MOTHICA
Alt/indie
13/02/2027
O’Sullivans By The Mill, 92 bis bd de Clichy - Paris
In 2026, Mothica’s rise continued with the February release of “Somewhere In Between,” followed shortly thereafter by a remix for HEALTH. Driven by the singles “WEAPON,” “Save Your Roses,” and “Evergreen Misery,” their latest EP ushers in a new era—“heavier and louder than ever”—and has received praise and support from Kerrang! (cover story), Knotfest (She’s With The Band podcast), Hit Parader, Spotify’s All New Metal playlist, MARVIN, CBC Music, Ghost Cult (9/10), Metal Anarchy, and many others.
McKenzie has navigated her personal struggles with grace ever since she began creating music under the name Mothica as a teenager. With powerful songs addressing everything from her survival of a suicide attempt at age 15 (“forever fifteen”) to her public speaking out against an abusive youth pastor in her most popular track (“Buzzkill”), she has seen her international fanbase grow through tours alongside icons like Coheed & Cambria, Halestorm, and many others, while racking up hundreds of millions of streams (her 2020 track “VICES” entered the Billboard charts and reached No. 2 on the iTunes Pop chart). After getting sober, releasing three albums, relapsing, and then regaining sobriety, Mothica returns today bolder than ever with “Somewhere In Between,” where she intentionally opens her heart.
In 2024, a pivotal decision set in motion the musical evolution that followed: McKenzie had relapsed into a prescription drug addiction, fueled by her intense fear of flying. While on tour in Europe, she realized she needed to detox and get back to basics before her next album. “ I made the terrifying decision to cancel my very first headlining tour and went into rehab,” she says. “A lot of intense emotions that I’d been bottling up came flooding back. I thought about quitting music, because the anxieties related to traveling and the music industry had led me back to substance abuse. I was angry at myself for letting things get that far. Then I thought, ‘What if I channeled those feelings into angrier music?’ I’ve always wanted to blend pop songwriting with rawer, heavier guitars.”
For McKenzie, “Somewhere In Between” represents a return to her true self, as well as an opportunity to take her music in new directions. “Getting sober reopened my heart to all those things I had numbed. Looking at myself honestly—even when it wasn’t flattering—revealed an intense desire to write more music,” she explains. “Heavier guitars, more powerful vocals, cinematic synths. It was difficult to figure out which ‘flavor’ of rock would feel true to myself while creating this blend of dark pop, rock, and metal. I worked with new collaborators, with tracks produced by Elliot Polokoff (Drop Dead Gorgeous), Curt Martin (Catch Your Breath), Zach Jones (The Home Team, Scene Queen, Fever 333), as well as some tracks I co-produced myself.”