We were lucky to catch up with Kait Madison recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kait, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Growing up, I loved singing little melodies and I thought making up lyrics was fun! At first, I was a bit naive to the depth of songwriting. When I turned eleven, I was given a keyboard. I never took lessons but I tinkered my way around it. I played a lot of terrible notes to find out what sounded good. I wrote my first real song at eleven, journal and all. It was the first verse to my song, “Dreams.” “I’m dreaming, they’re sleeping. Where did the time go? Oh, it was lost long ago. Had to grow up so fast, had no time for growing.” Those lyrics were based on genuine life experience. Music was (and is) my outlet – to connect with God, to yearn for more, to heal hurts I was facing at a young age. I continued writing. My family believed in me, which was so essential. My grandparents sent me to a handful of workshops to better understand the “rules” of songwriting. While my writing had heart and soul, it lacked structure. As I was immersed into the music world of Nashville, I picked up on things from the pros I looked up to that were around me. Bottom line is this, I wouldn’t have changed a thing when it comes to learning the craft of songwriting. As I have spent more time in the studio writing and learning from others, my creativity has been released. Writing my own music is my passion. I am constantly needing to grab my phone to record a melody or lyric into my voice memos. Now, when I step into a co-writing room I am confident in the craft that has and continues to steadily develop over the course of my life. Every time I am utterly blown away at what happens when you get three creatives who all have the same love for the Lord and passion for music in the same room to write a song.
Kait, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Kait Madison. I am a Christian singer/songwriter and recording artist. I want to be known for pouring my heart into the songs I write. As far as the style of my music, I would say it’s Christian lyrics seasoned with a little R&B and 60s soul flavor! My mom likes to say I came out of the womb singing. I did every talent show I could. My passion for music always existed and my mom still has a paper from kindergarten in which I proudly exclaim that “I want to be a singer when I grow up.” I first was introduced to the music scene in Nashville when I was fortunate to go to the K-LOVE awards held at the Grand Ole Opry. I was around twelve and naturally, some of my favorite memories were meeting the artists I grew up listening to on my little Hello Kitty radio. I was inspired by them.
In high school I would sing at our annual Vaudeville talent showcases, but my favorite was my senior year. The director allowed me to put together my act on my own. I came alive. I got to pick the color of the lighting and I chose yellow of course! I had this retro 70s style jumpsuit I wore that was mustard yellow with a bunch of different patterns on it. And I sang “Come As You Are” by The New Respects. My goal was to invite everyone to come to Jesus. I wanted everything to point to Him. I knew that night I not only wanted to pursue a career as an artist, but I was going to work for it. And here I am, still working towards it!
This year I released a single called “House of Love.” The producer and I agreed it needed to have a modern motown feel and I’m so proud of how it turned out. If you haven’t listened to my music, definitely listen to my most recent release, “House of Love.” I have more coming, so stay tuned!
Outside of music, this who I am; I am 23 years young! I’m married to my high school sweetheart, Cobus Morgan. I have an obsession with collecting cool rings, crafting and anything artsy. I love the challenge of perfecting my favorite coffee orders at home. I cherish my family and friends and we have a lot of fun together!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Collaboration keeps the creative world spinning. Sometimes it’s hard to make connections with others initially. However, if you keep showing up you will eventually develop meaningful relationships. I felt pretty alone in the creative world until last year. I went on a wonderful indie artist writing retreat and made new friendships. Now I feel connected to the talented folks around me in a way I didn’t before.
Having the support from those around me means the most. I feel so supported when my friends share my songs on social media, tell people about my music or come to hear me sing! As an artist, sharing your work is quite vulnerable. I don’t expect everyone to like my music because everyone has different taste and what I do might not be someone’s cup of tea, but that’s okay! Regardless, it’s the cherry on top when you show someone your art that you really believe in and have poured your heart into and they love it too.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
A few years ago, I was feeling stuck, and someone who has given me advice throughout my journey mailed me a couple of books. The book that helped me the most was “Fearless Creating” by Eric Maisel. This book is incredible and every creative person should own a copy. It challenged me to be resilient through the many ups and downs of being an artist.
When it comes to the business side of things, I enjoy chatting with people who have accomplished what I aim to. I don’t really follow along any particular resource, but my advice is to ask others who have been successful for advice. Be open to conversations and be grateful when people are willing to have them with you. Find someone who inspires you and meet with them for coffee. Find someone who seems to know what they are doing and pick their brain. I’m so thankful for the many people who have been so kind to meet with me and pour into me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kaitmadison.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitmadison/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamkaitmadison/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kaitmadison?app=desktop
- Other: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/track/1AwZQv0aWLQn2vUf9mmaaU?si=20197ef7b91b4b06
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/house-of-love/1746584516?i=1746584517
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@_kaitmadison?lang=en
AMAZON MUSIC: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B08CB5WTCK/kait-madison?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US
Image Credits
Personal Photo : Cobus Morgan
Additional Photos :
1. N/A
2. Molly Jane St. Clair
3. Inside The Frame Photography
4. Jeremy Cowart
5. Jeremy Cowart