Just 21 years old, McCall spent her teenage years using a fake ID to play blues clubs in her Atlanta hometown. With just a handful tracks released to date, McCall has presented herself as a unique indie pop artist. The tracks she has released from her forthcoming EP find her belting over intricate soundscapes, almost like if Bon Iver wrote big chorus hooks primed for stadium singalongs.
Ahead of her new EP, McCall sat down to talk AC/DC, Princess Diana, and her obsession with Hozier in the latest Indie Mixtape 20.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Sad bops with spice.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I would be happy to be remembered at all to be honest.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
San Diego and Atlanta have both consistently been so much fun.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Wow okay let me try to pick just one…I continuously come back to Hozier so I’ll have to pick him. In high school, I typed out all the lyrics to the self-titled album and made my little sister, Kelsey, listen to my analysis of the whole album. I like that he alludes to other poets and writers in his songs, because it gives me a bigger mission as a listener than just to listen to the album itself.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Peking duck in Chinatown, Los Angeles for sure.
What album do you know every word to?
Lady Gaga’s criminally underrated Artpop album.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Mark Ronson’s “Club Heartbreak” show or Anderson .Paak’s “Paak House in the Park” concert
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
Right now, pajamas.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
I’m going to sub in TikTok and say @bum.bailey.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
“It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock’N’Roll)”
What’s the last thing you Googled?
How to spell “Peking duck”
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Loggins and Messina.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
In my car, nothing too crazy.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
N/A
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Dua Lipa <3
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My mother let me pursue a career in music???
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Don’t do it.
What’s the last show you went to?
Royal And The Serpent @ the Troubadour.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
Any Lifetime movie about Princess Diana.
What would you cook if Kanye were coming to your house for dinner?
N/A due to the recent announcements.
On Self Loathing is out later this summer.