Mac Ayres

Mac Ayres first surfaced in 2017 as a multi-instrumentalist who also handled vocals, songwriting, and production, shaping a relaxed and occasionally lo-fi blend of R&B, soul, funk, vaporwave, and jazz fusion. His opening full-length project, Something to Feel, appeared in 2018 and drew strong notice, while his third album, Magic 8ball, issued in 2021, earned still wider praise. Comfortable Enough in 2023 and Cloudy in 2024 reinforced his profile as a forward-thinking voice in present-day R&B.

Raised in Sea Cliff, New York, Ayres developed his skills without lessons and spent time at Berklee College of Music in Boston before withdrawing in 2017 to finish his debut EP. Inspired by D'Angelo and J Dilla, the resulting Drive Slow along with the 2018 release Something to Feel helped him gather a devoted audience that grew larger after Juicebox arrived in 2019 and Magic 8ball followed in 2021. On Comfortable Enough he examined grief, isolation, and personal development through an inward-looking set that featured the streaming successes "Something's Gotta Change" and "I Can't Go On." He returned to many of those subjects on the reflective Cloudy in 2024, which contained the popular tracks "Alone with You" and "She Just Wann See Me Rn."