taking a stab at the patriarchy: talking with DIY pop producer + artist, MADGE
by coco lashar
Madge is a one-woman DIY-pop project from LA. Delving into Celtic mythology, the legacy of her Mormon upbringing in Utah, contemporary spirituality and a 2018 take on pop sounds, Madge is the power-punching, self-produced artist banishing bros and blood suckers. Her tracks show a pop vision for 2018 that is singular, audacious and incontrovertibly her own.
gold hand girl, Coco, chatted with MADGE about her new single + being a female in the DIY production field.
1. just a little context for our readers; tell us briefly who you are, and what you're up to currently?
I'm Madge! I'm a DIY pop producer based in LA. I grew up in Utah and I used to be Mormon, and both of those things still have a huge influence on my production and songwriting. I'm currently getting ready to release my first EP. I can't wait to share it.
2. how has making music helped you embrace yourself? wether its being a woman in the industry and embracing your femininity in new ways, or simply as an artist.
Doing music start to finish is incredibly empowering. There just aren't that many women in the music production field - which is insane because there are MANY non-dude musicians and artists. Either way, I feel lucky that I can take a little stab at the patriarchy by working in a field that has a relatively low amount of non-dudes. It makes me feel like I can do anything. And I hope that I'm just a small part of a changing tide.
3. i read that you were raised religious, I was also raised very religious and i always find that journey having some sort of influence on the art i make – how has your upbringing shaped the way you create?
I continue to experience a wide range of emotions daily that are flavored by religion: faith, mysticism, shame, self-loathing, fear. I also find that repression leads to explosive creativity.
4. to continue about upbringing, what sort of music were you raised on / what prompted you to start creating on your own?
I listened to a LOT of classical music and jazz growing up. I was groomed to become a concert pianist at a young age. It's something that I'm actually very grateful for even though it came with a certain amount of trauma. I love incorporating some fun music theory stuff in my writing. I'm obsessed with polyrhythm.
5. what do you hope for listeners to get out of your work?
I want them to BOP hahaha... I love making songs that have a killer beat and hook. My latest release - a dreamy cover of Sum 41 is a little different. Maybe it'll make people want to sway. In any case I guess I want listeners to move when they hear my stuff.
6. what's next for you? (asking this in the most dreamy + fun, least anxiety inducing way possible lol)
An EP! And lots of videos. I edit almost all of my own stuff and find joy in making visuals that complement my audio creations.
7. lastly, who are your biggest female influences?
This is hard. I am influenced by many. I am inspired by iconic feminist artists and writers like Frida Kahlo and Simone de Beauvoir. But also pop and rock stars like Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, Solange, and Beyonce. I am obsessed with SOPHIE at the moment - although who isn't lol...
Check MADGE out on all of these other badass platforms:
In Too Deep is Sum41’s seminal pop-punk, loser anthem - the soundtrack to getting dumped, working a trashy Saturday job and wearing jorts. Now, courtesy of Madge it’s been given a dreamy, 80s re-work that makes it sound like melodramatic alien shimmer pop. Check it out below:
