New York University’s Andie Mackenzie: Everything you need to know about the singer, songwriter, and amateur FBI agent 

At 8 p.m. on a Sunday, singer-songwriter Andie Mackenzie burst through the door with a story to share. Before starting though, she prefaced that “If [I] had a snack that would be really helpful.” 

 

And so, Mackenzie sat on this journalist’s bed, ate cereal and told her story about being a student musician in New York City. 

 

Mackenzie’s voice is relaxing and tranquil as it plays through the speaker of her iPhone. The voice memo app holds her darkest secrets, proudest moments, and brightest dreams. 

 

It hasn’t always been the easiest for Mackenzie. Coming to New York, she wore her heart on her sleeve. She fell in love. She fell out of love. And you know what she did? She wrote songs about it. 

 

Mackenzie is a sophomore at New York University (NYU) studying music business. To the young artist, the major is the best of both worlds. 

 

“I think it’s a great major for anyone who's passionate about music and knows they want to do something with music in the future,” Mackenzie said. “It's hard to find all this information on the internet and it also kind of puts you in a microcosm of people who all want to do the same thing. And, a lot of times you find yourself still with these connections outside or when you graduate…so it's a way to get your foot in the door.” 

 

Mackenzie also joked that it’s an easy way to have connections in the industry—something she says she lacks.

 

“I’m from San Diego, the absolute opposite coast from here, and I have absolutely no connections, that’s why doing the music business major is perfect for me,” said Mackenzie. “My parents were also never really into music the way I am. I guess being an only child I forged my own interest and path.” 

 

Ever since she was young, Mackenzie used music and songwriting as a way to cope with her mental health, drama, and her own emotions. On that same note, she’s had a hunger for more. 

 

“There are things that happen when I write. The first is that it’s therapeutic, it helps me with my feelings right this second. Second, once I write the song, give it a week, maybe a year later, I come back to a song that I've written and I relate to it even more than I did before… it’s almost like it has more relevance to my life after the fact,” Mackenzie said. 

 

Her latest song “Something Isn’t Right,” released in March, opens up about dealing with her mental health struggles, breaking it down into simpler terms: the feeling that "Something Isn't Right." 

 

“If this is fight or flight/I'll run” Mackenzie sings. 

 

According to Mackenzie, the perfect place to listen to her music, such as her upcoming album, is at a park, specifically Central Park for fellow New Yorkers. She has decided to keep her upcoming debut album title a secret, and hopes that fans think it’s worth the wait. 

 

If Mackenzie wasn’t singing or songwriting, she would be doing detective work. 

 

“I would totally be an FBI agent if I didn’t fall in love with songwriting. It’s my [backup] plan in case my career flops,” Mackenzie jokes. 

 

New York inspires Mackenzie, but also her West Coast roots. Being a San Diego native she often finds herself drawn to the beaches and trails that California has to offer, she told Washington Square News (WSN). 

 

She plays me a memo of her song, “Thief,” about a recent person in her life who made the bad decision of breaking her heart. 

 

“There was a person, it recently ended, not by my accord, but it was somebody who I thought understood me and I thought I understood and I thought we were kind of headed in the same direction. To be frank I don't have an answer of why it didn't work but I can theorize and write songs about it. He’s probably not looking for a relationship right now. But here’s a song I wrote about the situation,” Mackenzie said. 

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Mackenzie’s closest confidants will confirm that she is as she presents herself–authentic, mature, and kind. 

 

NYU sophomore Zara Mehta met Mackenzie through the music business major.

 

“We met during welcome week, she was someone I had a really quick connection with. I know it’s going to be one of those connections I have even after college,” Mehta said. 

 

When asked about what type of friend Mackenzie is, Mehta said, “She’s definitely my ‘Where’s the shovel’ type beat kind of friend. She just gets me and I get her.”

 

Mackenzie is working on her debut album to be released next year.