’ll be releasing my second single “Rewind” here in late October. I can’t wait. I want it to be out now!
What advice would you give anyone trying to make it in the music industry who has a passion for music?
Get a good team behind you; a team that believes in you and your project and has the same goals in mind. That is absolutely key. Also, if it is really something you feel you’re meant to do, then never, ever give up on it. Have faith.
Do you have any tour dates coming up soon?
I don’t have anything officially locked down yet, but shows are definitely in the works. I actually just opened for Cee-Lo Green here in Atlanta on September 10th, and that was so amazing and fun. It made me hungry for more!
You can listen to Sonny’s new single, “New Crush” below