If there’s one thing I love more than listening to great music, it’s discovering up-and-coming artists making great music.
I got to indulge in this love of mine when last week, I was invited to a special showcase at The Sayers Club in Hollywood, for an intimate performance by Australian recording artist Meg Mac. The 24-year-old singer recently signed to 300 Entertainment, a record label started by music industry vets Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles, Roger Gold and Todd Moscowitz, joining a roster of artists that includes ASTR, Migos and Shawty Lo.
Fresh off a month-long tour opening for the band Clean Bandit that took her through more than nine cities — including Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta and Austin for SXSW — this performance was actually Meg Mac's last night in the States.
A couple hundred of attendees gathered for the event, including Cohen and other industry execs from top tier music and tech companies. An open bar kept the cocktails flowing, as everyone chatted with one another before and after the show, in a very laid back, chill ambiance.
Surrounded by people sprawled on the floor, sitting on worn leather couches and huddled closely around, Meg Mac graced the stage around 8:20pm, dressed in all black — black shoes, loose black harem pants and a closed black cape that she eventually took off to reveal a smart black jacket and a crisp white, button-down shirt. Her four-person band backed her, which, she shared at one point during the night, she had only met recently, while at SXSW, inviting them to join her for the remainder of her tour. She performed seven songs in total, and throughout it all, had a very tempered vibe, calmly moving around the stage with subdued dance moves here and there. She briefly talked between songs, mainly to provide brief context about what she'd perform next. However, it was really all about exhibiting her music and her talent. Her voice was mesmerizing and powerful, fiercely and unwaveringly slicing through the air. She had an affectionate chemistry with her backup vocalist, exchanging smiles and glances, and her band jammed behind her like a smoothly, well-oiled machine, absorbed in the music. Her songs had powerful, uplifting messages and spanned diverse topics, including liars, her grandma and even a lost necklace.
The first song on her set list was Known Better, her first ever recorded song and one that's on her self-titled debut EP, which launched in March 2015. She also performed the other four songs off the EP, including Grandma's Hands, Turning, Roll Up Your Sleeves, which has received more than 1 million hits on Spotify, and her latest single, Every Lie. She spun her own version of the New Zealand brother-and-sister duo Broods' Burning and sang A Capella a hauntingly remorseful song about her lucky necklace.
It's really refreshing to see such pure, raw talent. It says a lot when you can grace the stage without backup dancers or dazzling costumes, and still have a commanding presence with just a voice, a band and a great sound.
Meg Mac headed back to Australia last Thursday, but you can still check out her music on Spotify or iTunes until the next time she’s back in the States, which is hopefully soon!
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*First photo courtesy of PRESS HERE
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