Madison Cunningham should be on everyone’s radars right now. If she’s not, then what the hell are you doing? Her second album Revealer is an alt-folk delight, drawing on intricate guitar patterns, fuzzy bass and a vocal tone that evokes such inner peace. Nominated for two Grammy’s this year and in 2019, Madison is an artist with a sublime creative flair. We caught up with her to talk about award nominations, musical inpsiration and performing at Harry Styles’ NY show.
Hi Madison. How’s this year been for you?
This year’s been a little bit hard in general. It’s just been nonstop. It feels a bit more like a grind than it has in previous years. I think a lot of that’s just the backlash from the pandemic and everybody trying to figure out how to operate in the new world, the “new normal”. But generally, there’s been some really exciting musical moments. I mean, I’m sad to see 2022 go, I feel like it’s like I blinked. But yeah, generally, it’s felt like a hard year.
And how has everything been since you released your second album?
That’s been fun. I think everything up to that point, it was just a lot of work. And sometimes that felt strenuous and the release of that record was probably the high point of the year for me. Because it just felt like the accumulation of a lot of work was finally able to be celebrated.
You’ve just been nominated for two Grammys, which is amazing. Where were you when you found out you were nominated?
I was in my living room and I was gathering my gear to go play guitar for a session and my partner was secretly watching the announcements and I found out and was like ‘please turn it off, I don’t really want to know’. And then anyway he, against my will, kept watching the announcements. And then he told me, which was really fun.
You also supported Harry Styles and Madison Square Gardens last year. How was that?
I mean, yeah, that was one of the highlights of my life. Playing in front of 20,000 people requires a different amount of energy inside the songs and as a performer. I learned a lot from also just watching Harry and the way that he commands a crowd. It was just one of the best experiences.
When you’re writing your own music, where do you draw inspiration from?
From different things all the time. Books, other artists, art. I love poetry. I was obsessed with Mary Oliver in particular during the process of writing Revealer. Those are kind of the sources that I pulled from, although I don’t listen to a lot of music when I’m writing just for the sake of having a clear palate.
Who would you say influences your sound most?
It’s so hard to say. I feel like I’ve adapted, like it’s a melting pot of so many different people. I guess the broader answer to that would be I love Radiohead, I love Joni Mitchell, I love Rufus Wainwright, I love Juana Molina. And I feel like all of those artists inform how I view the quality of my own music. It’s just it’s a little bit of everything that I love, I think.
What’s next year got in store for you?
A lot of writing and maybe some festivals and some shows here and there. But yeah, mainly just writing and collaborating with people back home.
And finally, what’s something we should know about you?
I love aeroplanes. I love going to airports and watching planes take off and land for fun. It’s also what I do for my job, although that’s not as fun a view. It’s more fun to watch it happen.
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