What's On! Music - Mackenzie Widdows

Liberated by Marcel Duchamp’s rebellious attitude towards art, and the sincerity of Maya Angelou, Mackenzie creates music and visual art as symbols of life and happiness.

Inspired by the fleeting nature of each moment, Mackenzie Widdows produces colourful compositions designed to emphasize the joy of life and instill a sense of optimism in the audience. Hailing from the rainforests of Vancouver Island, Mackenzie first explored the Arts at a Shawinigan Lake summer camp, and later went on to work as an arts and crafts instructor at various summer camps between the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. In June 2019, Mackenzie released his debut album, Mackedamia, winning him a Fraser Valley Music Award and a “Celebration of The Arts” Award. Today, Mackenzie is working on his second album, Back 2 Mackedamia, while working as Program Coordinator at the Mission Arts Council. At the core of Mackenzie’s work is an affinity for lightheartedness, leisure, and a reverence for the everyday.

Mackenzie grew up in a very musical home. His mother taught music lessons from a studio attached to our house, so he was always around it. Random fact, he is  also a distant cousin of the late Lucille Ball.  As a kid, he attended a Summer Camp on Vancouver Island called EagleArts Academy, where campers got to choose electives like pottery, song writing, and video production (all his favourites). Amongst all the other “artsy, misfit” kids, he was able to freely explore his creative side and develop a love of the Arts. After graduating from Mission Secondary School, he attended the University of The Fraser Valley, where he attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Art and Literature.

In 2019, he put together a collection of songs into a self-released album, Mackedamia. This was “a tribute to every happy memory I made throughout my life and every magical wish for the future”.  He sold over 150 copies to supportive family and friends and with the proceeds, was able to sponsor a child for a full week of camp at Zajac Ranch. Over the course of the pandemic, he gained experience performing for an audience through grant-funded virtual shows and festivals, later paving the way for live-performance opportunities. Music has been and always will be a natural part of his life.
He loves the kind of upbeat melodies you hear from Electronic Light Orchestra, Empire of the Sun, and Galantis, coupled with his idolization of Nicki Minaj from his adolescent years. He’s been told that his music sounds like if Kesha wrote music with Charlotte Diamond. It’s journalistic in nature, with electronic music and driving beats. He likes to imagine that each song is like “a little prayer, celebrating life in earnest authenticity”.

The album itself is available for purchase at mackenziewiddows.bandcamp.com and his YouTube channel is chock-full of music video content.