Bella Mackenzie On Where Country Is, Her Love Of Songwriting And Finding Her 'Dream Team'

Dedicating three-quarters of your life to the art of writing songs is quite the remarkable feat – even moreso if you're only 20 years old. Mackay country-pop singer-songwriter Bella Mackenzie can't help but grin like a Cheshire cat when she recalls the first song she wrote around the age of four: a moving, heartfelt ballad called Big Hairy Dad.

“There's a home video of me holding my little guitar and playing it for him,” Mackenzie recalls, “and I just can't stop giggling. I would come up with little songs about everyone in my family all the time, but Big Hairy Dad was the first one I finished – so I count it as my very first song, even though I was so little.”

Needless to say, Mackenzie has come a long way since then. She released her debut EP Wild Thing in 2024, amidst substantial country radio airplay and some major festival slots such as CMC Rocks and Ridin' Hearts – the latter of which saw her duetting with international star Riley Green.

She sees the EP as a major turning point in her trajectory as a songwriter: “Everything just feels a little more real to me now,” she says. “I've matured a little, and with that comes more vulnerability.” She also sees the five-song collection as reflective of her nature as a student of the game.

“When I listen to the music that I love, I'm always in that analytical mindset,” she explains. “I'll hear a part that stands out as cleverly done and try and figure out how they got there, or look at things like wording and phrasing to see how I can articulate things differently. I'm inspired by people [who] write songs for a living. They wake up in the morning and work a nine-to-five doing this – they could even start and finish three different songs in a day. That's a gift, and learning from them has had a massive impact on my own songwriting.”

Because of this appreciation of how the proverbial sausage is made, Mackenzie has never baulked or stuck her nose up at the notion of working with co-writers. To her, it doesn't legitimise the personal authenticity of her music whatsoever – if anything, it enhances it. After all, being a student of the game is not just an expression: Mackenzie was enrolled at CMAA Academy of Country Music's junior program, where she worked with Roger Corbett of The Bushwackers.

“He told me early on to always voice my ideas, whatever they might be,” she says. “If they don't work here, they might work here. That really helped me early on because, obviously, when you're starting out, you're a little shy to put yourself out there.

“Growing up in Mackay, I didn't know anyone my age [who] also wanted to write songs and be an artist. The academy program was really nice in the sense that you were in a room with a bunch of like-minded kids who all wanted to do the same thing. It was a great way to ease me into it because now I can't wait to write with other people. Get me in the room!”

Consider this a fair warning to any professional songwriters working with Mackenzie – particularly ones in Nashville, where she's headed very soon. Once she's in the room, be prepared for an influx of ideas, both great and small.

“I might have the longest note in the history of the Notes app,” Mackenzie confesses with a big laugh. “It just keeps scrolling and scrolling and scrolling! I'm never in the one spot, so I'm always pulling out my phone to jot down anything I come across that I think might work. I'm rocking up to Nashville to throw everything at it and see what resonates in the room.”

The main goal of Mackenzie's trip is to assemble what she describes as her “dream team”: Co-writers who are the perfect match for her energy, attitude and ideas.

“I've tracked down a bunch of writers over in Nashville who I absolutely love,” she says, “and the reality of getting the chance to work on music with them is just starting to set in. I want to find the connections where I am able to get the very best songs. All these sessions are blank canvases, and it's a really exciting challenge to share your stories and make something of it with the time you have together.”

Before she gets on the long-haul flight across the world, however, Mackenzie has one last pit stop: Her first-ever songwriter's round.

Where Country Is, set to take place at the beautiful Anita's Theatre in Thirroul, will see Mackenzie sharing insight into her songs and her writing process alongside Shane Nicholson, Austin Mackay and her close family friend Amber Lawrence. “My parents used to own a pub in Moraba, where I grew up,” Mackenzie explains. “Amber came through town a few times, and so we met for the first time when I was maybe seven years old.”

Though she's yet to meet her other two panellists, she's excited to learn more about how they channel their own musical inspirations – as well as offering up her own insights along the way. “Growing up in the Australian country music scene, I've seen Shane win Golden Guitar after Golden Guitar,” she says. “I'm excited to learn from him. I've never done anything like this before, but I've always wanted to because I love watching this format.

“I feel like every time I write a song, I think about what I'd say about it if I was a songwriter in the round. Finally getting the opportunity to do that... it's the best thing ever.”

Bella Mackenzie will appear on the Where Country Is: Tales From The Road panel at Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul, on Thursday, 3 April, as part of Great Southern Nights. You can find tickets here.