Mack Keane is back. The young singer, who is the son of producer Tom Keane and actress/singer Paula Mulchay, returns today with his third project, Entries, and the understanding that it’s been a while since he released a project.
“I hadn’t put out music in a long time because I was stuck on this idea that it had to be a certain way,” he tells Uproxx over a Zoom call. “I realized it didn’t need to be a certain way. There’s no ‘way’ that this really has to be. It is the way I created it to be.”
This realization helped Keane take the necessary steps to craft Entries, a project he says marks the moment of “stepping into the next phase.”
“This concept came about very naturally with these journal entries that I was doing, where it was jotting down my feelings to a beat that I made,” he continued. “I made these little camcorder videos I was just posting them on socials for fun, and it just came about naturally where I was like, I can make this a thing. I could do a little mixtape, or a tape, or a project that’s these journal entries to reintroduce Mack in a way.”
Consider Keane’s mission accomplished.
Entries marks the return of Mack Keane soulful elegance through its ten songs that put the full realm of his artistry for the world to experience. His charming songwriting is back above the surface, but so are his impressive talents as a producer, something he believes fans will be taken aback by as his production contributions from his beloved Intersections EP with producer ESTA went under the radar.
“This [Entries] project is the first domino,” he notes on our call. I want my dominoes to keep falling from this point on.”
With Entries out now, we placed Mack Keane under the Uproxx Music 20 spotlight to learn more about her influences, inspirations, and aspirations. Scroll down to discover the best of Mack Keane.
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What is your earliest memory of music?
My dad had a studio in our house growing up, he’s a songwriter, producer, and mixer. We had a studio in our garage growing up, and there were always different artists cycling in and out. In my earliest memory, I remember I was on his lap in the studio and there was a board, and then there was another computer to the left of me with his producing partner Roy. I forgot, honestly, exactly what artists they had in there, but it was just that. It was a very early memory, one of those memories that’s hazy, but yeah, I was just in the studio watching this stuff happen. I remember I was pretty scared though because I’m like, “Who are these people? What is this?” That’s my earliest memory of being in the world of music.
Who or what inspired you to take music seriously?
“Who” would be Stevie Wonder. I think that music, from the first moment I heard it, I was just like, “Wow, this is the best thing I’ve ever heard. I love this.”
To be honest, as long as I can remember, this is just what I wanted to do. I think I was raised in a very musical household, with both my parents as creatives and artists as singers, and it’s just what was around me and it’s all I saw and loved and wanted to do. I had such a fun time playing piano as a kid and singing, and it was like, “This is what I’m doing!” So, I would say family inspired me, and as an artist, Stevie Wonder.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
I play keys and drums. I’m trying to pick up the guitar, that’s been my one that I want to get nice with, but it is difficult. It’s a lot more technique-oriented. I need a teacher, for sure, but I’m trying to get the guitar right. I can kind of play, I could do chords and stuff, but I want to get better. I’d love to play the bass, that’s definitely one I want to play, and it would be sick to play the trumpet, honestly. That’d be tight.
That’s another thing: On Entries, the guitar was inspiring me for a lot of the songs. You could hear this guitar in everything on that project. This project has also been my journey of figuring out how to play guitar.
So, yeah: guitar, drums, keys… I want to learn bass. I want to learn trumpet. There’s this arpeggio thing that’s really sick that I want to learn. I think every instrument that you learn inspires the music that you make. So as I progress and learn another instrument, my songwriting is going to change, the music I make is going to change. I think that’s such a great way to step into a new phase of your art and your artist life. It teaches me a lot about me as an artist as I learn a new instrument.
What was your first job?
I went to college in New York, and I tried to do Postmates while I was in school, and that was really not working. I was in New York City, so I was going around trying to make that work. I also tried Rover as well. I’d say a more serious job was after college, I worked at a restaurant for a couple of years. I was a barista bartender at this restaurant for like two, two-and-a-half years. That was my first job, and it taught me a lot. Early mornings on my feet for like nine hours and I met so many personalities.
I can do latte art, but it also gave me a good appreciation for working in a restaurant with a team on your feet. It’s tiring, man. People work so hard in that industry, and really just don’t get paid a lot. Especially people in the kitchen, they’re there the full shift. I made a lot of friends that way. It was a fun environment.
What is your most prized possession?
I’m not the most material-oriented person, but if we’re talking about that, I would say my most prized possession would honestly be my Rhodes. That thing is very special to me. The fires out in LA that were happening, I was thinking, ‘Man, if the fire was coming here, what would I take?’ I’d probably take some photos, but other than that, I’m not too attached to some of those things.
What is your biggest fear?
