Madison Cunningham Studies The Full Range of Her Emotions in New Album Revealer
[UNPUBLISHED:] I want to give you a major congratulations on all of your recent releases, especially your latest release “Life According To Raechel” which I have been absolutely loving. When you announced the song on Instagram, you mentioned how important this single specifically is to you. Can you tell me a little bit more about what the song means to you?
[MADISON CUNNINGHAM:] I think the song means the most to me because it's a very honest reflection about guilt in the midst of losing somebody and all the lists that you kind of work through in your head about what you could have done differently or wish that you would have said. It's about the life of my grandmother who was an incredible guitar player and songwriter, and just someone that I was close to. She was the first person that I'd ever really lost who was close to me. I think grief is such a powerful thing. It's potent, and it's cleansing, and it's clear. That was the first time where I felt like there were only a few things in life that mattered, which is not a privilege I normally get. Most of the time it’s me wading through what is actually urgent and what isn't. There's so much just chatter that goes on in your head. That makes this song so special to me because it feels like it's taken on a life beyond me or my words, even just beyond what her life was. You can never expect that or plan for that, but from what I have heard from people, it's like I've gotten a front row seat to people's different versions of grief. It’s just it's mind-blowing, I could have never ever, ever expected that.
[UNPUBLISHED:] That was such a beautiful way to describe not only your connection with grief, but also the different ways everyone interacts with their own grief. I love hearing how powerful the reaction has been for you.
[MADISON:] I thought that people were gonna hear it and be like, “Oh, sweet, she lost her grandmother”, but instead people are identifying the song with their own circumstances or their relationship to grief. That’s what you hope for as a songwriter. You hope that people don't just see your portrait in the song, but instead they actually can see themselves.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Another one of your recent releases “In From Japan” is really stunning in its lyrical metaphors while you struggle with the burdens of holding yourself back and feeling paralyzed in the moment you are in. Can you tell me more about the songwriting process of “In From Japan?”
[MADISON:] This is a classic example of a song that had a lot of different iterations. It honestly sat on my computer for a long time. I had different parts of it, but I just could never figure out the puzzle that would make the song make sense until I brought it to a great songwriter named Dan Wilson. He didn't necessarily help me finish the lyrics, but he inserted these chords for the pre-chorus and suddenly it made sense. Once he solved that part for me, I finished it shortly after. Once the arrangement was done, I just needed to finish up the lyrics. The verse two lyrics took the longest amount of time because I just couldn't figure out how to sing what I wanted to say in a way that actually moved me.
I always feel the most satisfied with my songs when I feel like they inform me about myself or help me solve my own problems and mysteries. Once I shine light on things through music, it’s like I can finally move on and grow because I’ve expressed it. There's a line in the song that says, “the planet in orbit wanes / some things are too hard to say out loud.” When that lyric was written, I knew I was having a really hard time expressing why I was in such turmoil internally. I didn't really solve why I was struggling with that lyric but expressing it made it feel more honest and liberating.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you feel like your songwriting process often liberates you in different ways and helps you work through what you're going through?
[MADISON:] Yes and no. Sometimes it makes it worse or foggier. I don't like to hear my thoughts very often, honestly. Songwriting can be really spiritual, and it's the most healing is when you feel like it's somebody else's voice that's guiding you along and helping you through instead of you struggling on your own.
[UNPUBLISHED:] So “In From Japan” and “Life According To Raechel” are joined by your other recent singles of “Hospital” and “Anywhere” to lead up to your album Revealer, out September 9th. You have such a distinct sense of vulnerability and confession within the lyrics of these songs, so I was wondering how these four songs play into the overall storyline of Revealer?
[MADISON:] I think the storyline is somebody who is trying to figure out that extra layer of who you are as a person when you actually experience weakness in yourself. This record was made in the moment of me doubting that I actually had strengths to be a better person and rise above my problems. The through line is the character who is the titular revealer, and they’re neither a negative or positive character, but just constantly shedding light on the truth. Each song is different versions of that confession or me coming to terms where I am. Some of them are more ironic and playful and an element of me not taking myself too seriously. “Hospital” specifically comes to mind as it's revealing exactly what it's trying to conceal. It is this portrait of a person on the edge of a nervous breakdown, but also kind of finding stillness in the pain of loss. I think that's kind of the arc of the record. It doesn’t end on a resolution, simply because I'm not dead yet. It ends with a song that's called “Sarah And The Silent Crowd,” where I am talking to my younger self and kind of being like, “What's going on with you kid? You're not yourself, and you can do better than this.” That’s the note the record leaves on and that's where I still feel like I am. There's still so much to work through, but you can do it. I can do it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I really appreciate the awareness of being able to progress that storyline forward and motivate yourself and your younger self, even if the resolution is not apparent and immediate.
[MADISON:] Yeah. I don't believe that one day we’ll arrive at this place where we're suddenly enlightened with the knowledge of everything. I think we're always going to be searching and reaching for what it is that we believe in, or who it is that we want to be. It's just never-ending.
[UNPUBLISHED:] So the singles you’ve released explore some different sonic styles and go through various different journeys. What was the inspiration behind exploring different stylistic choices, and can listeners expect more of this exploration on the full album?
[MADISON:] It actually gets a bit hairy because I was trying to convey a full spectrum of emotion. I wanted each song to feel like it was a prism so whatever was shining through it, that was the kind of light that it would cast. There's a song on the record called “You Hate Could Power A Train” and it's very wild and frantic. It explores a different side of me that I've always wanted to fall into, or just maybe try. There are a few other surprises throughout the record. It's exciting for me because I believe in the evolution that an artist takes on as time goes on, and on this record that meant I wanted to try different sonic ideas. I’m sure it’ll be different on the next one as well. I think it's just important to constantly be challenging yourself. I don't always challenge myself willingly, and sometimes it's the last ditch effort to find something honest. Maybe it’s painful and scary, but sometimes you just have to do it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I love the idea of willingness just to continue to explore yourself and grow. It applies not only to artists but just evolution as a human, and I think that is so important.
[MADISON:] There's nothing worse than creating something that you just don't believe in, that you don't see the truth or merit in anymore. I think that's the only reason I can find to put yourself through something really hard and potentially painful.
[UNPUBLISHED:] With the release being so close, is there anything specific that you hope fans get out of the album?
[MADISON:] Oh, man. I hope that, similar to “Life According To Raechel,” people find themselves in the music in some way or find something true for them. That's what I strive to do and that's what I think is so powerful about music. I can think of so many songs that have done that for me and just completely changed the course of my life or the way I view it or myself. I hope this record can be that for someone.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Is there anything else you'd like to share?
[MADISON:] I have a tour happening that I would love for people to come to that starts on September 16 and goes until October 24. I would love to see everyone. Also, I have a bulldog named Gus that I absolutely love.
