Efe Mike-Ifeta - 00:02 I read your bio. Really exciting. I think the frst place I want to begin since before we started recording, we're talking about how you go hard on live performances. I see that there was a time you left Canada for Ireland. I believe if you just want to take me through that period of your life and how it has informed what you now do as an artist, that'd be great. Maddisun - 00:27 Yeah. So I fnished high school, and I kind of didn't. I'm from a really small town, as you know, Cranbrook. And I was. Was just kind of wanting something more. I felt like I needed to explore and I didn't want to go to school. You know, I was. I was looking for some big life experience. So I said, well, you know what? I'm gonna move to Europe by myself. So I just decided to. And Ireland felt like a place that was really safe, English speaking, very similar to Canadians, very welcoming and friendly. And so I felt like it was a safe place to go as a solo female traveler. And I just got there and then I fell in love with it. This was summer 2016. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 01:19 Okay. Maddisun - 01:20 So I, you know, I was like, okay, this is. This is a place that I could really see myself living, but I didn't have that mindset yet. I was just, like, traveling and exploring. I wasn't doing too much music. It was actually kind of an opportunity to just learn more about myself. It was one of those growing self learning experiences. And I. I ended up getting a work visa after I had kind of lived there for like three months. I was like, you know what? Yep, this is where I want to be. I met all of, like, these amazing people, and I fell in love with the rest of Europe as well. I started working for bank of Ireland, which is kind of funny. I. Maddisun - 02:06 I recently did an a CBC interview and Sarah was Sarah Penton, and she was, like, really fascinated by the fact that I used to fx credit card machines. So that was my job. I used to fx those little debit machines that you use at, like, businesses. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 02:23 Like POS's. Yes. Maddisun - 02:25 Yeah. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 02:25 Like a small terminal. Yeah, exactly. Maddisun - 02:27 Yeah, yeah. So that was my job for, like, all. All the POS systems across Ireland. I would. I was fxing them, and it was hilarious because it was so completely different from anything that I had done before, and it was so different from my music path. And I think I needed to do that. You know, I think it helped me learn a lot of skills and learn more about myself too. So, yeah, then I stayed in Ireland for about three years, and then I came home my Visa expired and then Covid hit, so. So that kind of. That was that timeline, you know, And I came home from Ireland and I wrote an entire album. My frst album, Self Refections. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 03:13 Gotcha. Maddisun - 03:14 So, yeah, that album was inspired by a lot of things that happened when I was in Ireland. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 03:20 I see, I see. So, yeah, that's so fascinating. Not very many people have that opportunity to go off, to go self discover. And I, I think some of those themes that you've mentioned about you going to Ireland are refected in this new record. Maddisun - 03:42 Well, because I went back. I went back this year, so I came home. I'd been home for three years, I think. And then this year, once Covid was over, I went back to Ireland, back to where I used to live to do like a self paced songwriting retreat. So I went to this. I went to this retreat center out in the country, out in the middle of nowhere. And I stayed in this cabin for like two weeks and just like holed up in there and wrote and like walked around and hung out with sheep and drank. Drank Guinness and hung out on the beach. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 04:23 Oh, Guinness for sure. That, that should defnitely help some writing. No, but I, I'm really excited to, to see how that journey unfolds for you. So we're gonna get to this album, but I want to just dart back a little bit because I'd love to know the origins of your musical background. I understand that you're from a very music centered family, but how did that start to take shape when you were growing up and just getting the support that you needed from the people who were most closest to you? Maddisun - 05:00 Yeah, I mean, I did grow up in a musical family, so before I was even born, my dad, my grandpa, my aunts were all really involved in country music. So my grandpa was in a band and he did like the Johnny Cash, Elvis sort of thing, which I think that I'm really inspired by now. And I didn't really realize it. You know, we don't realize it when we're younger, when we're like, you know, fve to like 15 or even 20. I didn't even realize it. It's just been the last like fve years really. So when I was growing up, there was always music playing. A lot of classic rock, a lot of like Fleetwood Mac, Hart, Van Morrison, Jackson Brown, the Doors, all of this kind of music. And that was always playing. Maddisun - 05:51 And then when I would go, you know, to see my dad's family, like that side of my family, it was always like, playing guitar around the campfres, singing songs. And, like, my aunts are amazing country singers. Like, they just have this, like, innate talent. And I, like, we don't really know. Like, it's. Obviously my grandpa was a musician and is a singer, but it just kind of came out of nowhere. Like, they just are so talented. So that was always really inspiring growing up. And I was like, oh, my gosh, Like, I. I need to do this. And I think, like, just from a really young age, I was so in love with music and dancing, and I was always, like, performing and wanting to be, like, a star. Maddisun - 06:42 I would sit my family down and I would, like, improvise these, like, musicals or, like, these, like, concerts. And I just, like, write these songs on the spot and have them all sit down and listen. So that was, like, really early days of me just, like, loving music and not knowing much about, like, creation or anything, but just kind of freestyling, if you will. