In Conversation With #210 - Maddie Zahm
Singer/songwriter Maddie Zahm has just released her debut EP ‘You Might Not Like Her’ - which is an exploration of her relationship with her body, love, religion, and her sexuality.
‘You Might Not Like Her’ is an impressive first offering from a uniquely gifted artist whose songwriting has already had a powerful impact with her rapidly expanding fanbase. It is bold and diaristic, painting intricate scenes of coming-of-age filled with both extreme heartache and self-awareness. Maddie’s songwriting packs an often-cathartic gut punch, and is elegantly crafted around her fierce and accomplished vocal delivery. Debuts don’t come more fully formed than this.
She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Maddie - how are you? So your EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Hi! I am doing so well. The amount of relief I have from releasing the EP has been unexpected. I think I carried a lot of anxiety having these songs in my back pocket so knowing they’re not just mine to carry now gives me a ton of peace.
It is called ‘You Might Not Like Her’ - what is the meaning behind that?
You Might Not Like Her is the focus song on the EP as it inspired most of the project. The song is a letter to my younger self to help walk her through all of the major changes I’ve been through over the past few years. It inspired the vision for the music videos/ visuals and ultimately helped me wrap up the past year or so into a conclusion I could live with.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
The EP was recorded at Adam Yaron’s studio. Adam has been like a platonic musical soulmate to me! We always joke we were probably siblings in another life! He’s the only person's gut I trust for my project over my own. Writing and producing this EP was exhausting and terrifying! I had a lot of days where I would come into Adams and end up sleeping. He’d work on the records and wouldn’t wake me up because he knew how much I needed it. I’ve shed more tears in Adam’s studio than therapy. I get most of my best vocals there because I feel safe. I am so grateful to have had such a beautiful space and beautiful friend to help share my story.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
The themes mainly come from the visuals! Gus Black and I immediately connected when I sent him the outline of what I wanted for my project. I wanted the same little girl throughout my music videos and it was important to me that the whole thing visually hit people's emotions the way the music does. Just like Adam, Gus Black visually was able to take my vision and uppercase it. I wanted small Easter eggs and reoccurring actresses/ moments to make sure people were able to see this project as a whole!
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Oof this is a good question! If it had to be a soundtrack to a film I think it would have to be a coming of age movie. I am unsure which one but something just as dramatic as the instrumentation haha.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP - if so, which one and why?
Yes! “If you would’ve told me I’d throw away my purity ring in the middle of an airport”- that lyric is SO specific and at first I wasn’t sure I wanted to be that pointed in my project. But when I decided that this music was more for me to heal, I kept it in. I want my project to feel like I am opening up so that others feel free to do the same. Keeping my music just specific enough to where it cultivates a connection with my listener and provides them a space to feel safe to share while ALSO hitting them with very universal emotions and themes. That’s what I want to be as an artist!
Now the EP is out there - what next?
I love this question because the answer is quite honestly anything! I know pretty confidently what project follows it however, as a person I think I get to move on and show new sides to me! I love that music allows artists the opportunity to change their mind over and over again and have an outlet to share little snapshots of each conclusion they come to. But ultimately, hopefully touring because, respectfully, I hope I get to take people to CHURCH (the kind that has themes I believe in).
