
Rona Mac
RONA MAC (she/her,) is a self-invented, genre-fusing, queer singer- songwriter bringing us guitar driven tracks which provide a hooky bed for her haunting vocals and sophisticated lyricism, resulting in raw, alt-indie heavily influenced by Americana-Folk and Country. Earlier this year RONA was awarded prestigious PRS Women Make Music Artist status and joins a list of past recipients that include - Laura Mvula, Marika Hackman, Jessica Curry, ESKA, Little Boots, Let’s Eat Grandma. RONA records and produces in her caravan at home in rural West Wales, and her music is imbued with her surroundings of rugged cliffs and wide-open spaces. Hence, her music comes unfiltered and full of feeling, as she says “If I can talk about things we've been told we shouldn't, and help people connect to feelings they tucked away in their teens, then I'll be happy when I'm old”. Some of RONA’s personal highlights of 2022 are plays on primetime BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and Radio Wales, performing at the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival in Cardiff and Boomtown Festival, and getting featured in Clash magazine.
The focus track of the AA single is RONA’s take on Kylie Minogues’ ‘In Your Eyes’ which alongside this release, was recorded to be a part of a 33 track album in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Trust which was released earlier this year. Speaking of this inspired cover version, RONA states - “There’s something carefree that comes with doing a cover. I felt less precious about it, which made space to just play around. The wobbly synth lines were super fun. I really wanted to focus on the dizzy feel of Kylie’s track - being high up, full of glitter and spin like a disco ball - trapped in a world of lust and ‘destiny’ but knowing that it’ll all come crashing down, as it inevitably always does. The track feels like watching the ‘forever’ feeling of a good night from below, just waiting for the fall.”
Speaking of the single ‘Pennies’ - RONA states “This song is about weighing up and juggling many things, caught in a frenzy of 5 jobs, being broke and a bit broken, and considering moving in with my girlfriend 1 month into the relationship to save on money, rather than waiting for the right time. I felt I was losing myself in a rising tide.”