Features : Macha Roy’s debut single “Checkmate” covers struggles and resilience of ending a relationship

There’s nothing easy about a breakup, but sometimes it is simply for the best, and life has an interesting way of working itself out.

This was the case with L.A. based French-American pop singer-songwriter Macha Roy, whose debut single “Checkmate” dives into a heartbreaking separation with a lover, but also became a healing agent in the end.

“Checkmate” was produced by Marius Feder, and the track comes with a powerful music video. Surprisingly, she worked with the ex-boyfriend who she wrote the song about to create it. While some might think this could be awkward or a whole number of other adjectives, it brought them closer than ever.

“It was super cathartic for both of us and a beautiful collaboration,” she said. “It went so smoothly. I was a little nervous about it, but it really mended our friendship. It helped us get to a really good place. We’re shooting for eight hours and I’m spilling my heart, but he saw the responsibility he had in what happened. He apologized and now we are doing so well. The song healed us, and I don’t think we could have healed this way if we didn’t do it together.”

The song has a melancholy, ethereal tone, with Macha playing the piano delicately as the track starts.

There’s nowhere else to go
Hanging by a raindrop of fire
I’m hanging by a raindrop of fire
One day you’re in love
One day you’re not

The video provides incredibly somber imagery, with Macha involved in interpretive dancing with a male counterpart. The chorus says it all: “Checkmate to my heart.”

There were so many signs I should have listened
My reason left me dry I’m disillusioned

And

You fooled me with your charm
I’ve got nothing left

The vivid lyrics and the powerful, almost dark, tone that goes along with the imagery pulls at the heartstrings for anyone who has ever been in love and had it fizzle away.

But the story about how she worked with her ex, Matthew, on the project provides a bit of hope.

Macha explained that she saw her ex, who is a cinematographer, for the first time in eight months. They were catching up and she told him that she wrote a song about him. He wasn’t very surprised by this but was intrigued and wanted to hear it.

“We went outside and he listened to the song, and he had tears, and he told me he wanted to help me with the music video,” Macha said. “He called in two of his best guy friends, who I am close with, and one is a producer/director Anthony Pietromonaco and another is a visual effects specialist Dave Dorsey. They were on board, and the journey started.”

Macha had the whole vision of what she wanted for the music video one night and found an awesome choreographer, Matthew Hawthorne to rehearse with every week for two months. I found him through Dave, we got on the phone and when he heard my story, he said he wanted to be part of this beautiful project. They finished shooting about a month-and-a-half ago and recently had a video release party at a friend’s bar, the Corner Door, in Mar Vista. She said this type of collaboration between people she loves has given her a sense of appreciation and gratefulness.

“I am so thankful for all the people in my life who believe in me,” she said. “I would not be where I am today without them. I really have amazing friends. They believe in me, and it makes me believe in myself. The release party was so cool. It was really one of the happiest moments of my life.”

Macha started playing classical piano when she was 7, played for 10 years, and then stopped for about a decade. She went off to college, moved around a lot, and piano took a step back. She always continued singing, but it was more of a hobby. In her late 20s she wrote a song for her cousin’s wedding, a cool piano solo, that kicked off her songwriting.

In her early 30s she joined a band and played keyboards and sung backup vocals, but four years ago she went through a hard breakup that unleashed something. She clearly knows where her creativity comes from.

“I wrote like 10 or 15 songs in two months and never knew I had that in me,” she said. “It was beautiful. I wrote for myself and didn’t think much about it at the time. But I realized this is what I meant to do. It was my passion. I love it.”

She is a very open and vulnerable person — something that her friends know about her feelings. She doesn’t shy away from her. What you see is what you get. This is important to her and is something that she puts into her music.

“Authenticity is super important to me,” she said. “In this world today, when you ask someone how they are, you can’t really see what is beneath the surface. You see so much about positivity, and that’s great, but don’t hide what you’re really going through. People want to know how you’re doing because true friends want to help you with what you’re going through.”

Macha was born in France. Growing up, she was sensitive and emotional and constantly trying to hide her feelings. She has had trauma throughout her life, ranging from a miscarriage to the death of her father, and she has clearly experienced breakups and heartache.

While these things can lead to building walls, she has found the benefits of talking, and singing, about her vulnerability. It is important to feel your feelings and express them in a positive way, she said.

“‘Checkmate’ is one of the most raw, vulnerable songs that really shows who I am,” she said. “I have a lot of friends who tell me that me being vulnerable helps them be the same way for themselves. People say it gives them permission to feel more and express more of their own feelings. It is a beautiful thing to be helped, loved and supported.”

Macha will release a song in French called “On Dream” — “we dream” in English. This is a beautiful and uplifting song about a girl in a relationship who realizes she deserves better and breaks free.

She is also working on a new song in English, called “From the Other Side” where she talks about her journey after her father’s death & her miscarriage.

Be sure to listen to “Checkmate,” available on July 19, and stay tuned for more music to come from Macha Roy.

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