© Eilis Anne
Manchester-born-and-raised singer-songwriter Beth McKenzie’s debut EP ‘Does This Make Me A Bitter Woman?’ is entrenched with feminist messaging whilst cutting to the core of her heart-wrenching stories.
In the middle of a dreary November morning, Beth McKenzie, or ‘just-Beth’ as she introduces herself, appears in a little box via Zoom on my screen.
Instantly subverting expectations, she’s not one of those artists who is larger than life - she’s human, wrapped in a big jumper, and instantly joins me in complaining about the cold weather, in a quintessentially British fashion.
We jump straight into the conversation, and she continues to disrupt what I expect of an indie musician, as she’s not musically trained like other artists I’ve had the pleasure of speaking to. Her background is in the flute, and she taught herself the piano (with relative ease), to the surprise of her peers. However, she admits that the guitar is the one instrument she just can’t seem to turn her hand to.
“I think every songwriter has such a unique style of writing, the instrument of choice is just a small part of a songwriter’s toolkit! For me, writing at the piano allows me to fully immerse myself in what I’m creating as playing the piano comes naturally to me, so I don’t have to worry about the technicalities of it. It allows me to fully focus on creating!”
© Eilis Anne
The conversation moves onto the EP production process, with McKenzie sharing how she went into the songwriting process.
She mentions that she and her producer, Andy Gannon, wrote nearly a hundred songs in a few months before diving in to create her EP. She candidly shared that this process was a great way to explore her potential sound and that they knew which songs had greater potential to be fully fleshed out and to make it onto a record.
Because they wrote so many songs, she didn’t feel the traditional pressure that an artist feels when putting together their first body of work. Her worries came later in the production process, just before release. As the EP is so sonically diverse, she was unsure how people would react to it. However, since its release, she’s realised that its diversity is its strength - there’s a song for everyone.
The feedback to ‘Does This Make Me A Bitter Woman?’ has been incredibly positive. When asked about her loved one’s reactions, she admits that she doesn’t ask for their opinions, as she desires responses that aren’t through a lens of love.
“This EP is written about things that have happened to me in the past and how they affect me today. Some people have called me bitter for still talking about things that have been and gone. It got me thinking about the word ‘bitter’ and the way it’s used to insult people, specifically women. Is being bitter such a bad thing?
If you experience something terrible, why isn’t it acceptable to be hurt and vocal about it? I think the use of the word in a negative light is a way to blame those who have been mistreated and that the phrase ‘bitter woman’ is just another way to undermine women with opinions.
So to those who see me speaking out about injustices and mistreatment and dislike me for it, my question is, Does This Make Me A Bitter Woman?
Yes, I think it does. I’m definitely bitter and I’ll wear that like a badge of honour!”
© Eilis Anne
Talking about the political landscape, which she thinks has undoubtedly impacted her music thematically, Beth opened up about how her music has rich feminist values. When asked about ‘The Cult,’ she said that she wanted to start the record with a “punch-you-in-the-face” track, and that song opens up with a loud and brash sound. It wakes the listener up and sets the tone for an EP that has political commentary running through its tracklist. With lyrics like “Wanna talk about good faith? / Good thing you’re such a f***ing saint / Say my body’s not my own / Seems like you lack a frontal lobe,” McKenzie comes out the gate swinging on the record’s opening track.
However, she didn’t set out to write music with such explicit feminist tones. Her influences came from defiant, trail-blazing female artists like Lily Allen and Paloma Faith, so it’s no wonder her lyrics and sound are charmingly punchy and brash. She shared that the messaging emerged naturally whilst writing for the record, reflecting her own values. Her music is deeply narrative and examines her struggles and emotions.
Despite being a musician herself, McKenzie admits that she was never one to ‘go to gigs’ as a teenager, even though she grew up in the culturally vibrant city of Manchester.
“I’m so excited for live shows - I cannot explain just how excited I am! I haven’t done a whole lot of live shows in the past, which leaves me a bit nervous, but I also think it’s been a privilege to have had the time and resources to carefully craft my set. The set is so fun to perform and my all-female band is incredible. I can’t wait for what’s coming up in the next six months.”
© Eilis Anne
Having carved out her niche to a predominantly queer-female audience, Beth McKenzie is definitely one to watch over the next year, and don’t be surprised if she pops up as a support act at the next gig you attend!
Follow Beth McKenzie on Instagram, TikTok, and Spotify, and listen to ‘Does This Make Me A Bitter Woman?’ here.
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