We caught up with the brilliant and insightful MADSN a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

MADSN, 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?

I am a Los Angeles based pop/rock artist. I draw inspiration from artists such as Taylor Swift, FLETCHER, and girl in red. By writing both playful and emotional lyrics, I hope to bring an authentic representation of my life through my music.

I was born in Spokane, WA, and began writing music and performing at 10 years old. Upon finishing high school, I moved to Seattle to further my education at the University of Washington. During my time there, I became a radio show host and began interviewing local hiphop artists. Hearing their stories inspired me to fully commit to my music career. Without access to producers or studios, I learned audio engineering and production to record my own music. This gained the attention of local artists that I would open for in venues around the city.

Upon receiving my degree, I flew down to Los Angeles for my first meeting with producer, Mack McKinney. Over the course of two days, I wrote and recorded three songs, one of which would be later released as my debut studio single, Need Time. Need Time was then added to their editorial playlist, Fresh Finds Pop.

A year later, I moved to Los Angeles and was accepted as a Breaking Sound artist. I began playing all over Los Angeles and recording as much as possible while working multiple jobs to pay for my music. Notable past performances include The Viper Room, Troubadour, and my first festival performance at Life if Beautiful. I am so proud of myself for even getting to this point in my career and I have no plans of stopping now.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

It’s crazy to think back on, but I actually went to college hoping to study computer science. I wanted to work become a software engineer for Google. I had always wanted to be a singer, but coming from a fairly small town, I just had no idea how to go about that. But I liked computers so that was going to my goals until I figured out how to make music work.

Turns out I’m terrible at computer science so I got my degree in communications and media. That pivot helped me learn marketing tools that ended up getting my music heard and lead me to the opportunities I’ve been blessed with.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding thing is when someone tells me my music has helped them embrace themselves for who they are. As a queer woman who grew up very conservative, I’ve experienced a lot of shame for being who I am. I want people to feel like my shows are a safe space for them and my music shows them that there is no shame in loving who you love and being authentic to yourself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3qruP5bJVjXdwXjjE8u8TI?si=oRaicNVwTcyBtvQ9HSIIsA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madsnmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQyE6sG4it6Njq5OhBNgQeg

Image Credits
Grace McCarthy Maria Weyne