Brian Mackey — Sideways

Singer-songwriter Brian Mackey voices what often goes unsaid with warmth and vulnerability that is reminiscent yet new. He's often been told that he has a sound that combines a healthy balance of folk, pop, rock, and Americana, drawing comparisons to artists like the late Jim Croce. Originally from the northern Florida panhandle, Brian was raised on a diet of 90s alt-rock and 70s folk music.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Brian released his single "Keep the World Alive," written and recorded remotely as an anthem for 2020 and how the world as we knew it has changed - simultaneously with the loss of his brother. In a time when the pandemic has also changed the landscape of the music and live entertainment industry in its entirety, it was featured in American Songwriter Magazine; the video garnered over 2M views on Facebook, and sparked much coverage across numerous press outlets.

Brian recorded his forthcoming full-length album, his second, at Sony Tree Studios in Nashville. A writing project during 2019-20 with his friend Jeff King (Reba McEntire/Brooks & Dunn) sparked several tracks—“My Only Friend” and “Six Strings” on the new album, as well as Mackey’s new standouts, “Saturday Night Sleeping,” “Even Though I Try,” “Count The Stars,” and “Bird In A Cage.”

The album comes after a period of touring and single releases. In 2018 and 2019, Brian toured with Kate Voegele and Tyler Hilton on their joint European tour and on Hilton’s solo tour, with Howie Day, and American Idol Winner Taylor Hicks. The tours supported a collection of singles, "Promise Me," "Don't Own Much," "Underwater," and "Learn to Be," produced in Los Angeles by Jon Levine (Rachel Platten, Andy Grammer). "Learn to Be" charted #1 Most-Added for three weeks in a row, tied with John Mayer on the US FMQB A/C Charts. This single, poppy and bold, reflects on the life lessons of learning to live without a crutch, and the liberation of breaking free. The music video for "Underwater" premiered on the Huffington Post, boasting the headline "Sublimely Gorgeous Music From Brian Mackey." It was also officially nominated for an HMMA award for "Best Independent Music Video,” along with his video for “Don’t Own Much.” During this timeframe, he has also toured with David Bromberg in the US, with Ron Pope in Europe, and Jon McLaughlin for select dates.

In 2015, Brian released his first full-length album Broken Heartstrings, a collection of pop infused American folk-rock, also in Nashville. The music took him through a very personal journey, spurred by loss and then renewal and signified a new beginning for Brian. He assembled a talented team: Producer Sam Ashworth, Engineer Richie Biggs (Tom Petty, The Civil Wars), bassist Mark Hill (Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban) and guitarist Jeff King, (Reba McEntyre/Brooks & Dunn).

Broken Heartstrings yielded his hit single, “Are You Listening,” which, after being featured on YouTube by gamer Gronkh about the PlayStation 4 game “Until Dawn,” became a runaway hit in Germany. The song peaked at #8 on the A/C Radio Charts in the US, charted top 25 on German iTunes, was on the ‘100 Most Sold’ chart on Amazon Germany, had over 400k streams on Spotify, and resulted in sold-out shows throughout the country.