An interview with Mackenzie Hollebon

Words by Hannah Powell. Images by Gabrielle Devereux.

Mackenzie Hollebon is the woman behind solo project Juno Is. Former member of girl band Lacuna, we had a chat about her latest single, Ōtepoti’s (Dunedin’s) music scene, and how she went about finding her new sound.

With the release of her latest single, ‘It’s No Groover’ under Juno Is, one could say Mackenzie’s new sound is likened to a dream. With soft vocals and a 70s-vibe music video to match, ‘It’s No Groover’ has that down-South magic within it. Mackenzie’s release of her second single falls under her solo project Juno Is. A song inspired by her experiences with bad friendships, she describes ‘It’s No Groover’ as a “loud and disruptive track”.

Based in Dunedin, Mackenzie has spent the last four years getting amongst it in the local scene. Beginning as a drummer for a couple of bands, as well as playing a bit of guitar “in the background”, time has been spent making music and playing gigs. It wasn’t until the band she was in, Lacuna (with members BEXY and Casey Strachan), parted ways, that she decided to go out on her own. With plans to travel, Mackenzie described the motivation behind Juno Is as a decision to work on her terms, to learn more instruments, and to develop her own sound.  

With the project beginning last winter, Mackenzie describes that time as a period of self-reflection. “Me and my partner were just living together, and I had a lot of spare time. So, I thought, why not piece a few songs together?” she said. Meeting up with Steven John Marr, who at the time was working with Radio One Dunedin, she shared her demos and “smashed out an EP”. With ‘It’s No Groover’ and her debut single “I Want to be Gentle’ written in the space of a few weeks, she describes her upcoming EP as “quite dynamically different”. “Each song represents a different stage or feeling of my life,” she says. The third track is described to be “eerier” than her debut.

Influenced by the Dunedin bands she saw through high school, such as Soaked Oats, Koizilla, and Kane Strang, Mackenzie admits they “really encouraged me to be an individual”. “It’s a super, super supportive scene” in Dunedin, where everyone is keen to see what you are up to. With her first show opening being for Marlins Dreaming last November, as well as opening most recently for Jack Berry and Wax Mustang, Mackenzie describes her ease of connection as “being around Dunedin, really”.

For her, music is something she has always seen herself doing. “I never saw myself singing in front of people,” she admits. Describing herself as a shy teen who found it hard to express feelings and thoughts, her aspirations were in becoming “a really good drummer”. But as an avid gig-goer through her teenage years, she always thought it would be cool to be upfront singing and engaging with the crowd. “Life’s too short to wish for things but not do them,” she said. 

When asked what her take is on the NZ music scene, Mackenzie explains having experienced indirect, “subconscious” sexism as a female drummer. “I had a lot of experiences being the only female playing in gigs,” she said. “[It was them] doing things that showed me as incapable”. Aside from that, “it’s been really cool and supportive”. She described the formation of girl band Lacuna as an encouragement for others to come out and do it.

Currently, Mackenzie is working on a couple of songs for a competition run by Roundhead Studios. She hopes that these can go towards an album for Juno Is. Under Level 3, she’s structuring her days dependent on her mood. “Some days I’ll wake up really grumpy. But, usually, when it’s really sunny, I feel inspired…to make my way into my little music room”. Having made a music video with her flatmates for “It’s No Groover’, she admits that getting stuck into that was “a really cool, productive time”. It has been a challenge, however, with tour plans with Wellington band O and the Mo having to be cancelled the week prior to Level 4. “A bit gutting because it was going to be my first headlining show,” Mackenzie said.

In the future, Mackenzie says, “with music, I don’t ever want to become really famous or anything”. Naturally an introvert, she loves intimate gigs playing for her friends. In the next few years, she hopes to spend her time recording an album, collaborating with others, and exploring her sound.