Maddie Zahm on Her Journey to Self Love, Embracing Her Sexuality, and Her New EP, You Might Not Like Her
Photo by Gus Black
[UNPUBLISHED:] Congrats on the new EP! How have your friends and family reacted to the recent project?
[MADDIE ZAHM:] Thank you! My friends and family have been extremely supportive. Truthfully, writing something so personal and brutally honest- it’s really helped me figure out who my people are. Grateful that I am in a space where I’ve found my community!
[UNPUBLISHED:] I saw you perform at School Night in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago and thought you were amazing! Do you have a song off of the EP that you’re most excited to perform?
[MADDIE ZAHM:] School night was so fun! Truthfully I think it kickstarted my love for performing. I never expected to enjoy touring almost as much as I enjoy the studio! I think so far You Might Not Like Her has been my favorite song to perform. That opening line “If you would’ve told me I’d throw away my purity ring in the middle of an airport” is always the most cathartic line to hear people sing with me. It feels like group therapy!
[UNPUBLISHED:] I felt so personally connected with your song “You Might Not Like Her,” that I cried the first time I listened to it and I’m sure many other people did as well. How does it feel to release a song that so many people resonated with and why do you think that's important?
[MADDIE ZAHM:] It feels really healing, truthfully. That song wasn’t meant to resonate with people because it felt so deeply personal and specific, so seeing people sing along to the lyrics has really made me feel less alone. Even our most personal experiences are universal & I love knowing now that there is always a community ready to love you through whatever you’re currently going through. I think this song is important because it sparks an opportunity for people to talk to their younger self the way I was able to in it!
[UNPUBLISHED:] I loved your cover for the EP, what was the inspiration behind it?
[MADDIE ZAHM:] I wanted the EP cover to embody the emotions of what it would be like to speak to my younger self. This current version of me looking down at younger me. I am fully aware that 12 year old me would be shocked and terrified of the person I’ve become. But the truth is, I love this person. I wanted my younger self to be wearing the dance costume from the cover of Fat Funny Friend- it was important to me that this body of work be a complete story so it felt fitting.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What was the process of creating this EP like?
[MADDIE ZAHM:] Creating this EP was incredibly emotional and healing. It was probably the closest thing to actually being able to talk to younger me and warn her of all the hardships she was going to go through in order to find the peace and security I am currently living in. Going back home and filming each music video meant having to watch actresses that looked like me recreate my trauma in the exact locations they happened. So being able to stop filming and hug each person portraying younger me felt overwhelming. It’s an experience I wish everyone could have.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You Might Not Like Her takes us on a journey through your experience dealing with self-love, religion, identity, and embracing your sexuality. It’s rare to find an artist that is so vulnerable and talks about these topics as beautifully as you do, have you always been this open or was this something that you’ve developed over time?
[MADDIE ZAHM:] That is really sweet, thank you. I think I spent so much of my life feeling like I needed to always have my emotions together. If I was sad, I prayed. If I was angry, I trusted God. Writing this EP felt like allowing myself to feel the full spectrum of the human experience for the first time. I’ve realized we don’t have much time on earth and living a life without vulnerability is no longer something I am interested in. Ever since the EP, being honest has felt like a floodgate.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You have been such an inspiration and have helped so many people through their journey of embracing their sexuality, how does it feel knowing your music is helping others?
[MADDIE ZAHM:] Thank you! Honestly, I think that’s the only thing keeping me an artist right now. Sometimes I do miss being a teacher and then I remind myself that my project in some ways is helping teach lessons to people like my hometown. I want to be in this industry but as soon as I feel like I’ve lost my message at my core, I’ll know it’s time to exit!
