Born McKenzie Ellis, Mothica is a New York-based artist known for her darkly textured brand of indie electronic pop she dubbed “Gloom Pop.” Although active since 2014, she gained widespread buzz after her song “Vices” went viral in 2020.
She debuted on Monstercat by providing vocals for SLUMBERJACK’s and Cory Enemy’s.Following a period of depression, during which she attempted suicide, she became more interested in music as on outlet to express herself. Growing up in the suburbs of Oklahoma, McKenzie was a part of a classical guitar ensemble at an arts-focused public high school. At home, she would write original songs over arpeggios she learned in guitar class and uploaded her original songs and covers on YouTube. She was determined to trade the great plains for a more populated skyline.
After receiving a scholarship to Pratt Institute for visual web programming, the Harding Fine Arts Academy graduated moved to Brooklyn, New York in 2013, and in her second semester, a classmate introduced her to several electronic music producers on Soundcloud, lent her a midi keyboard, and encouraged her to buy a real microphone. Her first released on Soundcloud, “Starchild” (produced by melodrama) received 100,000 plays in 24 hours.
Ellis learned to produce in Ableton and released an EP titled “Mythic” in 2015.In 2015, she learned to produce in Ableton and released her debut EP, Mythic. Several more EPs followed, including 2017’s Heavy Heart and 2018’s Ashes. In June 2020, she posted a video of herself on social media listening to her songs, including the track “Vices. The video went viral, as did “Vices,” landing the song in the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, as well as at the top of several streaming platforms.
Her somber self-empowerment song “No One” reached No. 6 on the U.S. Viral Spotify Charts. Soon after, she released the hit “Clear” with Canadian producer Pusher; it has earned more than 14 million plays on Spotify.On the heels of her success , Ellis released her debut full-length album, Blue Hour, which included “Vices,” and found her addressing weighty issues including depression, self-harm, and substance abuse.
