MacKenzie Porter

Biography

MacKenzie Lea Porter (born January 29, 1990) is a Canadian country singer, songwriter, and actress. She has released two albums (MacKenzie Porter and Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart×Nobody's Born With a Broken Heart26 April 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Easy To Miss2:502Young At Heart3:083Bet You Break My Heart2:384Pay Me Back In Change3:415Rough Ride For A Cowboy2:226Coming Home To You3:287Strong Things3:228Confession2:369Wrong One Yet3:0010Pickup2:4811Nightingale3:0112Have Your Beer2:4313Sucker Punch3:2014Walk Away3:0615Foreclosure3:4916Less Is More3:3917Along Those Lines2:5718Chasing Tornadoes2:5719Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart3:19) and achieved four Canada Country number ones with "About You", "These Days×These Days27 March 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1These Days2:51", "Seeing Other People", and "Pickup×Pickup19 November 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Pickup2:48". She was featured on Dustin Lynch's number one Country Airplay hit "Thinking 'Bout You". She is also one-half of Thelma & James, a musical duo with her husband Jake Etheridge. As an actor, she is best known for her leading role as a future-sent medic in the television series Travelers.

Early life

MacKenzie Porter was raised on a cattle and bison ranch near Medicine Hat, Alberta. She began studying piano, violin, and voice at age four. While growing up she toured in a family band with her brother, 2004 Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter. Their grandfather Bob Porter was Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat from 1988 to 1993.

Film and TV career

Porter has appeared in numerous films and television productions, including Dinosapien (2007), Hell on Wheels, and Travelers (2016). She earned a Best Actress in Alberta award for her role in the 2008 television film The Other Woman. She was also named as one of the Top 11 Hottest Vancouver Actors to Watch for in 2011 by BC Living magazine.

Early career: Self-titled album

After moving to Vancouver to pursue acting, Porter teamed up with musician and actor Andrew Jenkins to form the band The Black Boots. In 2010, she launched a solo career. Porter was the winner of the 2011 Nashville North Star competition. She has opened for Kenny Chesney, Doc Walker, and Trooper among others, and has performed for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
In October 2012, Porter released her debut single, "I Wish I'd Known". Her second single, "Never Gonna Let You×Never Gonna Let You17 June 2013 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Never Gonna Let You4:13", was co-written and produced by Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Porter was chosen as one of six acts for the inaugural Canadian Country Music Association Discovery Program in 2013. She was also nominated for the Rising Star Award at the 2013 Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Her debut album was released on July 15, 2014. She is featured on the song "Circles" on Chris Lane's album Girl Problems in 2016.

2018–2022: Drinkin' Songs, Big Loud Records, five number ones

In 2018, Porter signed with Nashville-based Big Loud and became their first Canadian artist. She released the single "About You", co-written by Hardy. The song would hit number one on Canada Country. Porter is featured on the Dallas Smith song "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Alone" with Dean Brody.
In March 2019, Porter released the single "These Days×These Days27 March 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1These Days2:51", which charted on Canadian country, pop, and adult hits charts as well as on the US Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. It also reached number one on Canada Country, making Porter the first Canadian woman to land back-to-back Number Ones since Shania Twain. She then opened for Dallas Smith and Dean Brody on their co-headlining cross-Canada Friends Don't Let Friends Tour Alone Tour. In February 2020, Porter released "Seeing Other People" which would become her third consecutive number one, making her the first woman (Canadian or American) to land three consecutive Number Ones on Canadian country radio since Twain.
Porter's EP Drinkin' Songs: The Collection×Drinkin' Songs: The Collection6 November 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1These Days2:532Drinkin' Songs3:283About You2:584The One3:545Drive Thru2:396Seeing Other People3:027These Days (remix)3:17 was released in November 2020. The EP was her debut American release and included her three chart-toppers in addition to her top five hit "Drinkin' Songs". It received a nomination for Country Album of the Year at the 2021 Juno Awards. In March 2021, she featured on the Dustin Lynch single "Thinking 'Bout You", and then joined Canadian pop artist Virginia to Vegas on the single "This Sucks." in September 2021. She released the song "Pickup×Pickup19 November 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Pickup2:48" later that year; it became a single in early 2022. "Thinking 'Bout You" spent six weeks atop the Country Airplay chart, marking Porter's first number one in the U.S., and spent a record-breaking 28 weeks in the top ten. Meanwhile, "Pickup" would go on to reach number one on Canada Country, and achieve gold-certification. Later that year, she joined fellow Canadian country artist Dallas Smith on the single "One Too×One Too27 May 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1One Too3:21".

2023–2024: Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart

In March 2023, Porter participated in an all-star recording of Serena Ryder's single "What I Wouldn't Do", which was released as a charity single to benefit Kids Help Phone's Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health. In May 2023, she released "Chasing Tornadoes×Chasing Tornadoes5 May 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Chasing Tornadoes", the second single off her upcoming full-length album. In the fall of 2023, Porter embarked on her first tour named "The Canadian Headlining Tour". While on tour, she released the single "Bet You Break My Heart×Bet You Break My Heart17 November 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Bet You Break My Heart2:38". Porter also joined Canadian pop singer Elijah Woods on a new version of his song "Last Girl".
In January 2024, Porter announced the release of her second full-length studio album, Nobody's Born with a Broken Heart×Nobody's Born With a Broken Heart26 April 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Easy To Miss2:502Young At Heart3:083Bet You Break My Heart2:384Pay Me Back In Change3:415Rough Ride For A Cowboy2:226Coming Home To You3:287Strong Things3:228Confession2:369Wrong One Yet3:0010Pickup2:4811Nightingale3:0112Have Your Beer2:4313Sucker Punch3:2014Walk Away3:0615Foreclosure3:4916Less Is More3:3917Along Those Lines2:5718Chasing Tornadoes2:5719Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart3:19 on Big Loud Records. The nineteen-track album was released on April 26, 2024, and includes the singles "Pickup×Pickup19 November 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Pickup2:48", "Chasing Tornadoes", "Bet You Break My Heart", and "Have Your Beer", as well as four songs that were released concurrently with the album's announcement, including "Easy to Miss". Porter received six nominations at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Awards, and won Female Artist of the Year. She also co-hosted the award show alongside Thomas Rhett.

2025: Thelma and James

In January 2025, Porter and her husband Jake Etheridge collaborated on the song "Happy Ever After You×Happy Ever After You10 January 2025 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Happy Ever After You3:17", released under the duo name "Thelma & James". In March 2025, the duo released the song "First Love×First Love14 March 2025 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1First Love3:07", and officially signed a recording deal with Big Loud, with Porter remaining on their label roster as a solo artist as well. The duo released their debut extended play Starting Over on September 19, 2025.

Personal life

In 2014, Porter and American actor/singer-songwriter Jake Etheridge began dating. Etheridge appeared in the 2019 music video for Porter's 2018 song "About You". She and Etheridge were engaged in mid-/late May or early June 2019, and they married in July 2020.
In November 2023, Porter announced she was pregnant with her and Etheridge's first child. On March 14, 2024, Porter and her husband welcomed their first child, a daughter.