Denver, Colorado

Members: - Brennan Mackey | Vocals, Guitar, Banjo - Scott Roush | Drums - Andrew Porter | Bass - Ben Waligoske | Pedal Steel - Texanna Dennie | Vocals

Brennan Mackey, the founder of King Cardinal, reflects on his spontaneous move to Denver, stating, "I moved to Denver on a whim. I'd been living in Chicago, working a finance job that I didn't love, and I knew exactly what the rest of my life would look like if I stayed there. I decided I wanted to throw everything up in the air and see where it landed." This sentiment resonates deeply with the cover art of King Cardinal's impressive debut album, 'Great Lakes,' which illustrates a figure leaping into the unknown, exchanging safety for adventure. The album itself exemplifies Mackey's bold choices, blending raw roots rock with elements of cosmic country and delicate folk, showcasing the remarkable musicianship of the five-piece band and the emotional depth in the vocal harmonies between Mackey and fellow vocalist Texanna Dennie.

Initially, King Cardinal began as a solitary endeavor. Mackey recorded his self-titled first EP under the King Cardinal name, primarily as a solo artist. After relocating to Denver, he cultivated a fanbase by utilizing Reddit to organize house concerts. "I didn't know a lot of people at first, and it was difficult trying to put together a band, so I decided I would just do it on my own," he explains. "Once I made that decision, everything started to click." The early songs he crafted were sparse and acoustic, drawing inspiration from artists like Steve Earle and Ryan Adams. This work led to an invitation for Mackey to perform at the esteemed Telluride Bluegrass Festival, sharing the stage with notable acts such as Punch Brothers, Brett Dennen, and Lake Street Dive. More importantly, his music attracted like-minded musicians who would later collaborate on King Cardinal's follow-up EP, 'Once A Giant.' This collection received acclaim, with Marquee Magazine calling it "excellently crafted Americana" and Westword recognizing the band's "raw, gut-wrenching emotion." Scene praised the EP as "elegant and blissful," noting Mackey's evolution from solo artist to confident frontman. The band subsequently expanded its reach beyond Colorado through national tours, performing alongside artists like Ben Sollee, Sam Outlaw, and Darlingside.

With a stable lineup, King Cardinal's songs began to evolve in new and exciting directions. Mackey reflects, "This was the first opportunity we had to sit with songs as a group before any recording happened, so everybody in the band was able to imprint their own personality." For example, the song "Chicago" was completely reimagined with a new beat from drummer Scott Roush, and "Seventeen" transformed into an upbeat track thanks to Andrew Porter's bass line. "It's nice to have other people that can guide your songs in directions you'd never imagined," he adds.

When it came time to record 'Great Lakes,' Mackey took another leap of faith by sending the band's music to GRAMMY-winning producer and engineer Ted Young (known for his work with Israel Nash and Banditos). Young was immediately drawn to the songs and invited King Cardinal to record at the renowned Sonic Ranch studio in Texas, which has hosted a variety of artists including Conor Oberst and Beach House. "Being outside of Denver meant we could eat, sleep, and breathe the record," says Mackey. "There were none of the distractions that come from being around our own homes, just an amazing studio with unreal gear. That setup really suited us because we wanted to focus on getting great sounds without overproducing anything."

Where King Cardinal's previous homemade EPs took approximately a year each to track and mix, 'Great Lakes' was recorded in just seven days. The album features primarily live performances captured without embellishment, resulting in a direct, raw, and loose sound that conveys a strong sense of camaraderie among the band members. Pedal steel player Ben Waligoske notes, "There's something special about having four or five people in a room all totally focused on one single creative goal," highlighting that this approach is also favored by producer Ted Young.

The album opens with "Holy," a gently hypnotic tune showcasing Mackey's soulful vocals and falsetto reminiscent of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon. The lyrics, "What you want / Ain't really what you need," succinctly capture one of the record's central themes. In "Seventeen," Mackey reflects on the uncertain years between childhood and adulthood, while "Gasoline" poses existential questions over swirling pedal steel, and "Trouble" explores themes of heartbreak and the search for meaning.

Mackey elaborates, "When you're a kid, you have this freedom you don't even know you have. Once you've grown up, you can look back and recognize it, but by that time, you're deep into the responsibilities of adulthood. Sometimes you just start longing for some chaos, for something wild to help you break free of your rut."

As the album unfolds, Mackey discovers that the allure of trouble can be deceptive. In "Better," the narrator grapples with his vices, acknowledging that "What seems like fun in the daytime / At night it's just a shame." "Boulder" recounts a party that spirals out of control, while "Standing Down" poignantly captures the pain of a breakup. Mackey recalls the inspiration for this last song: "That song came from a notebook I found on a park bench. It turned out to be the diary of a girl who was planning to write something new in it every day about her relationship with this guy she'd just started dating, and then she was going to give it to him at the end as a gift. Instead, it chronicled their crumbling relationship from happy beginning to untimely demise, and it ended with the guy moving away."

This unresolved ending may resonate with Mackey, reflecting his own journey. He recalls taking a leap from the security of a relationship into the chaos of the unknown, trading the confines of a notebook for the adventure of the wide-open world. It's a parallel to the risk he took when he left Chicago and founded King Cardinal. Although there were no guarantees or safety nets, the success of 'Great Lakes' reveals that Mackey has indeed landed where he belongs.