So the story goes: an 8 year old once ended up in CBGB… and now she can be found somewhere around the intersection of where Paramore meets Swift meets Bowie, Nicks, and Edgar Allan Poe. Confused? Me too. You’re right where you belong. Maykenzie Joy is the artistic amalgamation of everything she loves, the creative contemptress of everything she hates, and The Keeper of her written weaponry. You are formally invited to listen in.
In contrast to the retribution fantasy that was her first single, ‘The Keeper of Artillery’, Maykenzie reveals a softer view from behind the sword in her upcoming release ‘But I’ve Tried’, out Friday, September 13th. It’s a song woven in nostalgia and centered in the pain of fragile firsts and the love that’s left behind. An internal battle between moving on and honoring what was, and the way both can feel like breaking – reflecting on what can’t be discarded, no matter how hard you try. This song was written a few years ago, and over time has shaped into a sprawling soundtrack of sentimentality, reminiscent of classic highway tunes we all know and love. Alongside lush harmonies from the immensely talented Haley Johnsen, the song pays tribute to the lasting imprint of young, sapphic love, and all the bittersweet longing that comes after it, toeing the fine line between healed and haunted.
Maykenzie has been performing since her early youth, from the Bay Area where she was raised, to the beaches of Spain, to the Pacific Northwest where she’s currently been claimed. With her producer and bandmate, brilliant local artist James Julian Villa, she has meticulously crafted her songs into mosaics of her inner musings, of which she is incredibly proud to set free. You can find her playing her own music live around Portland, as well as vocally supporting beloved PDX acts, including Laryssa Birdseye, James Julian Villa, Golden Boy, and cover band Understatement Of The Year.
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kWw21Ov8JbsRsGMNOjjZy?si=4t1TEXbfR9S69rhgcl73aw
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/maykenzie-joy/1691837186
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/maykenziejoy
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@maykenziejoy
