Georgia Gets By - 'Madeline'
Kiwi artist Georgia Gets By returns with powerfully nostalgic single “Madeline.”
Following the 2023 release of her debut EP Fish Bird Baby Boy, Georgia Nott of Georgia Gets By is out with a new song. From the accompanying Hitchcockian-inspired music video directed by Silken Weinberg to the expansive ‘80s sound of “Madeline,” Georgia has infused defining eras of cinematic and musical importance into this single.
“Madeline is about the moment you meet someone that you know will change you,” Georgia says, speaking about the single. The lyrics reflect on being unable to let go of someone – this ‘Madeline’ or perhaps someone subconscious popping up in listeners’ minds – and the emotions that come with that, knowing you’ll never be the same again after meeting this special person.
The song starts slow with a thirty-second introduction of a bass-heavy ambient soundscape, warming up listeners with fuzzy amplification. As Georgia begins to sing, the momentum increases and the cathartic mood deepens. “I’m dizzy and I’m cursed/To never let you go/You’re breaking my heart,” she explains, emphasising her impacted emotional state with each repeat. There’s a bit of Lana del Rey and Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star in Georgia’s vocal colour. Her voice is soft and soothing; the song is almost like a dizzyingly haunting lullaby. “Madeline, there’s a new wave coming over me,” she admits, her voice soaring higher into the gradual rise of the overpowering instrumental background. A feeling like going higher and higher as the instruments grow darker while Georgia’s vocals grow lighter; it procures an intensely theatrical quality and a feeling of being lifted. After reaching the soaring culmination, the instruments abruptly die down and fade into the relaxing lull of Georgia’s vocalisations.
The reverb-drenched production adds to the ‘big’ ‘80s feel of the track, not to mention the thick backbeat with its lush delay, giving off a nice echo effect along with the driving force of the bass and the steadying monotony of the drums. The single is a definite nod to sentimental synth-pop hits of about forty years ago but with today’s more state-of-the-art mixing and mastering tools.
“Madeline” is an intimate appeal to an apparition of a former love – “You could walk right through me,” Georgia acclaims. The ethereal elements of the song contribute to the ghost-like suggestion of the endearing songwriting and her voice is lyrical, like a siren from another realm. It’s a musical billet-doux to someone from a long time ago whose presence signified personal transformation in Georgia, leaving her forever touched by this dear one.
This new single captures the best of Georgia Gets By with her vocal performance, musical composition, and choice of aesthetic music textures. I genuinely look forward to hearing her next release.
Words by Sydney Kaster
