Mackenzie May—

Central Queensland’s 19-year-old Mackenzie May has released her single, If It Wasn’t for the Money.

Mackenzie, discovered at a talent quest while still in high school, has had a huge entry into Australia’s country scene as she readies her accomplished debut EP, All the Little Things for release.

Growing up in a small regional town in Queensland, about a six hour drive from Brisbane, Mackenzie absorbed traditional country through the influence of her grandparents’ record collection.

The EP follows her first single, Little Things, which established her as a hot new talent in the Australian scene when it was released in late 2024. This year has already started strongly for Mackenzie, with a finalist position in the Tamworth Toyota Starmaker competition and an inclusion on the coveted CMC Rocks lineup, with plans currently in play for a trip to Nashville mid-year.

The new single tackles cost of living pressures being felt across the globe, from house and grocery prices to the cost of a good time. “The EP is about embracing every part of life—the chaos, the calm, the heartbreak, the beauty,” says Mackenzie. “It’s me saying, don’t just give me the easy parts, I want it all.”