McKenzie

The debut single by Gold Coast newcomers McKenzie is all about seizing the day and making the most of every minute. Inspired by the words of the songwriter’s late mother, the aptly titled Living For The Moment embraces the positivity that is central to the band’s ethos. The video clip for the single, using the theme of achieving your dream by showing a young footballer making his mark on the world, ties in multiple inspiration for the four-piece.

McKenzie – featuring brothers Nick (drums/vocals) and Jordan Beech (rhythm guitar/vocals), alongside chums David Neil (lead guitar/vocals) and Paul Bergola (bass) – formed the band in South Australia’s Riverland before relocating and making their base in the Gold Coast. They have been earning their stripes playing across Southern Queensland and making fans along the way. They now have a solid fan base with their original material traversing the rock, pop and soul genres. Living For The Moment seemed the perfect song to make their official debut, a track which not only resonates with every member of the band, but also showcases the way they each live their lives. Nick Beech talks about the single and journey so far with Hi Fi Way: The Pop Chronicles.

How have things being going since the release of your debut single Living For The Moment?
Our fans are responding really well to the new single and it’s exciting to hear people request it live. We get a lot of messages and videos of people singing along in their cars or at parties, which is a great feeling.

It is such a powerful and emotive song, did you feel that it helped in not only honouring the memory of your mum but the grieving process as well?
Yes the whole process was very emotional but at the same time it really helped me see how much my mum lived her life to the fullest. There are so many stories that really did show her living for the moment and that’s how I want to live my life.

Do you get emotional playing the song live or does it bring positive energy being able to remember the good times?
I think the song brings back the good memories. It was written to be inspiring and to make you strive to be better and push for those dreams you’ve always wanted. That’s also why we chose to keep the tempo up beat and to have that Aussie rock sound.

The film clip is an awesome concept, how did that come about?
We had a lot of ideas for the film clip like using famous sports players and live game footage. But in the end I chose to use my younger brother Kylan to play the role of a young boy dreaming of football. The reason I chose to do it this way is because we always have dreams as kids that get forgotten about as we get older and careers take over. I think that life is too short and we need to chase those dreams while we can, even if they seem unattainable.

Has the journey been a huge buzz so far?
Yes it’s been a lot of fun working with so many great musicians and talking to people about the excitement of the new single. Its also great to hear stories from people who have been through a similar situation and knowing that the song has also helped them.

Did you ever think you would be in a band with your brothers?
I have played music with my younger brother Jordan for a very long time and I don’t think it would be the same without him. We work really well together and have a lot of fun on stage. Even as kids we would always jam in the back shed. I even have some old videos and photos of us five kids setting up a stage in the backyard playing concerts for mum and dad.

How is work going on the album?
We are so excited about the new album we have coming out. We should have it all done in the next few months. We have been working with a good friend of ours who is an awesome recording engineer and producer. There are a lot of fans asking for more so we are trying to get it done as soon as possible.

How would you describe McKenzie to someone who hasn’t heard of you before?
We are an Aussie rock band with a lot of energy on stage. We love to make sure everyone is having a good time and love to throw a few surprises out during our live shows. A big thing for us is we want to bring back that authentic real band experience.

What’s in store for the remainder of 2018 for McKenzie?
Right now we are concentrating on the new album and trying to get our music out to Australia. Once the album is finished we are looking at doing a big tour of the East Coast and hopefully most of Australia. We have also got a big gig on a cruise ship in October called ‘Rock The Boat’. We will be supporting bands like Foreigner, The Romantics, Ross Wilson, Russel Morris and Shannon Noll just to name a few.

Interview by Rob Lyon