Photography Credit - Emily Lumsden & The Push Records Team.
Throughout Couchdog’s time of interviewing artists/creators we have been able to have some truly enlightening chats with a diverse range of people. Garnering different perspectives and stories and putting them out into the world. One of our most recent interviews with Melbourne/Naarm based Indie-Pop artist MADI LEEDS was yet another of a long line of conversations that broadened our insight into the lives of creatives. From her journey into the world of music, non-music related influences that inspire her creative output and the benefits of being signed to a Label, this discussion produced Couchdog with a vault of valuable anecdotes and musings from an exciting up and coming artist.
Despite our conversation being held via zoom, MADI LEEDS enthusiasm for her art and the questions we asked radiated through the computer screen. For those new to Madi, here is the rundown. She is an Indie-Pop singer songwriter who in her early career has quite a wide range of sonic output. Madi’s versatility and eye capturing image managed to get her signed to the newly formed Push Records earlier in 2021. Through Push Records Madi released her brand-new Single Identity. Produced by Gab Strum (Japanese Wallpaper) this track is set to put Madi on a huge upward trajectory. However, before we go into the success that Madi has worked so hard for we have to go back to the start.
The start for Madi in this case is year 12. The time in her life where she started to make music more seriously. It was the year where writing music became more and more common and that her craft started to fall into place. Like most artists Madi was told by a career counselor that doing music wasn’t much of a career option. Also like most artists Madi ignored that sentiment and put forth a music-based University into her preferences. Once the application was sent off an Audition was set and from there, a new wider musical journey began. Post High School/University is a time most creatives seem to blossom in. Being around like-minded people has a way of inspiring us to further our endeavours. This proved to ring true for Madi too. This was when she started performing with a band, collaborating more with other musicians, and releasing her own music. The transformation between writer and performer can often be a test and if anything, this test solidified to Madi that this is what she wanted to do. According to Madi the act of performing makes music seem like less than a hobby and more real. It also broadens your horizons. It pushed Madi to immerse herself with the wider music community opposed to “mainly just operating in my house”.
If you listen to the discography that Madi has put out so far you will notice quite a genre shift. The earlier releases such as the Spinning EP refers to a more traditional Indie Rock archetype. However, 2020’s single Spinelli saw the versatile artist switch lanes and gave listeners a dreamy Synth-Pop anthem with a great music video to match. Spinelli’s was such a successful departure from Madi’s previous sound that it managed to get the attention of the newly formed Push Records. A youth led record label formed by The Push, a not-for-profit organisation that at this point is a staple in Melbourne/Naarm’s music scene. Through Push Records Madi was given resources that really allowed her to express her artistic vision to a larger extent. As previously mentioned, the single Identity (that was released via The Push) was produced by the incredible Gam Strum (Japanese Wallpaper). The opportunity to put together a song in the studio with someone the calibre of Gab really gave Madi a chance to challenge herself sonically. Putting together Identity in the studio with Gab really helped solidify what sounds she likes and what she wanted to utilize. This is extremely evident as the single really seems like a natural evolution for Madi and brings forth a unique artist just waiting to break through.
“I had a whole range of influences but wasn’t entirely sure how to implement them in terms of production and arrangement”.
Outside of the music, working with Push Records for the single really propelled other aspects of Madi’s output. One of the things that Couchdog loves so much about her is the immersion of Popular Culture that is within the image Madi presents. Being inspired by things other than music is a fascinating concept for an artist and the references within Identity’s single cover to early 2000’s Pop Culture crafts something really compelling. Madi was sure to mention her love of cartoons of her childhood. “As we get older that part of our culture intake sort of disappears. I want to keep that relevant within my music.” Accessing Nostalgia within listeners is a big goal with Identity and it is something that is going to be a fixture within the music Madi releases in the future. If there is a term to remember from all of this and if you want a phrase to best describe the music given to us by MADI LEEDS is Retro Futurism. A term that suggests a sense of duality. The familiarity of our past mixed with the excitement and abstract nature of our future.
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