On his single “Taken,” Sol said, “I got the opportunity to meet with Diane Warren through my manager. I was very aware of who she was and her success. Diane is a Grammy award -winning songwriter, and you have no idea how exciting that was for me to meet her. Both of my parents were singers and sang a few songs she had written. One song that I immediately remembered them singing was DeBarge’s ‘Rhythm Of The Night’.”
Sol continued, “Diane and I really hit it off, and she played some tracks for me. One of the songs was ‘Taken.’ The song immediately stood out. I loved the lyrical content and the dance vibe. We recorded it that day, then worked on it in the studio to make it my own. I’m so happy with the results.”
For Sol, it was an “amazing” and total “honor” to work with Warren. “She is awesome and now a good friend. Having her trust me to do a good job with one of her songs was a huge deal and my proud-est moment was hearing her say, ‘Mackenzie, you made this song a smash’.”
His plans for the future include more touring. “I can’t wait to get back on the road. I live to perform. I want to tour the world,” he said.
Sol’s music is inspired by writing about truth. “When I write, I genuinely write about truth. Things that I’ve lived through, personal experiences. Everyone has emotions and I find I need to translate mine into music,” he explained.
Digital transformation of music business
On the impact of technology on the music business, he said, “The music business has changed so much, everything seems to be more focused on digital now. Buying a record in a store has long gone. I think there are both positives and negatives. Firstly, it gives artists like myself a space online to reach out to fans old and new. However, I think the world of social media is saturating the music market because everyone wants to be a singer. With all the online traffic, it really makes it difficult for creditable artists/musicians to have their music heard.”
He shared that as a musician, he uses Instagram in his music routine. “I use Instagram the most, I really feel this is where my most active fan-base is. I definitely try to livestream everyday. I love connecting to my fans,” he exclaimed.
Sol listed Selena Gomez and Pink as his dream female duet choices. “I think Pink is amazing and the tone in her voice is incredible,” he said.
“Taken” is available on iTunes.
To learn more about singer-songwriter Mackenzie Sol, follow him on Facebook and on Twitter.
