One time Mackin Carroll snuck out of summer camp to see The Postal Service 10th Anniversary show at The Greek. He bought a grilled cheese and a beer with a fake ID. He ate, drank, and cried alone. This one one of the best moments of his life.

Mackin Carroll (he/him) cut his teeth as a performer in the garage bands of Southern California suburbia and as a songwriter in the quiet solitude of his bedroom, gifting the young artist with a ragged and impassioned voice that delivers offbeat metaphors and jagged melodies, soaked in folk sensibility and searing with indie rock spirit: like Sufjan Stevens by way of Ben Folds. His music transforms and grows when seen live. Mackin, always the performer and never content to be boxed in, arrives on-stage, often wearing a skirt or a dress, and gives his all into the performance, confirming that it is truly his heart that bleeds in his songs. After the last note has been played, Mackin will often compose little tunes inspired by a loose thought or conversation with the crowd. His shows, whether solo or with his band The Nova Darlings, feel immediate, joyous, and cathartic. As a bandmate and co-composer, Mackin offers his partners quality work, great support, and insightful critiques. Though only in his mid-twenties, Mackin has proven to his fans and collaborators the breadth of knowledge, skill, and positive attitude that he brings to the indie-rock scene.