Raised on a bison and cattle ranch in Medicine Hat, Alberta, MacKenzie Porter lived a true country lifestyle prior to moving to Nashville, TN to pursue a career in country music.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Canadian country star, She’s grounded, authentic and very passionate about all that she does. She also fosters a deep love for music and appreciation for the people she works with. According to her, “It’s the people that make it (the journey) all worth it” (Porter). As an artist, she has earned herself more than 900 million global streams and a 6-week No.1 platinum hit alongside Dustin Lynch for “Thinking ‘Bout You” at U.S. country radio– and that’s not even scratching the surface of all she’s accomplished. No stranger to the stage, she’s also previously opened for notable country stars such as Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Jordan Davis and Dallas Smith.
On April 26th, Porter is set to release her upcoming record (at the time of writing), Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart. The 19-track project is also her debut release via Big Loud Records and introduces this new chapter in her career. As the country star shares in an interview,
“It explores the concept of heartbreak. Those little cracks in your heart. That’s the beauty of life, right? They are evidence you really went for something, really lived and tried. Each song is like a little crack in my heart–a tiny piece of it. She adds, “It’s (the record) more country sounding and lyrically storytelling driven than other things I’ve done” (Porter).
Ahead of the April 26th date, the Canadian country star released “Pay Me Back In Change,” “Coming Home To You,” “Young At Heart,” “Easy To Miss,” “Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart,” and her latest album teaser, “Have Your Beer”. All of which generated anticipation amongst fans for the full record.
A well-decorated artist in her own right, Porter has earned 6 No. 1 singles in Australia and across North America. In addition, multiple tracks released ahead of the full album have surpassed millions of streams on Spotify. 6 years in the making, Porter expresses how it feels to finally have the record come together and with such early success before its full release. Sharing,
“It feels so good. It’s been a long time coming. Seeing fans’ early belief in the early songs- it gives me more confidence about the project”. Adding, “At the end of the day, I wanted to give my fans more music, as they’ve stuck with me for all these years” (Porter).
With over 900 MILLION global streams to her name, she knows how to write and pick hit songs. Speaking about her songwriting and how she selected the tracks that made the record, she shares,
“I’ve written hundreds of hundreds of songs. You write so many and you love them in the moment, but it’s hard for the tracks to stand the test of time in your own catalogue”. She continues, “I picked my favourite ones, sent them to the label, then we picked together. There was some negotiation, but ultimately it was a collaborative effort” (Porter).
In 1998, Canadian country icon Shania Twain broke country music records by landing herself three consecutive #1 singles on Canadian country radio– which was recently tied for the first time by none other than Porter with her tracks, “About You,” “These Days,” and “Seeing Other People” (In this order). Expressing how she feels about making history, Porter shares, “To be following Shania Twain…she’s the queen and always will be” (Porter). Evidently, there’s something in the water in Canada.
On a separate note, Porter recently became a first-time mom. Speaking about how motherhood will influence the stories she shares through her songs, she shares,
“When you’re a mom, your whole perspective changes. That perspective will influence your songwriting and the stories you tell”. She continues, “I’ve seen people grow and as they grow, their art changes. More and more artists are releasing family songs”. Adding, “My daughter was already in one of my music videos!” (Porter).
Adding to her long list of accolades, the Canadian trailblazer earned her first 6-week No.1 platinum hit alongside Dustin Lynch for “Thinking ‘Bout You” at U.S. country radio. As a highly sought-after collaborator in the music industry, she shares that if she could have any artist feature/duet with her on an alternate version of a track from her new record, it would be Thomas Rhett on “Coming Home To You”. Sharing, “I’d love to collaborate with Thomas Rhett – he’s a family man too. As for a song, I would say, ‘Coming Home To You'” (Porter).
Beyond music, Porter is also an actor with multiple credits to her name– including a starring role (as Macy Thorton) in three seasons of Brad Right’s Netflix sci-fi series, Travelers (2016-2018). In addition, she has made several guest appearances in fellow country artist Jake Owen’s music videos. One of those videos being for his track, “I Was Jack (You Were Diane)” which was inspired by and samples Mellencamp’s classic hit, “Jack & Diane”. Speaking about her acting experience, Porter shares, “I’ve been acting since I was 16 years old. My acting experience has given me confidence in front of the camera” (Porter).