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 07:09 Gotcha. Maddisun - 07:10 And then my parents put me in piano lessons when I was fve. So I've been playing piano for, like, 20 years. And, yeah, piano was, like, a huge turning point for me, knowing that, like, there was some structure to music rather than just, like, freestyling and dancing and singing. So that started structure for me for music. And then I went into school band, and I went into choir in high school. And high school was where things, like, really came together for me because I started writing. I was, like, 15. I was younger when I started writing. Actually, I think I was, like, 12. But I didn't really know how to write a song. And then I took this course in high school. We have a really special music program here in Cranbrook. And I took this course called Music Composition and Technology. Maddisun - 08:14 So I was learning how to compose a song and how to use, like, an audio workspace, like logic or reason or whatever. And that. That really started, like, me becoming, like, an artist. So that. That really was, like, okay, now I'm gonna start putting songs out. I was in this band called Wizard Lizard for a while. It was like. Like pop punk, I guess. Indie pop punk. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 08:46 Okay. Maddisun - 08:47 That was when I was in high school, and I put out an EP called Violent Feel that Somewhere on the Internet now and in a CD somewhere in my house. But it wasn't very commercially released. You know, I just put it out, and I had to do it for that. For that course. We had to put together an ep. So then I was starting to really get into, like, writing pop songs, and not necessarily, like, the genre of pop, but just like, writing songs with, like, a structure, like a verse, a chorus, a verse, a bridge, a chorus, you know, like, rather than just, like, free writing. So I think that was when things really came together for me and I hadn't yet started. Maddisun - 09:38 I mean, I guess I kind of had inspiration from music that I grew up listening to and, like, my family, but I was listening to a lot of, like, surf rock at the time. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 09:49 Okay. Maddisun - 09:49 Like, VOCs, fddler Waxahachie, the Black Lips. So a lot of. A lot of, like, surf rock and pop punk kind of. So I was really. I was. I was kind of, like, into, like, skateboarding and, like, the punk lifestyle when I was, like, 16, 17, 18. So that's what I wanted to do at that time, and that's why I was in that band. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 10:16 Okay. Maddisun - 10:17 And then I moved to Ireland, and music sort of was on the back burner. And then only since I've come home have I really started to, like, that's what the album is. Self Refections. Right. I started to really, like, refect. And that album started the journey of me going deeper into inspiration and things that came up for me when I was, like, a child and music that would have been playing and my aunts and my grandpa playing country music and bluegrass music. So that started to come out after I took some time off. And I think I needed to, like, go do that and learn about myself and go deeper inward in order to produce music that was actually, like, true to me. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 11:05 Gotcha. Gotcha. No. So thank you very much for taking me through that journey. Fascinating story. What I think, interested to know is that. So if went back to Self Refections, what do you. What would you say was the. Having gone on all of those journeys and after having taken time off, what was the one thing that you found out about yourself that. That has continued to evolve? What did you discover about yourself? Maddisun - 11:33 I defnitely discovered that, like, I am a heart person. I am a feeler. I'm an empath. I feel everything really deeply, and that comes out in my music. So I guess, like, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I'm. I'm a really honest songwriter, and, you know, I tend to be a really honest person as well. And so I think that I learned that I don't. I'm not the kind of person that hides what I'm feeling or tries to cover it up with something else or, you know, go about it a different way. I'm just like, here's me, here's what I'm writing about. Here's what's going on. So that was something that I was like, oh, I can. I can be this, like, super heartfelt, emotional, passionate person. And I think, like, I started to be like, whoa. Maddisun - 12:25 I am, like, really passionate about music and dancing and. And things that I. When I would just talk to other people, sometimes I would feel like I was like, oh, there's like, a disconnect because I am, like, so deeply passionate about this. And I, you know, sometimes would have a lot of, like, surface conversations. And I realized that I, you know, I go a lot deeper into my passion for. For music and just for life in general. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 12:55 That's so. I'm so excited that you're able to admit that, because most people wouldn't. So. A part of the conversation I've been having for the longest time. I think the one conversation that I've had for, like, fve, six years of my life now is that there's a tendency for us to put on this bravery. You know, there's a push from society and whatever you want to call it about bravery, about being strong and all of that. So when I hear people talk about wearing their heart on your sleeve and being passionate and being vulnerable. Vulnerable, yeah. I really get very excited to hear that people are proud to say that. So well done. It's good to hear. It's very refreshing. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 13:43 So, again, I still hear some of those themes that you've mentioned in this current project that we're going to talk about, but before we get there, I want you to kind of tell me what your sound is. I know it's not a very fair question to ask because there are really no tight boxes, but I was listening to your. To your record, and I know it's very acoustic guitar driven, but even there's still, like. There's still just a soundscape that's hard to defne. And it's. It isn't quite country, it isn't quite pop. It isn't quite something. There's. There's a. There's a uniqueness to it that I personally. And I've listened to, like, a ton. A ton of independent artists that keep talking to people, but there's just something unique about the sound that you. That you create. So take me through this journey. What. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 14:36 What's the sound that you make? Well, how would you describe it? Maddisun - 14:40 Yeah, I mean, it's Madison music. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 14:45 Okay. Maddisun - 14:46 But, yeah, like, it. There's. It's. It's defnitely like a range. Like, I like to bend the term genre, and so I like, defnitely have a. A roots, country, Americana, or Canadiana. Sound. So that is coming from like me growing up listening to like Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Elvis, Joni Mitchell, growing up listening to like folk, country, Americano music and that, and then also like rock and roll. So a lot of my music too is like classic rock based and that is a huge inspiration for me. Like, I love listening to the band elo, so Electric Light Orchestra. That's where some. I have a little bit of synth based music as well. Especially on the frst album, there's a song called Differences and it's very like synth based. And then as well on the new album, there's some ballads and I love writing ballads too. Maddisun - 15:59 And I think that comes from listening to Queen and kind of listening to rock ballads. And then also growing up in the early 2000s and listening to like Destiny's Child and a lot of R and B music. I really liked Neo. I loved Neo. I don't know, there was something about Neo that I really loved. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 16:28 Oh, he's a great writer. He's a great singer. Maddisun - 16:31 Yeah, I really liked Usher. So. So it's like this weird blend of like classic rock, folk meets like R B, soul, pop, ballads. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 16:45 Okay, okay. Maddisun - 16:46 And that's the best way for me to describe it. It's just like all of these inspirations from like the beginning, which was like, yeah, the early folk, early country, early classic rock, and then coming into that, like R B, soul, pop, and that kind of just blending all of those together to make what this is now. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 17:09 Wow. So that mix that you've just spoken about, I think it is so well executed on this album because like I said, it's. It's familiar, but it's new. You say, I'm like, okay, I kind of heard this before, but I've not heard it presented in this kind of way. So I think that's a perfect segue to get into this record. And I've heard you describe the feature track from it or your lead single from it, Running as a, as, you know, described as if Amy Winehouse and Johnny Cash. Okay. But if you just want to explain to us why you would describe. Describe it that way and how you came about writing Running as a. As a single. Maddisun - 18:01 Mm. Yeah. So Running is like a really special song to me. I wrote it before I went to Dublin, knowing before I left to Dublin that I was also going to be going to LA to record the album. So I had like this feeling that I Was, like, really just gonna go for it. Like, I didn't know what was gonna happen, but I was just gonna. You know the metaphor. I was gonna pull the trigger. And that's kind of what. That's kind of what the song is about. So I was pulling the trigger. I was running for it. But I also felt like I had. I had climbed so high, and I had been. I've been, like, climbing and working at music for a long time. Maddisun - 18:40 You know, I put out the frst album, and the music I put out when I was 16, 17, so I felt like I had been climbing a lot of mountains, and I really was kind of tired, but I wanted to keep going, and I knew that I had to keep going. That's kind of the inspiration behind the songwriting. But when I sat down, I wrote the song. It was one of those songs. And this is what's happened with a select. A handful of my songs. Not all of them, but a few of them. I'll sit down without a real plan of how the song is gonna go. Or maybe I'm just messing around. I wasn't even like, okay, I'm gonna sit down and write a song. You know, Like, I just started. Maddisun - 19:23 I remember the frst, like, lyrics came out, and I was like, oh, that's not at all what I expected to write right now, you know? And so it was one of those songs that came out just, like, really authentically. I was like, not. I wasn't trying to write any certain way, or wasn't, like, not trying to write in a certain way. I just kind of, like, let it fow. I didn't think it was gonna be on the album. I didn't. I didn't know. Like. And then I. Like. I wrote it over a few days, and I wrote, like, the frst verse. Maybe it was just, like, the frst, like, few lines. And then I went back to it the next day and wrote the chorus. And I wanted it to kind of tell a story. Maddisun - 20:07 So I wanted it to tie in with the bridge at the end, which the lyrics everyone can go listen to and understand why I did the bridge the way I did it, to kind of tie everything together. When I was writing the song, I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, this song feels like it actually felt like old, like, soul music. Or like, old, like music from, like, the 50s, 60s, like. Like, Etta James. That kind of. That kind of feel. Buddy Holly, like, that sort of, like, old, like, rock and roll, rockabilly kind of sound, which was. Which was sort of like, yeah, even, like, Billie Holiday. Too. And that kind of, like, crooner sound, which was what was, like, I felt when I was writing the song. And I really am inspired by that music, too. So it. Maddisun - 20:58 But then I also was like, no, but this feels like outlaw country. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 21:03 Like, this also feels like old western. Yeah. Maddisun - 21:07 Old wild west. Yeah. And. And I wasn't trying to write a song like that. So that's why I was like, this is a heart song for me, because this is just what came out organically without trying to move it in any sort of way or shift it or. Or create it in any sort of way. This is just what came out, like, a true song for me. So then I was, like, kind of, like, playing the song a whole bunch when I went to Europe. So I wrote this song, like, I don't know, three days, four days before I left to Ireland in February of this year. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 21:42 Okay. Maddisun - 21:43 And then I went out there, and I just started playing it for, like, everyone that I connected with musically down there. And I was playing it. I was doing open mics, and I was, like, playing these little songwriter session things, and. And I just kept playing that song, and it was getting, like, really good feedback, and people were like. People would come up to me after shows, and they'd be like, that's not your song. They're like, did you write that? That's, like, an old, like, miner's tune. People kept saying it sounds like mining music. Like gold. Like gold mining. Gold mining, yeah. So I was like, no, this is my song. And you're actually right. It is like that. And so I kind of, like, started to think about how I wanted it to come out in. In the production stage. Maddisun - 22:27 I just started taking notes. I really wanted, like, rattlesnake sounds like shakers. I really wanted, like, gunshots. I wanted, like, that kind of, like, wandering, sort of fowy guitar. And I wanted. I envisioned, like, boots and, like, chaps and guns and hats and snakes and like, all of that sort of, like, wild west stuff. But then when I thought about the vocals, I was like, oh, my God. Like, this is like Amy Winehouse. This is that. Like, this is that, like, soul. So I really wanted to channel that, like, kind of. Yeah, that, like, crooner, like, soul, but, like, alternative, because it's not