On an existential level, my biggest fear would be at the end of my life, not feeling like I lived my life with purpose and authenticity. I think that is my biggest fear — not doing and living the way that I want to live when all is said and done. A different fear of mine is just swimming in the middle of the ocean with thousands of feet below me. Thinking about it makes me feel weird, but I’ve done it before and it’s weird.
Who is on your music Mt. Rushmore?
Stevie Wonder, Prince, D’Angelo, and Frank Ocean.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
I’d probably go somewhere like Costa Rica and be amongst the forest and the beach. I’d probably have a dope crib in the jungle not too far from the beach. I’d have some of my best friends with me, definitely have music available, some substances, and just explore nature. See some animals and sh*t, walk to the beach, swim, go in the ocean, just be outside all day and enjoy it with my best friends, and just honestly, have a good time. When I want to, go walk over to a piano while I’m feeling kind of lit and sing and play some sh*t, maybe make some music, and eat good food. I’d probably have a fire chef cook up some crazy meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner, maybe some Italian food, some Japanese food, and a fire breakfast, like some bougie, diner breakfast type sh*t. Fire, pancakes, waffles, bacon, and eggs, but honestly, that. Just celebrating with my friends in a beautiful place.
What is the best song you’ve ever made?
“Sophia.”
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, and Tyler, The Creator. I don’t know why those come to my head and I don’t know why I’m thinking more so rap features, but a singer? SZA would be fire, Cleo Sol… I could keep listing.
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
Probably Severance. I’m watching Severance right now and I love that show. What I like about it is it deals with humans and our brains — the way we work, the way we think, our emotions, hiding emotions, showing emotions. It feels very human-oriented about the human experience. I think for me with my art, I definitely want to share the human experience in all forms, whether it’s my experience, a story I write and make a story about. I really like that about Severance.
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?
I would say, in terms of music, I really like how Kendrick [Lamar] kind of goes about things. He doesn’t really need to explain himself, other than with his music and his art, whether you like him or not. I really like the way he moves: It’s pretty under the radar, but he’s very consistent with his art and what’s true to him.
I like how Keanu Reeves moves low-key, he’s cool. He’s just a cool dude. He just does dope sh*t and he’s very normal. Again, I really like celebrities that have and show their humanity.
André 3000 is one, too. Erykah Badu, I love watching her interviews. But yeah, just people that just keep their humanity and completely are themselves, and you can see that they’re just trying to be the best version of themselves that they could be and not try to be somebody they’re not, or above people.
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
Something nobody could change my mind about is that California is the best state. That’s kind of crazy [laughs]. People are gonna not like me for that. I love California, but you know, there’s give and take, but for the reasons why I love it.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life, and what do you love about it?
The first thing that comes to my head, just because of my own personal thing with it, would be “As” by Stevie Wonder. I think just the energy, the feeling, and what they captured in the studio at that time — because at the time it was all live — whatever energy they captured in that whole record is f*cking spiritual, it’s magical. It’s moved me multiple times as the song progresses, and just the feeling that they captured. I think that’s my favorite thing about records: It’s really capturing the moment and the feeling. It’s not “perfect,” but it’s perfect, you know what I mean?
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
Man, I haven’t performed in many cities, but as of now, I would say LA because it’s mainly where I perform. I’m really excited to tour for my first time. I’m really excited to do some shows in Europe, Paris, and London. Excited to do some shows in New York, Atlanta, and Chicago as well.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you.
D’Angelo, Frank Ocean, André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, and Stevie Wonder.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
I’ve asked myself that before, and I always come back down to: nothing. This is all that I would do, but if I had to think about other interests of mine? I love everything creative, like acting, writing, I’d like to be a part of films. I’d probably do something with nature preservation. I don’t know what that would look like, but probably traveling the world, helping in some aspect. I really don’t know what that job would look like or what it would be called, but something that allows me to travel and help with nature preservation.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
Five years into the past because I would like to take the knowledge that I have now and give it to my younger self, so that I could be more present in my life, enjoy it, and be grateful for the people that I have around me, and some of the people that maybe I don’t have around me now. I’d like to cherish that more.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
I would probably just be like, “Yo, it’s gonna be okay. Just stop caring about what other people may or may not think. Stop trying to please people and focus on yourself and your energy and being the best you could be.” Yeah, just stop people-pleasing.
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
I would like it to be remembered as a soundtrack to people’s lives, different eras of their lives. When I think of my favorite artists, it captures a moment of my life, and it almost reminds me of who I was and who I am. So yeah, I would like it to be remembered as a soundtrack to an era of somebody’s life. Whether it was falling in love, them going through a break-up, family troubles, an area of their life that was depressed and it helped them move forward. So just as a healer.
Entries is out now via Mack Keane/Ditto. Find more information here.