Introducing #151 - Rona Mac
Let us introduce you to queer singer-songwriter Rona Mac, who has been making some delightful indie-pop in a quiet corner of Wales called Pembrokeshire. She has just released her new single ‘Weapon’ - a reflective track about a relationship coming to an end. Rona took a moment to talk to us about her music.
Hey there Rona Mac - how are you?
I'm very well thank you, muddy from work and happy to be indoors :)
So your track ‘Weapon’ is out now - can you tell us what it is about?
I woke up with the riffs of this song in my head and as soon as it was worked out on guitar the rest just fell out, really. It wasn't till afterwards that I made sense of it, which I think is quite common in people's creative processes. The message is that love can be a weapon, and at that time I was exploring loving in a boundless way, which turned out to be messy, hurtful and ultimately destructive. That morning I craved simple, wholesome, good, straightforward love, or 'something good', and had started to believe that it didn't exist for me, that my love was innately hurtful. Does that make sense? Haha
There are a lot of references to water in your music - is that intentional?
References to water are not intentional, but inevitable. I live on a peninsula surrounded by water, and find solace in the sea daily. She's a being; alive and fickle and powerful. She inspires me to allow space within myself for fury, as well as grace.You can literally throw your worst self at her, and she just takes you, swallows you and washes you clean over and over again. She blows my MIND, I think the sea is the thing that I am most grateful for.
You are based in Pembrokeshire - what are your favorite things about living there?
West is best. It's my home, I grew up here and I understand it. My mates are amaaazing and insane to their core and I love them. Living in a tourist destination means that the contrast between summer and winter is intense, and I have a love/hate relationship with that. But I do love the remote, empty winters. I find it a raw and creative place, with enough space to really let yourself go... a little to much sometimes perhaps haha.
What are your key influences when it comes to your music?
I grew up with James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Celine Dion, CSN&Y, and Bob Dylan. My teens were a mix of Laura Marling, Ben Howard, Rage Against the Machine, Akron family, Red Hot Chilli Peppers. And then more recently Big Thief, Marika Hackman, Alaskalaska, Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, The Japanese House, Sylvan Esso, Phoebe Bridgers, and Girl In Red.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never listened to your music before?
Everyone seems to read something entirely different into it, so maybe just get it in your ears and see!