necessarily, like, you know, it's. It's more advanced and it's more. And it's in the songwriting. Like, it's. It's modern. Right. It's not like writing necessarily how they would have written, you know, 50 years ago, 100 years ago. Maddisun - 23:33 Like, yeah, so it was like, a more modern twist on that. And so that's where the, like, Amy Winehouse came in. And the song is literally, like, climbing mountains just for water and wine. And I remember I was like, oh, I'm singing about wine. This is Amy Winehouse. And that was kind of. Yeah, that's where it came. And then when I started doing the production for the song, it was. It came out pretty organically. And that, like, sound that I wanted, which was like, yeah, Wild west meets soul. Really? Efe Mike-Ifeta - 24:14 Yeah. Okay. Absolutely. We're gonna get to the video in a bit, which is really remarkably done. But so the central theme of this song, if you were to sum. Not in one word, but what is this. What is this particular song driving towards? Maddisun - 24:32 Well, lyrically, it was kind of like what I was talking about in the beginning when I. When I started to say about how I sat down to write this song. Yeah, it was like I had felt like I had been working so hard over the last, you know, four years of putting out music, and it's hard being in a small town, and it's hard being an artist that doesn't have a lot of money. You know, Like, I'm. I'm not. Like, I can't. I have to apply for grants in order to be able to do a commercially produced album. So I felt like, you know, I was. I was climbing all these mountains and working harder than I've ever worked in my life. Maddisun - 25:08 Like, I work all day, every day, and, you know, these shows, like, I'll play hundreds of shows a year, and that's so that I can survive. That's so that I can live and be able to not have to work a 9 to 5, although I work harder than I would if I did. But I'm happy, you know, I'm happy and I'm fulflled. But I felt like I was like, oh, my God, like, that's what that lyric is. Climbing mountains just for water and wine. Because I felt like I was climbing and, like, working so hard not to get recognition on my music, but literally just so that I could put food on my table. So that is. That song was a lot about that. And I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to keep running. Maddisun - 25:55 And then the bridge is my fngers on the trigger. And I think it's getting clearer that I'm willing to put in the time. And, like, I feel like sometimes it's hard to not, like, get down and be like, man, like, I've worked so hard, and I've put out these Albums, and I've created this whole world for myself musically. Like, why is it not coming through? Or like, how come I don't feel like I'm getting the recognition that I deserve? Or like I'm the only artist in my town that's doing this, but yet, like, I've. Yeah, sometimes I just, like, don't feel like it's very recognized. So that song was just kind of like a power song too. It was like I was like, hear me roar kind of thing, you know? Maddisun - 26:43 So it was also just like me being like, you know, whatever about all that stuff. It sucks. It's things that I talk about when I get the opportunity to talk about it, but I don't like to talk about it all the time because it's not always the most positive thing or I'm. I'm not trying to be like, buy my music. Listen to me. I don't want to be that way. But it is a feeling that I have sometimes. But this song was, like, resilience through that. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 27:13 Gotcha. Gotcha. Maddisun - 27:14 So, yeah. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 27:16 So let me tell you what I've noticed so far in this conversation. You know, that passion you spoke about, I can hear it coming through right now, like, how the intensity with which you are. Are talking about this and talking about your music. And I do. Empathize would not be the word. But I, I do talk. I do understand the state of the independent artist and all the hoops they have to go through, because I talk to. I talk to independent artists, like, all day, every day. But to your point, I think beyond just writing it in the music, I think to your point, the ability to keep making music is in and of itself, you know, resilient and pushing back. So, again, I have such a mad respect for independent artists because people can't quite understand how hard this stuff is and how. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 28:14 And how hard you guys have to fght. So thank you for explaining that and thank you for doing what you do, because that's how we have. We have met here and we're having this great conversation. So take me to the video. Take me. Maddisun - 28:32 Thank you. No, I appreciate the appreciation. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 28:41 No, no, I, I, I, I know what it takes. I have a ton of friends who, who are trying to do this, who are trying to express themselves artistically and use the talents they've been given. So I do, I, I do. Like, I, I know the process. That's what I'm trying to say, and it's not an easy one, but I'm glad that you are. You, you're in It. And that you're. You. You're pushing for it, and you're trying to. To live out what you've been called to do. Maddisun - 29:08 Yeah, yeah. For lack of better words, I'm running. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 29:12 Yes, keep and keep running. Maddisun - 29:16 So, yeah, the video. The video is about that, too. So, I mean, the whole theme of the video, of course, is Wild western, like, late. Late 1800s, like, early 1910s, 1920s. I took a lot of inspiration, like, from the fashion of that time. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 29:38 Okay, and where was that shot? Just before you continue, where was the video? Maddisun - 29:42 The music video was shot in a Soyuz in bc. Soyuz and Oliver. Bc. So that is, like, Canada's desert. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 29:52 Okay. Maddisun - 29:54 So I wanted to shoot a desert music video, and I knew that I could not go to Arizona or Nevada. So Soyuz was where my videographer shout out to Jeremy from Rising action pictures. He was like, hey, why don't you come out here where I live in Oliver, and we'll shoot the music video out here in the desert? And I was like, yeah, brilliant. So I started putting together a storyline. I wanted it to be, like I was on the run. Like, I wanted it to be that I was, like, going through this journey. So the music video, I don't want to, like, give a whole plot synopsis here because everyone can go watch the music video, but it's. Maddisun - 30:40 You know, it starts out with me, like, in my little cabin in my, like, rustic wood cabin, and I'm, like, getting my photo taken because back then all people had was, like, a photo of themselves, right? Like, that was, like, how you identifed someone, and that was what you would, like, carry. That was almost like your id, right? So. And it also showed, like, growth and change. That was the way to see, like, how families evolved or, like, how people changed and grew as they would take photos at different times in their lives. I mean, we still do that, but, like, it was more important then. So that photo was a huge, like, focal point of the music video. So then you see me, like, collect all my things and leave, because I needed to go on the journey. Maddisun - 31:33 I needed to climb the mountain and leave. So, like, we flmed on all these amazing, like, bridges and all these, like, really cool spots that were just, like. They were perfect themes for this song, you know, like, I was crossing bridges, going into rivers. The scene where I'm, like, in the river with, like, the. The pot or, like, the whatever was like, was that. That. I, like, saw that and I thought of, like, what is. There's a. There's a show. I Love Lucy. And it's kind of like old school, like black and white flms that sort of theme and just like being in the water and it was like baptizing almost like I went into the water and I was like renewed and I was like, okay, I'm gonna keep running. Like I've. I'm cleansed, I'm gonna keep going. Maddisun - 32:34 And that's where I like shed the layers and then I go and start to climb the mountain. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 32:42 So. Maddisun - 32:42 So the music video was very like, was speaking to the journey, the personal career journey that I've also gone through, which is like, you know, starting out young, like starting out at home, leaving, going to Ireland, going abroad, climbing the mountains and then going through what I feel this year is like evolution in my career, in who I am, in how I present myself as an artist. I feel like I am stepping into a new era of my artistry and just my personality, just like how I carry myself and present myself. I gained a lot more confdence over the last few years. And so that was. The music video was kind of speaking to that. So when I get to the top of the mountain and I'm wearing the dress and I'm feeling like a mountain woman, like a warrior. Maddisun - 33:45 Yeah, that was kind of like what I have also felt like I have gone through this year because this year has been the biggest year for me career wise. So I wanted to kind of show that in the video that I'm like stepping into this new era. And it was a lot about like divine feminine, like stepping into my like, power as a woman, as a female creator, and tapping into that kind of like passion and also that like, you know, there's like a softness to what I do, but there's also a bit of an edge. And I think that my frst album showed a lot of the soft side, but I wanted to show the edge as well. And so this video and this song and the whole album really show that side of me. I think so. So, yeah. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 34:47 Awesome. So we're gonna talk about the album. It's in, it's an entirety in a bit. But I just have two follow up questions with what you said. It seems as though that you are very integrated with the video music making process. So is that something that appeals to you? Do you, do you go like, do you storyboard? Do you like, okay, I want us to be this way, I want us to be that way. Do you do that? Maddisun - 35:12 Yeah, I do. But then I'm also like, very receptive to that when you get on set. It's gonna be a lot different. And, like, I had this idea. I told Jeremy. I was like, I want a rattlesnake in the music video. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 35:27 Okay. Maddisun - 35:28 I was like, we need to have a snake. So were. I didn't know if were gonna fnd one. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 35:34 Yeah. Maddisun - 35:35 And then we get on the mountain, and sure enough, we're, like, driving, and there's a rattlesnake. Because there's rattlesnakes in a Soyuz. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 35:42 Okay? Maddisun - 35:43 So there's a rattlesnake, and Jeremy, like, fxes up the camera and, like, sets it up and literally, like, gets that shot that's in halfway through the video of the rattlesnake. So I just wanted to mention that part because it was really special to me, and I felt like it was. It was an omen. It was a snake omen that it just, like, slithered by us. And it was so calm, and were. We were safe. Like, were careful, obviously, and were. We were ethical. But, yeah, it was. It was like, I had all these ideas, and I defnitely, like, storyboarded it, and I had strong ideas for hair and makeup, which I did all myself. Everything. It was just me and the videographer. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 36:31 And there were some drone shots in there, if I remember correctly. Right. Maddisun - 36:34 Yes. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 36:35 Good, Good. I loved it. I'm going to come back to the video and talk about it, because I'm a video person as well, but I want to. You mentioned that this year being the biggest year of your career so far. I want to ask you what you think has changed and why that shift is happening now. What's bubbling? What has come together to get you the traction that you're now having. Maddisun - 36:59 I think just like, even what you said about the beginning, where you were like, oh, well, I feel like I've heard this music before, but it's unique and it's different. I think that I'm starting to create, like, a sound for myself and a brand, if you will. I think I'm starting to kind of create a style and something that people can recognize as Madison, you know, I'm starting to create that. I guess I'm just, like, starting to fnd out who I am as an artist, sonically and visually, and also how I carry myself on stage. I got more in tune with being a front woman. Like, I want you to come see one of my shows because I love to, like. You know, I love to, like, get down on the stage and, like. Maddisun - 37:54 Like, yell and, like, run around and dance and do the whole front woman thing. And so I think that I really started to step into that, whereas before, maybe I was just a little bit shy. I'm not a shy person, but I think I just was like, oh, I don't want to be too much. I don't want to be too big. And so I think going back to Dublin and then going to LA and recording the album, I was like, oh, my God. It doesn't matter what, you know, people think, or it doesn't matter, like, what people assume me to because I came from this small town or. Or like this. This box that the people from my hometown have put me in. I was like, that doesn't matter anymore. Like, I get to be as big and fashy as I want to be. Maddisun - 38:42 So that was. That was it, you know, I was kind of like, okay, I'm stepping into my stardom. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 38:48 Awesome. Awesome. So, so much to talk about here. So much goodness. I just love your personality. I love your vibe. So, performance. I think when we started this conversation, you talked about going hard on performance. Where does that come from? Why do you feel that there's a need for you to be putting as much time into live gigs beyond. Beyond the money aspect of it, but it appears that there's a sense that you want to hone your craft. The more you play, the better you become. So if you could just speak on that a little bit. Maddisun - 39:30 Yeah, I mean, that's defnitely what it is. Like, the more I'm performing and playing, the better I get at being a musician, being a singer, being a band leader, being a front woman. And I feel like that part of it also. Like, I think deep down it's because I feel like if I'm not doing that, I'm lacking. It comes from. It comes from a place of being. Like, I need to do everything. I need to do all of it all the time, at once, forever. So I'm a go getter. I'm very determined. So I. You know, I think because I love it so much now and it's so comfortable, I don't feel, like, obligated to perform, but I feel like I can't put out an album and not go on a tour, you know, I can't. Maddisun - 40:21 Like, I have to be playing, like, every weekend because I. It's because I just, like, know that I'm good at it, and I know that every time I play a show, I get new fans and I get new listeners, and I'm. I make a little bit of coin, you know, so it's like a bunch of different things combined. But I Think also now, like, watching my favorite artist. So my favorite musician and artist right now is Maggie Rogers. I'm sure you know her. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 40:58 Yeah, yeah, she's in. Maddisun - 40:59 She's incredible. And watching what she does on stage and what she's crafted for her live performances, I just get, like, a craving to do that. So I guess, like, that's it. I actually get, like, a craving to be on stage. Like, I'm like, if I don't play, I haven't played now for three weeks, and that's a long time for me. It's a long time. And so I'm ready to do it again. And even I know I need to pace myself. Like, this last September and October were insane because I was playing so many different ways. I was playing with a full band, which is really exhausting. Singing, Singing over a full band and dancing and stuff. And then I would play a duo with a guitarist, and I play keys. Maddisun - 41:48 And then sometimes I would just do solo where I would do, like, a set of keyboard songs and then a set of guitar songs. And sometimes I'd be playing for, like, two hours. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 41:57 Wow. Which do you like the most? Or they both have their place in your repertoire. Which do you fnd you like the most? Maddisun - 42:06 Defnitely playing with a full band. Because then I get to. The pressure is off of me for people to be analyzing the way I play guitar or analyzing the way I play keyboard when I'm just singing and dancing. I'm doing the thing that I am the best at. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 42:23 Gotcha. How many instruments do you play? Maddisun - 42:28 Four. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 42:29 Oh, my God. That's ridiculous. Okay, so keyboard, guitar. What are the other two? Maddisun - 42:35 I played fute. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 42:36 Okay. Maddisun - 42:38 So I've played fute for many years. And then I guess I'm counting harmonica as an instrument, too. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 42:45 Nice. No, that's a. What, like, Stevie Wonder plays the harmonica? That's like a great instrument. Okay. Maddisun - 42:51 Yeah. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 42:52 Yeah. Okay. The album itself. I wanna. I want us to talk about the album. And I think by the time we're done, I get to tell you what my favorite song is on the album. But Home is Where the Music Is. That's the title of the album. And tell me about that title. Why it was important for you to name it that. And if you were to just, like I asked about Running. If the album is headed in one direction, what would you say would be that central theme that the album is driving towards? Maddisun - 43:32 Yeah, I mean, I think Home is Where the Music Is has been, like, a thing that I've been saying for a long time. I've always said, like, oh, My home. I'm home when I have my music. And even when I was in Ireland, I was still writing and I was still playing. I just, like, wasn't performing and I wasn't, like, crafting an artistry vision for myself. But when I feel, like, disconnected from myself or kind of like, the concept of home might be a little fuzzy, like when I'm on the road, if I'm able to just, like, sit down and play my guitar or write or even listen to music, even if I'm feeling like, oh, my God, I'm really, like, not okay right now, or I'm out of touch with myself, I just need to, like, listen to specifc songs or play songs. Maddisun - 44:25 And then I feel like home in my body again. And like, home is, you know, it's like a concept of, like, something tangible like a house, but it's also like a feeling. Right? And so playing music, listening to music, being in touch with music makes me feel at home. And so that's kind of where that. That theme came from. But then also that my home was always flled with music when I was growing up. And so, like, this song takes me back to my roots. So even though Self Refections was, like, refecting on me, this album goes even deeper. And I think it refects on. There's a lot of, like, little lyrics and a lot of little things that I throw in that people may or may not pick up. Maddisun - 45:18 But there's a lyric in the song True Me, that is play my music and feel in tune because my home is in the song. And that's. That's kind of like I fnd myself in. In music. A lot of times I'm like, oh, yeah, that's me. Like, that's how I feel. Like, that's who I am, whether that's other people's songs or my songs. So that's. That's kind of like theme of home is where the music is. