Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar

Mekenzie Zimmerman
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For over a decade, Mekenzie Zimmerman lived a double life — mom by day, Stevie Nicks by night — as the founder and original lead singer of Rumours ATL, one of the biggest Fleetwood Mac tribute bands in the world. What started as a dream in a Smyrna, Georgia basement grew into sold-out theaters, tour buses, backstage chaos, and the kind of behind-the-scenes drama you can’t make up. In Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar, Mekenzie pulls back the curtain on the music, the memories, the heartbreak, and the lessons she never expected to learn. This is a raw, honest, often emotional audio memoir about identity, ambition, friendship, control, betrayal, and the long road to finding peace again. If you love personal storytelling, music documentaries, or true stories told with heart, humor, and a little grit — you’re in the right place. New episodes every Friday. This is her story — in her words.

Episodes

  1. 1D AGO

    Episode 10- After The Glitter Fades

    Send a text When I started Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar, I thought I was telling a story about the past. About the basement. The stages. The fame. The fallout. But somewhere along the way, this season became something else. It became reclamation. It became clarity. It became the first time I got to tell the story in my own voice — without interruption, without distortion, without glitter blinding the truth. In this season finale, I reflect on what happens after the lights go down. After the applause fades. After the headlines stop. What remains when the identity you built your life around no longer exists? This episode explores ambition, loyalty, loss, reinvention, and the quiet rebuilding that happens when no one is watching. It’s about motherhood, healing, and the unexpected peace that comes when you finally stop chasing the spotlight and start choosing yourself. Because sometimes the real story doesn’t begin onstage. It begins when you walk away. — ✨ Season One may be ending… but this isn’t goodbye. Season Two of Starting Rumours is coming soon — and we’re shifting from memoir to conversation. This next chapter will feature intimate, unfiltered interviews with artists, creators, and cultural voices about ambition, identity, reinvention, and what it really costs to chase a dream. If Season One was the story behind the curtain… Season Two pulls it all the way back. Stay subscribed. Stay curious. And stay a little bit legendary. Support the show Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    28 min

  2. FEB 6

    Episode 9- Time Makes You Bolder

    Send us a text In this episode, I walk through what actually happened after I quit: the harassment, the legal pressure, the WIPO filing-- and why I ultimately chose to protect my work, my name, and my peace. I talk about what it's like to stand your ground while pregnant, uprooting your life, become a parent again, and rebuilding from the inside out.  This isn't a revenge story. It's a clarity story.  Episode 9 is about choosing yourself when walking away would be easier-- and learning that time doesn't just heal wounds. Sometimes, it sharpens your resolve.  Support the show Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    40 min

  3. JAN 23

    Episode 8: I Have Always Been A Storm

    Send us a text This episode was hard to make. Not because I didn’t know what to say — but because I’ve spent a lifetime learning how not to say it. In Episode 8 of Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar, I stop performing strength and start telling the truth. About growing up in chaos. About abuse. About the ways trauma shapes your voice, your body, your anger, and your need to survive at any cost. I talk about what it means to be labeled “too much” when you were never protected enough. About learning to sharpen words into weapons because silence was never safe. About how survival can look like confidence — until one day it doesn’t anymore. This episode isn’t about revenge. It isn’t about naming villains. And it isn’t about rewriting anyone else’s story. It’s about finally telling mine. Some people will hear this and feel uncomfortable. Some will feel exposed. Others may recognize themselves for the first time. If this episode makes you cry, pause, breathe, or need to step away — that’s okay. You’re not weak. You’re human. I have always been a storm. But storms don’t exist to destroy. They exist to change the landscape. ⚠️ Trigger Warning (Please Read Before Listening) This episode contains discussion of: Childhood abuseEmotional and physical abuseSexual abuse (including references involving minors)Trauma responsesSuicidal ideationFamily dysfunctionListener discretion is advised. Please prioritize your emotional safety while listening. 💛 Support & Crisis Resources If this episode brings up difficult feelings or memories, you are not alone — and help is available. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 (U.S.) or your local emergency number. Suicide & Crisis Support 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) Call or text 988 | Chat at 988lifeline.org Available 24/7International Suicide Hotlines Find local resources at: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines Child Abuse & Neglect Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (U.S.) 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) Call, text, or chat — available 24/7Sexual Abuse & Assault (Teens & Adults) RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (U.S.) 800-656-HOPE (4673) | Chat at rainn.org Confidential, 24/7Domestic Violence National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.) 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) | TTY 1-800-787-3224 Or chat at thehotline.orgIf you’re outside the U.S., many of these organizations can help direct you to local resources. You deserve safety. You deserve support. You deserve to be heard. Support the show Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    28 min

