“I want to invite those people into my community; this music is for them,” Pixie McCann says, with open arms, to people who feel isolated and like they don’t belong. You’re not alone. There is nothing wrong with going against the grain, going against the path set out for you.
Pixie McCann is an Irish singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who grew up influenced by Galway’s folk and traditional music scene, but discovered her voice through busking and looping when she was 11.
Her new single ‘It’s Pixie’ finds her shameless, admitting she would do anything for someone she loves. It is clear McCann isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, bare to be judged. It’s an intense confessional, but fantastically melodious and the right amount of angst.
Making songs on her new rubber-bridge guitar, Pixie McCann reflects on her incredible Summer, performing at some of the biggest festivals in the country, releasing her new single ‘It’s Pixie,’ and supporting Paris Paloma on her upcoming tour across the UK and Europe.
You just wrapped your sold-out first UK headline tour; how did you find it performing in a different city every day?
Amazing! So so so amazing. There are so many places I haven’t been before and I’m so grateful to be able to go to these places and explore with the best people ever (my band and my amazing merch seller/friend Clara)
Do you carry a talisman for good luck?
Interesting… I carry a couple symbols of luck, I’d say. I carry citrine always. Often a spell I made for self love (it’s a little pink jar). I also carry my overflowing junk journal. Which is definitely lucky.
This Summer, you also performed at All Points East, Latitude, and Boardmasters. How do you reflect on doing these shows, sharing lineups with some of the biggest names in music?
I don’t really know, I don’t know if it’s even hit me yet. Latitude was so surreal as it was such a dream of mine as a child to play, and All Points East was genuinely probably the best day of my life haha.
How would your younger self, who started busking at 11, react to these big milestones?
I think two things are possible. Either she’d scream and run around in complete joy. Or she’d be like “well of course”, because 11 year old me probably believed in me entirely.
Where does the title of your debut EP, ‘Indigo, Vibrant and New,’ come from?
It’s a play on “indigo, violet and blue”. The EP is a reflection of beauty found in ugly places and the world in which they meet. I thought, what better place than a rainbow?
In ten years, when you listen to your debut EP again, what headspace and time in your life will you be teleported to?
April 2025, early morning (6am), no sleep. Last night’s clothes on.
Are you hinting at a new chapter with your new single ‘I’m Pixie’?
I would argue “it’s Pixie” is more of a prequel. The song was written and produced before the EP and it feels like the start.
Are you open to exploring new sounds and genres in the future?
For sure! My Dad keeps joking that I’m going to make a country album one day. I think it’s possible. I think a DJ arc is possible, I think an album of ambient drone music is possible. I just LOVE music. I love making music in every sense. I hope that there’s enough time to make all the music I wanna make.
What is the main message behind ‘I’m Pixie’?
I don’t think there’s a message as much as a statement, “I’m a massive fcking pushover when I really like someone.”
You describe your music as “weird music for weird girls”; could you elaborate why?
I was strange for a lot of my early life (I still am obviously) and I felt quite isolated. It felt like communities and music and different pockets of people weren’t for me. I want to invite those people into my community, this music is for them.
In November, you will embark on a tour supporting the incredible Paris Paloma across the UK and Europe. How does it feel to support someone who is often soundtracked around women’s empowerment?
I am SO excited to be on tour with someone I have found so personally inspiring. Paris so perfectly soundtracks experiences that I think all women can unfortunately relate to. Honestly, her music means so much to me. She is incredible and I’m honoured.
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Words: Karolina Kramplova
Photographer: Lara Laeverenz