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 45:46 Gotcha. Gotcha. And it would appear that you are a big. A big fan of lyrics as well. How. How coming from your punk rock days, how do you think your writing has evolved and where do you think you're now? Because I'm listening to it and all through. I may not be able to give you one particular lyric now, but when I'm listening to an artist and I'm. I'm trying to. I'm trying to understand where they're from. Like, I'm really interested in seeing how they make words, how they bend words to do their bidding. Right. I'm really fascinated about. And you do that on this album a lot. So what is your relationship with writing right now and how, like, would you consider yourself a lyricist? I guess? Maddisun - 46:36 Yes, I would consider myself a lyricist. And I think, like, when I was writing when I was younger, like, 16, 17, 18, a lot of the songs were like, I don't know. It's kind of hard to explain because I. My head back then was just like, I was just writing about whatever had happened to me, and I think that hasn't changed. I write very much based on experiences, which I think most artists do. Like, something happens to them, they write about it, they're processing. But I actually wrote a song this year that I didn't release, and I didn't want to release it because it was kind of like a joke. But it was called I don't write love songs. And, like, lately I don't. I'm not inspired. I'm not inspired by romance. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 47:34 Is that. Is that a whole other conversation we need to get? Yeah, okay. Okay. Maddisun - 47:43 But, yeah, like, there's not a love song really on the album. They're all love songs for me. Like, they're me being like, you know, this is, like, who I am, and this is how I navigate the world. And a lot of the songs are like mental health, too. Like, that song True Me taking a step outside of the house. That song is a lot about, like, self discovery, and I think that's what a lot of my music is lately. So where I am now in my writing is I feel like I'm writing for me and songs that are, like, about me and my experiences, but it's a little bit more general now. And I fnd that, like, I'm getting messages from people who are like, oh, my God, like, I relate to that song so much. Maddisun - 48:30 Or like, with don't say no, for example, like, that was. That was me feeling like I was getting a lot of no's from the universe, a lot of no's from whoever, festival bookers, radio players, blah, blah, whatever. I was just, like, getting a lot of no's. And then I started to feel like I was saying no to myself. And so I was like, I just need to say yes. Like, don't say no. Like, I just need to, like, take a chance on myself. And I wanted everyone else to feel that way too. So I think a lot of my songs, like, I'll end up with theme of, like, writing about something I've gone through. But then when I start writing, it becomes a little bit more general, and I'm trying to, like, speak to Everyone else too. Maddisun - 49:16 So that album defnitely has a big theme of that. It's like these internal struggles or internal. Not even like struggles. Yes. But also like things that I've overcome. The word resilience defnitely comes up a lot for me. But then also like putting that into a. Just like putting it down in a way that people can relate to it too. And they can be like, oh, yeah, like that makes sense for me in this part of my life. And then they can sort of like, you know, fnd their home in the song for sure. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 49:54 Absolutely. Things that we are overcoming. Right. I. I think, I think that's very stated in the album. So having said that, Big Wave is my favorite song on the album, so I'm going to be biased here to. To just take me through the thinking process of that song and what it means to you. Maddisun - 50:24 Yeah, I wrote Big Wave early. Early. This was an early song on the album. I think I wrote Big Wave like, maybe about a year ago, actually. Okay. About this time last year. And yeah, I like, remember when I was writing it, I was kind of the same thing. Like, I was getting like frustrated that people were trying to, like, tell me what to do. That's obviously like the big hook in the song. Hate it when they tell me what to do. So, like, I was. And this goes back to like live performance stuff. Maddisun - 50:58 Like when I play solo, when I say the pressure's off, that's because, like, I'll go play a solo show and like, I kid you not, I will have like fve people, mostly middle aged men, come up to me after the show and be like, have you ever considered playing with a band? Have you. Did you. Do you. Do you think that maybe it would help if you took some guitar lessons? Efe Mike-Ifeta - 51:26 Really? Maddisun - 51:27 Yeah. And I had someone. And this is like, maybe even like, not in the last year, because in the last year I've gotten to be a much better musician. But like, but 2019, I entered this competition and I had. And I did well, but I had someone come up to me. I had one of the judges come up to me after and like, they were like, can I give you some feedback? And then just like gave me a bunch of feedback on my guitar. I was like, hi, I'm not a guitarist. I'm a songwriter and I'm a vocalist. Like, please give me advice on that. Oh, you can't. So you're picking out one thing that. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 52:03 Yeah, no such a. That's such a short sighted. Like, if you. If you do spend the time to know an Artist. It's like saying a John Mayer isn't known for his vocal abilities. He's a guitarist, right? He's a guitarist. Voice frst. Maddisun - 52:17 I know. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 52:18 And then a music. Like a singer second, right? No, no. Anyways, go ahead. Maddisun - 52:23 Yeah. So that was happening, like, way too often before I sort of broke into this new era. And now nobody says no. They still do. They still do, but it's different because now I do play with a band or now I just hone in where I know that I have my strong suits. But back then, I was just trying to do everything. And so that was what that song was about, too. Like, I just felt like I was trying to do everything all at once and. But. But inside I was like, they don't know. And that was kind of like that lyric, like, they don't know what's best for me. Like, they don't know what I'm trying to do inside to, like, become better. And then I also, when I was writing that song, felt like. Like the. Maddisun - 53:14 The wave was sort of like, taking me, and I was like, okay, well, like, things are changing and, like, I can't really keep up, but I'm going. I'm going to make it happen somehow. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 53:24 Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. You talked about the ballads on the album. I think. Is it Too Long? There's a ballad on the album Too Long. Maddisun - 53:36 Yeah. Too Long in the last song. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 53:38 I absolutely love Too Long. I think I listened too Long over, even though I say Big Wave is my favorite. But I love Too Long. I listen to it over and over again, but I think the project is just. It's complete. I think. I think it's a. It's a complete project. And I want to say congratulations for. For putting out good music. Like, you hear a lot today. Hear a lot. So when you. Maddisun - 54:04 I know. