Audrey Mac On the Making Of “AMERICAN DREAM”
Photo Credit: Christopher Cloud
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind "AMERICAN DREAM" and the story it tells?
I wrote “AMERICAN DREAM” at the end of October 2023. The lyrics came to me when I realized that the United States government was funding, facilitating, and thus carrying out a genocide in Gaza through its proxy, the apartheid state of Israel. I realized that our uniquely Western comforts are a direct result of centuries of American mass slaughter, but we are still brainwashed to believe this is the greatest and freest country in the world. I wanted to convey the cognitive dissonance that all Americans are raised with through sarcasm and a lighthearted, nostalgic sound.
How did you work with the producer or engineers to bring your vision for "AMERICAN DREAM" to life?
I first wrote this song with different lyrics on my piano in September of 2023. It was originally about a mediocre man I had a fling with that doesn’t care if I live or die. Once the bombardment and deliberate starvation of Gaza began I realized I wanted to make art that conveyed the heartbreak and rage I was feeling about the state of our world, rather than some dude who wasted my time.
I brought a voice memo demo to my producer Alex Carr-Engler. He sat with me as I rewrote the first verse and we pretty much immediately understood what direction we wanted to go in sonically with the song. I also worked with one of my dearest friends, drumming prodigy, Trevor Zemtseff. Both Alex and Trevor held space for me to unpack the stark realities facing Americans and those who are victims of America. I’m so proud to have worked with them and feel so lucky I found musicians who share my convictions to make this music with. The last 10 months have definitely radicalized me to a point where I just don’t think it’s worth it to work with people who are even lukewarm about genocide.
How does this song fit into your overall artistic vision?
This song really marries my passion for activism and songwriting, which is why it feels so true to me. I have always been drawn to a raw, live performance type sound, and I grew up listening to the Grateful Dead and Mazzy Star with my Mom, and I am proud to say I hear those influences in “AMERICAN DREAM.” I think we succeeded in creating a nostalgic sound to pull people in before confronting them with the urgently horrific state of geopolitics.
How did you get started in music, and what inspired you to become a singer-songwriter?
I have always been a singer, but I didn’t write my first song until I was in my last semester of law school in 2022. My Mom had just passed away and I was going to a ton of live shows during that time to sort of distract myself from my grief. But of course, the music made me really feel that and helped me process the loss of my Mom instead. I think losing someone as important as my mother also made me consider how short life really is, and that I needed to revisit the dreams I had been pushing aside because they weren’t ‘practical” enough. So I wrote my first song and never looked back.
What is your songwriting process like? How do you usually start crafting a new song?
Usually, I get inspired late at night and just sing some lyrics into my phone. I did write “AMERICAN DREAM” to chords I played on my piano, but I typically start from scratch with a melody that popped up in my head. I then take whatever idea I’m sitting on to my producer and we hash it out in the studio.
