"I'm a Geek, and Unapologetic About It" Says Stevie Mac Ahead of Nov 18 Mac Daddies EP Release

Space. The final frontier. These are the voyages of The Mac Daddies. Their mission: To seek out booty-shaking grooves. To use deep space metaphors in songs that'll leave you exploring the dancefloor. To boldly bust a move like no one has busted before.

Yes, Steven McKinney is just as big of a sci-fi nerd as he is a devotee of classic rock, pop, and soul. The latter has long been apparent thanks to the numerous gigs he's put on with his band, The Mac Daddies, together busting out faithful yet inventively playful eclectic covers at just about every music venue in town. McKinney's love of deep space lore is just as prominent on the band's debut EP, Flip the Universe, which finds him and The Mac Daddies blasting off to a whole new stratum with original songs instead of the covers that helped make them so well-known in the capital. Below, McKinney tells us more about his dorky muses, his eagerness to break out the band's Christmas song, and just how proud he is to rocket past the status of being a cover band.

From the EP's title (Flip the Universe) to some of the song titles ("Love's Warp Speed"), the interstellar themes of this EP are pretty clear. So, just how big of a sci-fi geek are you?
[Laughs] I am totally, 100 percent a sci-fi geek, and completely unapologetic about it. I grew up immersed in all this geek culture: Star Wars, Star Trek, D&D, comics, and other sci-fi TV shows. I couldn't get enough. And there's the old adage of "Write what you know." I have always been entranced by the concept of interstellar travel and the mysteries that lie beyond the stars. There is just something magical about looking up at the night sky and imagining worlds apart from our own. "Love's Warp Speed," is a complete sci-fi tribute and if you listen to the lyrics, you can hear the correlated Easter Eggs.

The EP title was a bit more organic in terms of how it came about. I was talking to the band about changes to practice, and said "We're not going to flip the universe on this one," as in keeping things simple. The term just stuck. For me, to "flip the universe" means to change your stars, to make the universe what you want it to be, whether it be in work, love, or general happiness.  It's another way of saying, "make life what you want it to be and do it with excitement." We all need to "flip the universe!"

Aside from sci-fi, who are some of your biggest inspirations and influences for this EP?
The biggest issue, and I say this somewhat in jest, is that the band is still trying to find its sound when it comes to original songs. There is a sprinkle of everything in the EP. You'll hear funk, jazz, rock, country, and pop. For the most part, we're pop-rock but you'll hear other elements as well. This is a tough call because we're so eclectic, but I'd say our inspirations are a bit of Chuck Berry, Bruno Mars, and Louis Armstrong.

How would you sell a hotshot record exec Clive Davis on The Mac Daddies in an elevator pitch?
I know I'm biased, but it's an easy sell. You can fake many things in life but you can't fake chemistry. The Mac Daddies have chemistry in spades. What I love about our EP is that you can feel that chemistry. Each song is really catchy, whether you're dancing in your socks to "Poison Apple," or lifting a glowing cellphone to the ballad "Chasing the Fireflies." It's typical Mac Daddies. You can sing and dance to these songs, and people do. I've seen it first hand. The live crowds respond to our originals in the same way they respond to covers. They dance, sing, and cheer to Flip the Universe. It's a no-brainer for studio execs!

What aspects of this EP best show how your band has grown from kids covering songs in bars to a full-fledged band of pros proudly releasing their big new debut?
You're right, the Mac Daddies' have grown. Creating our own music was always the goal. We wanted to be more than just a well-equipped cover band. I look at where we started and where we are now, and I can't help but go "Wow, look what we did! Look how much we've accomplished!" It's a great feeling for all of us. There will always be ways to develop and grow, but few could argue that the Mac Daddies aren't at the top of their game right now. Beijing audiences want to hear our originals at shows, and that's all any band can ask for.

We're artists now. There is true artistry in the EP. And that's what it's all about. You're going to hear some cool and unique stuff on it. These songs are ours and we're all very proud of them.

The bonus track, "Santa's Gonna Ride," is a Christmas song. Tell me more about why holiday songs are so much fun for artists with jazz and soul leanings, and which oldies you enjoy hearing every holiday season.
I think cause at the end of day, people look for a reason to dance or tap their foot. What good is a Christmas tree if you can't rock around it? Am I right? [Laughs]

Gotta give props to our guitarist, Jake Gerl. "Santa's Gonna Ride" is his baby, a song he made up with his family when he was a kid. The song is so catchy that we made it a year-round original called "Come and Take a Ride." The two are essentially the same song and we perform each depending on the season. We're really stoked we get to bring back "Santa's Gonna Ride," next month!

Anything else you'd like to add?
The Mac Daddies would like to thank all our fans for supporting us during this great journey of ours!  Without you, none of this would be possible!  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies will launch their debut EP Flip the Universe at DDC on Nov 18 at 9.30pm. Tickets are RMB 40 presale, RMB 50 at the door. The six-song EP will be sold as a CD for RMB 40. For more information, click here.

Photos: sannak.se, the Beijinger