Mackenzy Mackay is on the rise

For years, Mackenzy Mackay has lived in a state of flux, often on the move. Ask him to account for the places that he’s called home and there are a handful of red pins in the map. Originally born in Yorkshire, the 29-year-old singer/songwriter can reflect on a childhood spent in Scotland, stints in Australia, Norway, London, New Zealand, and now, making a home in the quiet countryside of Cambridge — and while he’s content, he can’t say with certainty that it’s where he intends to settle on a more permanent basis. “I’ve moved around a lot,” he recalls, “And I don’t think I’m going to live where I am forever.”Mackay’s desire for movement doesn’t seem to capture a sense of restlessness, but rather, a learned tactic for self-preservation. He’s used to taking his circumstances into his own hands, a mindset that, to some extent, is connected to his early experiences of hardship. Mackay and his three siblings were raised by a single mother, and he admits that sometimes, it was hard to make ends meet. Consequently, his compass was defined by pragmatism. “I had to look after myself from a young age and grow up quickly,” he says. “I’ve been through spouts of not having places to live and not...