I can confidently say there is no one quite like Jensen McRae. With her effervescent wit and an ability to seemingly do everything, she occupies a space entirely her own. There really isn’t anyone else in the music industry right now moving quite the same way. And when I say she can do it all, I truly mean it.
Last week I had the privilege of speaking with McRae ahead of her first-ever Australian tour with Laneway Festival – and I’ll admit, I was more than a little nervous. From reading about her landing a role in Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, to seeing her covers light up social media, to discovering her love of words and writing, it quickly becomes clear that words are never in short supply for her. Whether it’s lyrics, journalling, Substack essays, or even a screenplay, they’re constantly flowing — with no sign of slowing down.
This February, McRae will visit Australia for the very first time as part of Laneway Festival, while also fitting in her own headline side shows around the country. When we speak about her visit, her eagerness is immediate. “Yeah, I’ve never been to that part of the world and I’m so excited,” she says. Not just for the shows, either — she’s just as curious about the places themselves. “I feel like I’ve heard that Sydney is sort of similar to LA… like, in terms of vibe,” she explains. “So I’m excited to see how similar they are, but honestly, I’m just excited to see everything.”
Given how much she’s been touring lately — bouncing between festivals and her own headline shows — I was curious about how she approaches the two settings differently. She explains that at festivals, “you’re obviously not playing for crowds that are just there for you.” That reality shapes everything from song selection to stage presence. “You have to kind of temper not only how much of your personality you’re going to show,” she says, “but also what songs you’re going to play.” Even the covers she performs shift depending on the context.
That challenge, however, doesn’t intimidate her — it energises her. “You have to really be working a little bit harder, to prove yourself,” she says. Not necessarily to shock, but to be remembered. “You want something that makes people stop, notice, and remember you.”
Laneway, in particular, has been on her radar for some time. “I wasn’t aware of Laneway until a couple of years ago,” she admits, “and then when I found out about it, I was like, ‘oh — this is where all of the cool people go.’” When it comes to who she’s most excited to see, the list keeps growing. “I’m really excited to see Chappell Roan, Role Model, Gigi Perez… and I’m very excited to see Lucy Dacus, who I’ve been a fan of for literally forever.”
Naturally, the conversation turns to what we'll be hearing this tour; her sophomore album I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!. It’s a record that moves effortlessly between stripped-back intimacy and sweeping emotional highs. As an admirer of the album, I was curious how she decided which songs would remain minimal and which needed to open up — almost like choosing between cinematic close-ups and wide shots.
The most stripped-back songs — like 'Daffodils' and 'Tuesday', which are also the saddest on the record — are intentionally restrained. “When I’m talking about something really serious,” she explains, “I want all of the attention to be on the lyrics and my voice.” In those moments, she narrows the focus. “I really want people’s takeaway to just be the lyrics and the story.”
By contrast, songs like 'Let Me Be Wrong' and 'Massachusetts' serve a different purpose. “There’s obviously something emotional at the core,” she says, “but I want people to feel uplifted — like they’re being swept along by a current of sound and feeling.” It’s less about understanding and more about experiencing something you can’t quite articulate.
Writing, in all its forms, is the thread that ties everything together — the thing that allows her work to linger, to move, to stay with you. For years now, McRae has been chronicling her life not just through song, but across social media, journals, podcasts and Substack. One of my favourite lines she’s written appears in her earlier song, 'My Ego Dies At The End': “If I don’t write about it, was it really worth it?” It speaks to the catharsis, and even redemption, that comes from documenting pain. “It makes it feel… I hate to say it makes it feel worth it,” she admits.
In that sense, for McRae, writing becomes a way to close the loop. “Basically every really painful experience I’ve had, I have been able to turn into a song,” she says. Sometimes those songs stay private. Sometimes they don’t. But either way, they signal an ending. “When I wrote Massachusetts, I was like, ‘oh, that heartbreak is over now.’ I wrote the song that really sums us up… now I’m done.”
As our interview draws to a close — with her year already shaping up to be a big one — she casually hints at another dream waiting in the wings. “I wrote a rom-com,” she says. “I have one written in my back pocket — I’m just trying to figure out if there’s anyone out there who wants to help me make it.” When she mentions Lena Dunham as her dream director, she smiles easily, as if releasing the idea into the universe. Now that it’s out there, the next step feels inevitable. The script is written. The vision is clear. Lena Dunham, it might be time to give Jensen McRae a call.
