Words by Art Jefferson
Images by Keziban Barry and courtesy of Madison
Madison is bold, daring and definitely plays by her own rules. Championed by the mainstream press, the New York City-based artist creates imaginative and vibrant music that encompasses pop, electronica, indie rock, Hip-Hop and more. Having released a slew of singles over the past 7 years along with dropping her 2014 In The Bright Light EP and her Wonderland EP back in 2015, Madison’s cuts have been featured in various television series and commercials including her 2018 track ‘Baller’ which landed in the television show ‘Good Girls’.
With a background originally in science, Madison was studying neuroscience before having been bitten by the music bug. She went on to record spirited songs that boast a bubbling appeal across the board.
Back with her latest song ‘Work It’, an empowering anthem, Madison is continuing to inject character and personality into music which is overly addicting and unquestionably fun.
Your background is really interesting. I read that during your university years you were studying biology and delving into neuroscience. When did you decide that music was going to be the chosen path opposed to science?
Madison – It was fate. While working in NYC in a neuroscience lab I wound up in a friends studio laying down vocals late one night. Everything took off from there!
Musically you weave between indie, pop, electronic and more. Was that always the direction that you wanted to head in or did it take a while to experiment and find your sound?
Madison – I definitely experimented. When I started out I was doing very dark indie rock, then I explored Hip-Hop and pop and now I feel I have finally found my own sound. It was and it is still…a journey!
Going back to songs like ‘Superwoman’, it feels like there was always this idea to be free and to not be pigeonholed in any particular category. Would you say that’s a natural part of your character or is that something that you have reached over the years?
Madison – Definitely a part of my character. I am a strong woman and I think that cant help but come out in my lyrics.
When it comes to the ethics of D.I.Y, you are someone that has stayed true to that, doing things on your own terms. I’m sure you have been presented with loads of label offers over the years. How hard or easy has it been for you to not fall victim to molding hands of record execs.
Madison – Ha that’s funny. No I didn’t have labels at the jump. I started my own because actually no one wanted to sign me, and I tried. I was ‘too pop to be indie,’ ‘too indie to be pop,’ I was ‘not sexy enough,’ I didn’t have a ‘radio hit’. So I said F this! I’m doing this my own way! And actually I’d say I had a very bad experience with a major record label where a VP tried to take advantage of me. I think that added a lot of fuel to my fire. I ended up making a video about it for my song called ‘hot hot love’.
At what point did you launch your G Records imprint?
Madison – Very early on. I’d been gigging all over the city, doing record label showcases, getting turned down. I had that experience that I mentioned above and just decided I’d do it myself.
One song that I think highlights your versatility of sound is the track ‘Start A Fire’. There is the big, cinematic chorus to the song, not to mention the amalgamation of musical styles. Can you talk about the creative process of that cut in particular?
Madison – Oh yes that song turned out great but to be honest I didn’t love it at first. It took me a while to warm up to it. It was a co-write I did out in LA, and I had these lines in my head so I started singing them – “she be walking like an animal, she be hiking that skirt like whoa, hot hot heat coming down the street”, and my partner started playing the drums around it. That’s actually the second verse but it started as the first. It kind of evolved very quickly from there. We did it in a day. It was super fun but then I was like I don’t know if I like this. It was a bit different but when I played it for a few people they really liked it, so I thought hmm maybe it’s OK. Now i love it. It was also used in a huge campaign for Pantene with Giselle and I think when you see your music to picture you realize that it works and people like it. It’s inspiring.
Your latest single ‘Work It’ can be considered a prideful and motivational anthem. What inspired the track?
Madison – I am very disturbed by everything going on in the world between Trump and #metoo. It’s a feeling of the times. It’s a note to myself on how bad-ass i am 🙂 A reminder for me and everyone else. Stay strong ladies. We are so powerful. It’s just a confident ditty. It completes my trifecta on female anthems following ‘Baller’ and ‘Hustle’.
Is there a new LP coming down the pipeline?
Madison – (There will be) many new singles and remixes on the horizon. Thank you for listening!
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