When she first started playing violin at the young age of six, Mackenzie Myatt thought that a career in music was a near impossible feat. On July 31st, the Powerscourt native took the stage at the renowned music festival, Osheaga, with her band John Jacob Magistery.
Fresh off the plane from Ireland, local Mackenzie Myatt took the stage at Montreal’s Osheaga with her band John Jacob Magistery for an early afternoon show. The five-person band had just finished recording an album overseas after winning a competition to record in Ireland—one that they hadn’t held any stock in winning—until they did.
The CVR alum and Vanier College graduate studied music privately while she attended high school, moving on to study music exclusively at CEGEP. Inspired by her mother (who often played classical music for Myatt as a child), Myatt began playing violin when she was only a young girl—six, to be exact. Today, the seasoned musician not only plays violin for JJM, but also plays synth and sings backup vocals. Considering the band’s success, it is especially surprising that founder and frontman Johnny Griffin only made the band official a year ago. He asked Myatt to join the group after she played with them for the launch of the EP Narcissism Unto Loneliness—four tracks that Griffin recorded within the span of a day.
As for Osheaga, Myatt names it as one of the highlights of her career. “I noticed some people in the audience singing along to the words, so that was pretty awesome,” she said about the experience. It’s been quite a year for the band—they have shared a stage with Canadian Daniel Lanois as well as the famed Blue rodeo, not to mention the countless number of shows they have performed in between prepping to record their album.
As for the future, Myatt sees herself keeping busy for the next few years. Her band just completed the recording of their latest album, Phantom I, on the Emerald Isle’s Grouse Island, which will hopefully result in a tour to promote the work. For those that missed the talented local’s performance, John Jacob Magistery practices twice a week at Honey Martin’s in NDG.