  4. JAN 16

    Episode 7: I Know I'm Not Wrong

    Send us a text There’s a moment before you leave something important. Not the argument. Not the blow-up. The moment when you realize you’ve been explaining yourself for too long. In this episode, I talk about what led up to my leaving the band — the slow power shifts, the silences, and the things I kept telling myself were normal… until they weren’t. I walk through the day I finally left, and the strange mix of relief, grief, and clarity that followed. This isn’t a story about one bad moment. It’s about erosion. About listening to your body. About knowing when staying starts to cost you more than leaving. Everything I share here is my personal experience and perspective, told as honestly and carefully as possible. This is Episode 7 of Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. I Know I’m Not Wrong. *TRIGGER NOTE* This episode discusses emotional stress and workplace conflict. Support the show Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    25 min

  5. JAN 2

    Episode 6: Shatter Your Illusions of Love

    Send us a text In this episode, the fantasy finally cracks. Shatter Your Illusions of Love is about the moment you realize that what you thought was love was actually control, confusion, and carefully constructed chaos. It’s about the slow unraveling—the gaslighting, the emotional whiplash, the way your instincts keep whispering something isn’t right even when everything looks fine on the outside. I talk about how narcissistic abuse doesn’t arrive loudly. It arrives charming. Convincing. Disarming. And how easy it is to lose yourself while trying to hold onto a version of love that was never real to begin with. This episode is not about blame. It’s about clarity. About trusting your inner voice again. About naming what hurt you so it no longer owns you. If any part of this episode feels familiar, you’re not weak—and you’re not alone. *This episode includes discussion of emotional abuse, narcissistic relationships, and the impact of prolonged manipulation. While details are shared thoughtfully, some listeners may find parts of this conversation sensitive. Please listen in a way that feels safe for you. You’re welcome to pause, skip ahead, or come back to this episode at another time. Support resources are listed in the episode description if you need them.* Support & Resources If you or someone you love needs support, help is available: WannaTalkAboutIt A peer-support community focused on healing, validation, and connection around abuse, trauma, and mental health. Find them on Instagram: @wannatalkaboutitNational Domestic Violence Hotline 📞 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) 💬 Chat available via their website 🕒 24/7, confidential supportRAINN (Sexual Assault & Abuse Support) 📞 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) 💬 Online chat available 🕒 24/7, confidential988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 📞 Dial or text 988 🕒 24/7 support for emotional distress, crisis, or thoughts of self-harmNarcissistic Abuse & Trauma Recovery ResourcesPsychology Today: articles on narcissistic abuse and trauma bondingDr. Ramani Durvasula’s work on narcissistic abuse recoveryTrauma-informed therapists specializing in emotional abuse and CPTSDIf you’re in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services. You didn’t imagine it. You didn’t “love wrong.” And you don’t have to carry it alone anymore. Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    37 min

  6. 12/26/2025

    🎁 BONUS EPISODE: Holiday AMA — Unwrapping Your Questions!

    Send us a text Pour the cocoa, grab a cookie (or five), and settle in — because this bonus episode is wrapped up in tinsel, chaos, and pure holiday cheer. 🎄✨ In this special AMA, I’m answering your questions: the heartfelt, the hilarious, the behind-the-scenes, the “did-that-really-happen?” stories… all served warm, like leftover cinnamon rolls on December 26th. Expect plenty of honesty, a dash of sparkle, and maybe a few snow-globe-shattering truths as we close out the year together. Whether you’re listening in your pajamas, hiding from your family in the bathroom, or cruising around looking at Christmas lights, this little holiday bonus is my gift to you. Thanks for being here, for supporting the show, and for making this season feel extra magical. Now let’s unwrap your questions. 🎁✨ Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    23 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    Episode 5: The Cracks Begin To Show

    Send us a text Every band has a breaking point-- but it never arrives all at once. It starts quietly. A strange silence in the van. A look you can't quite read. A decision that feels just a little off. A moment where your stomach says, something's changing, even if no one will say it out loud.  In this episode, I open up about the first fractures I felt forming inside the band I built from nothing. The laughter was still there, the crowds were still screaming... but underneath it all, the ground was beginning to shift.  This chapter is about intuition, the tiny betrayals we brush aside, and what it feels like to realize the dream you love is slowly, imperceptibly slipping out of your hands.  A NOTE FOR LISTENERS: This episode discusses themes of domestic violence. If this brings up anything for you-- whether past, present, or something you're worried about-- you deserve safety and support.  If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence, you're not alone-- help is available.  National Domestic Violence Hotline- Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or visit www.thehotline.org for confidential support 24/7 Love Is Respect (for teens & young adults) 1-866-331-9474, text LOVEIS to 22522, or visit www.loveisrespect.org RAINN- National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit www.rainn.org (chat available)  You can also visit www.wannatalkaboutit.com for more help and resources. They have a wonderful community of people who are here to support you.  If you're in immediate danger, please call 911 Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    30 min

  8. 12/12/2025

    Episode 4: On The Road Again...(and Again)