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 54:07 When I eventually stumble upon a musician, I am so excited to know that people pay this much detail to lyrics, to the music itself. So I'm really excited. So congratulations on the album. Congratulations on running. I think both are. Are fantastic. Yeah, I just. I'm really excited to have found your music and to be talking to you today. Maddisun - 54:34 Yeah, I was so happy to share all of these things. And, like, halfway through the interview, you know, I was like, oh, my God, I want to talk forever. Because you're asking all the questions, all the right questions. And, like, sometimes I don't get the opportunity to just, like, free fow like this. Like, I did a global news interview, and I could. You know, you've gotten a sense that I Can probably talk forever. But they were like, we have seven minutes. And I was like, what? No. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 55:05 No, this is. So part of what we do here is to just like, I try as best as I can to be as minimal as possible in my talking. And I just want the artist to. To say the things that, you know. Maddisun - 55:18 I appreciate that. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 55:19 Yeah. Maddisun - 55:19 So. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 55:19 So thank you so much. I want to get a sense of what's next. Again, this is not in any way to put pressure on an artist, but what are you planning on going forward? What's happening? Just give us a sense of that. Maddisun - 55:35 Yeah. So I just applied for a new grant. So I applied for another creative BC grant because I want to do an AI music video. So I'm working. I have someone who did my frst music video for my song Fiction. We're gonna work together again. And he's like, really, like, trained and like, well versed in the world of artifcial intelligence. He's doing a bunch of stuff. So it's actually really cool that those, like, new like, AI characters have come out because that's kind of what I want to do, but I want to create like this whole world. So for the song Home, the frst song in the album, which is the intro where my dad is talking. Yeah, I've actually written that into a full song. Maddisun - 56:20 And I want to create a music video, an AI music video where there's all these, like, generated, like different worlds that I step into. And it'll be like me, like with my guitar, like singing or whatever in all of these different little like, worlds. So that video is going to be amazing. It's going to take the whole year, but it's gonna be really amazing. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 56:43 It's gonna be worth it. Maddisun - 56:45 Got it. Gotta get the funding. And then I also am putting together like a little ep, maybe just like three songs. So that song Home is gonna be a full song. And then I wrote this new song recently called Feelin It Again. And it's kind of. It's like a little bit alternative, a little bit pop punk to going back to like, some of my earlier inspirations. But it also kind of sounds like don't say no. So it's kind of like that indie pop, that song. I feel like it's gonna be really good. And I keep like playing it at home. I haven't played it live yet, but I'm like, oh, yeah, this song is. Is gonna do something. So I have that coming out and then I'm doing some acoustic versions of the songs on the album. I'm gonna do big Wave. Maddisun - 57:29 And I'm gonna don't say no. And was the other one maybe fading? Yeah. So there's gonna be three acoustic versions that are gonna come out over the next year, and then I'm also gonna go on another big fat tour. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 57:43 Of course you are. So much exciting stuff coming up for you. I'm so pleased. So I say this before. Before. One of the signature questions we ask here is that there's the album that the artist desires to make and the album they eventually get to make when it's all said and done. So if you were to look back when you started this journey, how close would you say you came to making the album you were longing to make? How close is the album you have right now on your palm? How close is that to the album you desire to make? Maddisun - 58:23 It's defnitely close. And I say that because of the songwriting. The songwriting is, like, where I want to be. I've really refned myself as a songwriter and refned my genre. I know what my genre is now. It isn't really. It's its own thing. Right. But, like, I fgured that out now. The only thing now is to work with, like, just. Just to do, like, a bigger production in terms of, like, the studio that I'm working at and the musicians that I've hired. I think that I'm. I'm close with this album, and it's a perfect second album, but the third one is going to be, like, pristine, you know, like, it's going to be, like. It's going to be, yeah, like John Mayer quality. Like Taylor Swift quality. Like, you know, it's going to take me to that next step. Maddisun - 59:19 And that's just like, working with different producers. Right. So that. It was always in the back of my mind. I was like, oh, I really want to, like, go to a big studio in. In Austin or in Nashville, where. Where Americana music is really strong. I think, like, going to la, I got a bit of that. Especially on the song don't say no and. And Big Wave. It was kind of that, like, the Strokes, sort of a little bit like rock, which is great. But I really want to do, like, a deeper album like Running. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 59:51 Wow. Maddisun - 59:51 But a bunch of songs like that. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 59:55 I absolutely love your music, Madison. I def. Obviously love talking with you. I think we're gonna have you back. I think we're gonna have you back multiple times. But for now, I want to say again, congratulations on the album when this is eventually cut together. I'm really looking forward to sharing your musical audience and doing what we can to support this album and just give it the exposure that it requires, because I think it's a really good album. And to your point, you mentioned earlier that I would really love to see you play on stage. So I don't know where we're gonna fnd you. We're here in Edmonton. But whatever it is we going to. Maddisun - 01:00:39 Keep out for, I'll be playing. I'll be playing in Edmonton in 2023. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 01:00:45 Oh, okay. Okay. We can't wait then. So it's been. It's been a lovely. A lovely time talking with you, Madison. Maddisun - 01:00:54 Yeah, thanks for having me on here. It's been great. The Make Studios, great chats. Thank you. Efe Mike-Ifeta - 01:01:01 Thank you so much.