Me
Bill MacKay is a guitarist, improviser, composer, and singer based in Chicago.
An accomplished collaborator with projects that include Katinka Kleijn (Stir, 2019), Nathan Bowles (Keys, 2021), and Ryley Walker (SpiderBeetleBee, 2017), MacKay is also a solo artist creating multi-dimensional works such as Esker (2017), Fountain Fire (2019) Scarf (2020), and Locust Land (2024), all released on Drag City Records.
MacKay’s guitar mastery and songwriting were also highlighted by his commissioned score for the short film Flight Logs in 2019 (Chicago Film Archives).
His book Movie House/Sala de Cine, released in 2022, appeared in an English/Spanish edition translated by the author. MacKay is also a poet, visual artist and polyglot, and is a member of both the avant-garde rock outfit Black Duck (with Douglas McCombs) and the experimental groove-drone project BCMC (with Cooper Crain).
Among other publications, his work has received praise in the Washington Post, Chicago Reader, New York Times, Mojo, Uncut, Downbeat, Paste, Pitchfork, and NPR.
“Exuberant solo record by returning guitar maestro….There’s a glorious sense of momentum on Bill MacKay’s first solo record for five years….Largely instrumental, but when MacKay decides to sing it brings another element into play. Utter joy.” - UNCUT
"Locust Land is arguably the finest of MacKay's solo albums because it is so self-contained. It reflects his musical history in the present, while providing canny hints about what the future may hold." - AllMusic
"Alternating shimmering instrumentals with plainspoken vocal songs, he works his sweet spot...with exquisite craft and note-perfect performances." - The Big Takeover
"Both deeply intimate and boldly cosmic..." - FLOOD Magazine
“...a terrific instrumental cut [Glow Drift] that blisses out with a summery guitar melody and featherlight rhythmic backbone…” - Paste
“...a breezy folk track [Keeping in Time] that has MacKay taking that longing feeling and flipping it into a stunning single for what is already shaping up to be a fantastic LP.” - Glide Magazine
"...there’s such a warmth to the way by which this Chicago-based singer-songwriter crafts his music it supersedes the Avant Garde. And his brilliant new LP, Locust Land, is no exception." - Rock and Roll Globe
Bill MacKay & Ryley Walker - Hypnotic Pulse of the Reindeer Range (JMY, 2017)
Bill MacKay and Ryley Walker SpiderBeetleBee (Drag CIty, 2017)
Bill MacKay - Esker (Drag City, 2017)
Bill MacKay - Sunrise/Bill MacKay plays the songs of John Hulburt (Tompkins Square, 2015)
Darts & Arrows - Altamira (ears&eyes records, 2015)
Bill MacKay and Ryley Walker - Land of Plenty (Whistler Records, 2015)
Bill MacKay - Chatham Park (2014)
Bill MacKay and Matt Lux - December Concert (ears&eyes records, 2014)
Darts & Arrows - Eyes of the Carnival (2012)
Bill MacKay and Darts & Arrows (2010)
Broken Things - Swim to the River (2007)
Bill MacKay & Sounds of Now (2005)
Contributer
Black Duck - Black Duck (Thrill Jockey, 2023)
Harry James - Harried (Potions Music, NYC, 2022)
Ryley Walker - So Certain EP (Husky Pants, 2022)
Bill Callahan and Bonnie Prince Billy - Blind Date Party (Drag City, 2021)
Steve Gunn - Other You (Matador, 2021)
Ryley Walker - Course in Fable (Husky Pants, 2021)
Bevel - Angler Senses (Astral Editions, 2021)
Friend/Enemy - HIH No/On (Joyful Noise, 2020)
Ryley Walker - Deafman Glance (Dead Oceans, 2017)
Compilations
Published Writings
Bill MacKay - Movie House | Sala de Cine, a book of poetry in Spanish & English. (American Dreams, May 24th, 2022).
Short piece The Milkman appears in the book Navigation to Nowhere: Searching for Paris, Texas (Cattywampus Press, September 2021)
Article on Laura Nyro's timeless record: Bill MacKay on New York Tendaberry (Aquarium Drunkard, September, 2021)