Recently, she applied her acting skills to her music video for the record’s opening track, “Easy To Miss”. Sharing more about her creative vision behind the video, and how her film & TV background has been advantageous in bringing her songs to life, she explains,
“When coming up with music video concepts, having an understanding of shots, camera angles and having experience being on set helps a lot”. She continues, “For ‘Easy To Miss’, I wrote that idea. The song is about missing somebody– I was trying to recreate that on the music video set. I wanted to break the fourth wall and show the camera crew. There are also multiple Mes in the video”. Adding, “It’s cool having that film & TV perspective.” (Porter).
Continuing her history-making streak, the multidisciplinary star is also the only woman in the past 100 years to simultaneously have 22 CCMA award nominations, 6 #1 singles within her home country and an acknowledgement as Entertainer of the Year. On top of that, she’ll be co-hosting the 2024 CCMA Awards this year in Edmonton, AB. Speaking about what those groundbreaking accomplishments have meant to her and her excitement around heading back to her home province to host this year’s awards, she shares,
“I’m very excited to head home!” Adding, “With accomplishments, you are constantly working your ass off with your head down. It does feel good, but not why I do at all. But they help keep you motivated as you go for the next thing” (Porter).
Porter will also be delivering the tracks on the record to live audiences in Montreal this summer. On August 17th, she’ll be performing at this year’s LASSO Festival- for the very first time. Speaking about her enthusiasm around her upcoming trip to the city, Montreal’s lively and energetic crowds, and what fans can expect from her LASSO live show, she shares,
“Absolutely, I love Montreal! – I’m also looking forward to trying all the food and to go shopping”. She continues, “I’m currently building the set. It’s a whole new show and we’re bringing it to LASSO”. Adding, “I love the Montreal crowds–I’m familiar with them” (Porter).
As an ending note, Porter emphasizes on her love and appreciation for the community and fanbase she’s built around her music. “I really appreciate everyone listening and supporting me as they wait for my debut (via Big Loud Records)” (Porter). Be sure to connect with Porter on socials to stay in the know with all that’s to come.
Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart Tracklist:
- “Easy To Miss” (Hillary Lindsey, Emily Warren, Will Weatherly)*
- “Young At Heart” (Tofer Brown, Lauren Hungate, Emily Weisband)
- “Bet You Break My Heart” (Mark Holman, Chris Tompkins, Travis Wood)
- “Pay Me Back In Change” (Emma Klein)
- “Rough Ride For A Cowboy” (MacKenzie Porter, Lauren Hungate, Luke Niccoli, Lydia Vaughan)
- “Coming Home To You” (Tofer Brown, Lauren Hungate, Caroline Watkins, Emily Weisband)
- “Strong Things” (MacKenzie Porter, John Byron, Jacob Durrett, Lauren LaRue)
- “Confession” (MacKenzie Porter, Emma-Lee, Karen Kosowski)
- “Wrong One Yet” (Blake Pendergrass, Josh Thompson, Lauren Watkins)
- “Pickup” (MacKenzie Porter, Will Bundy, Lydia Vaughan)
- “Nightingale” (MacKenzie Porter, Mark Trussell, Parker Welling)
- “Have Your Beer” (MacKenzie Porter, Jason Massey, Lydia Vaughan, Parker Welling)
- “Sucker Punch” (MacKenzie Porter, Tommy English, Nick Long)
- “Walk Away” (MacKenzie Porter, Chris DeStefano, Jon Nite)
- “Foreclosure” (Jared Hampton, Harper O’Neill, Vinnie Paolizzi, Ash Ruder)
- “Less Is More” (Devin Dawson, Zachary Kale, Jon Nite)
- “Along Those Lines” (Rocky Block, Blake Pendergrass)
- “Chasing Tornadoes” (Emily Landis, Jamie Moore, Lainey Wilson)
- “Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart” (MacKenzie Porter, Luke Niccoli, Lydia Vaughan, Parker Welling)
All songs produced by Joey Moi
*Co-produced by Jacob Durrett and David Garcia
Listen to Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart Now:
Stay up to Date with MacKenzie Porter:
Fish, Bree Marie. “Featured: MacKenzie Porter. PC: Bree Marie Fish.” Courtesy of PR team. Accessed Apr 15 2024.
Fish, Bree Marie. “Featured: MacKenzie Porter. PC: Bree Marie Fish.” Courtesy of PR team. Accessed Apr 15 2024.
Fish, Bree Marie. “Featured: MacKenzie Porter. PC: Bree Marie Fish.” Courtesy of PR team. Accessed Apr 15 2024.
Porter, MacKenzie. Interview. Conducted by Kyla Pearson, Apr 16 2024.
Unknown. “Featured: Official cover art for MacKenzie Porter’s new record, Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart. Courtesy of Big Loud Records.” Graphic courtesy of Big Loud Records. Accessed Apr 15 2024.