    Send us a text Welcome to the road-warrior era-- the part of the story where absolutely nothing made sense, but everything was hilarious. In Episode 4, we're piling into vans, chasing shows across the map, surviving on gas station snacks, and learning how to be a "touring band" one questionable motel at a time.  This is the episode with the funny stories, the long drives, the inside jokes, the weird gigs, the 'how is this my life?' moments, and the kind of laughter that only happens at 2 AM in a Waffle House parking lot.  No drama. No pressure. Just the pure joy (and chaos) of figuring it all out on the road...again and again.  This episode is sponsored by Terminus Tees-- the absolute legends behind some of my favorite shirts our band ever printed-- and the place where my new Mockstar Mafia and Starting Rumours merch comes to life. Use this code to create your bulk order today: https://www.terminustees.com/?referral=20276376402 Want to support the show? Grab a shirt, tote, sticker, or candle from my shop: rumoursatl.com/merch Follow the show: Instagram- @startingrumourspod Facebook- Starting Rumours Podcast  Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    31 min

  9. 12/05/2025

    Episode 3: Running In The Shadows

    Send us a text In this chapter, we step out of the spotlight and into the darker corners of the story-- the places where ambition meets fear, loyalty tangles with ego, and the pressure of being "Stevie" starts to press in from all sides. This episode dives into the quiet moments behind the music: the long drives, the backstage whispers, the heaviness that builds when cracks start showing in the dream you've been fighting to hold together.  Mekenzie traces the early warning signs-- the tension, the shifting dynamics, the unspoken competition-- and the deeper shadows from her personal life that crept into the band. It's a raw, atmospheric look at the cost of chasing a dream when the people around you aren't always rooting for the same version of it.  With shoegaze haze, emotional honesty, and the first threads of unraveling, Running In The Shadows marks the moment the story gets real.  A NOTE FOR LISTENERS: This episode discusses themes of domestic violence. If this brings up anything for you-- whether past, present, or something you're worried about-- you deserve safety and support.  If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence, you're not alone-- help is available.  National Domestic Violence Hotline- Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or visit www.thehotline.org for confidential support 24/7 Love Is Respect (for teens & young adults) 1-866-331-9474, text LOVEIS to 22522, or visit www.loveisrespect.org RAINN- National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit www.rainn.org (chat available)  You can also visit www.wannatalkaboutit.com for more help and resources. They have a wonderful community of people who are here to support you.  If you're in immediate danger, please call 911 Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    32 min

  10. 11/28/2025

    Episode 2: The First Show

    Send us a text Eleven years ago, long before tour buses, sold-out theaters, and all the chaos that came later, there was a tiny Atlanta venue called The Star Bar — and one band dream just starting to take shape. This episode goes back to where it all began: the very first Rumours ATL show. A night held together with equal parts nerves, thrift-store velvet, Craigslist gear, and the kind of naïve hope that only exists before you know what you’re getting into. What makes this anniversary hit differently? Not one of the current members stood on that stage that night. It was the original lineup — the very beginning of a band built from a Smyrna basement, a Craigslist ad, and a whole lot of heart. In this episode, I revisit the cramped backstage, the shaky soundcheck, the feeling of stepping up to the mic for the very first time… and the spark that turned into an eleven-year journey I never could’ve predicted. This isn’t just a nostalgia trip — it’s the blueprint of the dream. And it all started here. Episode 2 takes you into the nerves, the magic, and the absolute chaos of your first-ever show-- the adrenaline rush, the surprises, and the moment everything suddenly felt real. But we're also taking a detour into something extra special: my early collaborations with my friend Waylon.  Listen to Waylon's music here: Song #1- Hard to Find https://youtu.be/ihp73GVWjVY?si=AKd-OrkKeZGwef-r Song #2- Little Bird with Mekenzie Zimmerman https://youtu.be/Sr0XYX1o5qM?si=EaHSsbWUi1p9mio2 I'm so proud of the work we did together, and this episode finally gives it a proper spotlight.  Support the podcast!  Merch: rumoursatl.com/store Instagram: @startingrumourspod Facebook: Starting Rumours Podcast Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    25 min

  11. 11/14/2025

    Episode 1: The Basement

    Send us a text Every story starts somewhere, and mine began in a basement filled with laughter, late nights, and the first spark of a dream. In this first episode of Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar, I revisit the early days— the friendships, the music, and the moments that quietly changed everything. It’s the beginning of the story before the spotlight, when everything still felt possible.  Thank you for listening to Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar. Follow, share, and leave a review to help the show reach more listeners. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. © 2025 Mekenzie Zimmerman. All rights reserved.

    21 min
  • 11 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

For over a decade, Mekenzie Zimmerman lived a double life — mom by day, Stevie Nicks by night — as the founder and original lead singer of Rumours ATL, one of the biggest Fleetwood Mac tribute bands in the world. What started as a dream in a Smyrna, Georgia basement grew into sold-out theaters, tour buses, backstage chaos, and the kind of behind-the-scenes drama you can’t make up. In Starting Rumours: My Life as a Mockstar, Mekenzie pulls back the curtain on the music, the memories, the heartbreak, and the lessons she never expected to learn. This is a raw, honest, often emotional audio memoir about identity, ambition, friendship, control, betrayal, and the long road to finding peace again. If you love personal storytelling, music documentaries, or true stories told with heart, humor, and a little grit — you’re in the right place. New episodes every Friday. This is her story — in her words.

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