Indie-pop singer/songwriter Madeline Rhodes just released her latest single Pep Talk through Good Mood Records, an indie label in NYC. Born and raised in the chaos of the city, Madeline’s songwriting skills have been evolving since she transitioned to music after a career on Broadway, in television and on film.
Her latest, Pep Talk, is an engaging story of inner struggles we all face coupled with a catchy, singalong hook that’s easy to get drawn into. She’s sparky, talented and magnetic, and it was a pleasure to have her talk about her music with Elevar.
You have learned the art of transparency and showing emotional vulnerability with your music; that’s pretty much THE secret, magical potion to success as a music artist. What do you think it is; inside you, that gives you the courage to do this?
Is it the secret magical potion? Why am I not RICH?! No no, I’m not gonna measure success by checks and followers. Not today, Satan.
I think the courage to be vulnerable comes from the gift of desperation. If I could have walls up, hold onto my pride and thrive, I would. But when I’m not expressing myself all this feeling stuff churns and burns inside of me until it combusts. If I don’t get it out, it takes over. And if I don’t find a way to relate to the world, I am so quickly terribly alone. So, while I’d like to say emotional vulnerability is a brave choice, it’s more of a necessity for survival.
I saw something you went public with on social media back last October.. you said “Writing a song like this isn’t a cry for help, it is the help.” It was a very raw singer/songwriter moment with your new song Pep Talk. Is your creative process pretty raw like this? Can you talk about how you get inspired, and when you started creating Pep Talk?
Wow, I love a deep dive. Thank you for going back and coming up with such thoughtful questions. I’m very sure that writing songs facilitates my ability to adjust to the world. All this perceived vulnerability aside, I am quite often not in touch with my emotions. Most of the time when I start to write a song, I don’t know what’s going on inside of me. Only through the writing process do I start to notice what’s coming out of my body, and then I think “ahhh that makes sense”.
Pep Talk was written in my friend’s parent’s backyard in North Hollywood. I was coming through town and they offered me their house. There I was sitting by a private pool, in a beautiful garden living the dream, but feeling anxious and discontent. I had been fake smiling for days (very LA of me) and finally grabbed a ukulele and checked in. Turns out my inner critic was being a verbally abusive sociopath. And turns out, she does that a lot.
This song is pretty much a dialogue between me and my inner critic. As with most of my favorite songwriting moments, this one was written for me as my “poor woman’s therapy” … but it stayed in my head. Until 9 months later I was in a studio in BK strumming it out for Zeno Pittarelli and Ryan Schumer asking if I had something. Enter the magic of those two brilliant producers.
Do you have any special live shows that really touched you? Maybe a show you found the most fun… or the most emotional?
I love absolutely every show I play. Whether I’m opening for Pussy Riot or singing at a friend’s book reading at the local lesbian bookstore, I’m blissed out. Let me be clear though, I despise the day of a show. My stomach is in a big nauseating knot and any ounce of my sense of humor is dead and departed. But as soon as I sing the first note of the first song, I’m on cloud nine.
What’s next for you? Anything on the horizon after your single releases?
I’ve got some more releases coming up in the next few months. And I’ll be putting an album out next year that I’m really excited about/terrified of. Cue the plug to please find my music so you can stay in my circle of favorites!
In her latest single, “Pep Talk,” Madeline Rhodes skillfully captures the internal battles we all face with ourselves. The song’s lyrics resonate with a raw vulnerability, painting a vivid picture of the self-doubt and insecurities that can easily plague us. Through her poetic storytelling, Rhodes reminds us that we are not alone in this struggle, and that a little self-encouragement can go a long way.
With her artistic background spanning television, film, and now music, Rhodes is bringing a unique and professionally strong perspective to her songwriting. Growing up in a matriarchal family, she was surrounded by strong female influences who instilled in her a sense of empowerment and resilience. These experiences have undoubtedly shaped her artistic vision, allowing her to create music that resonates with authenticity and depth. She’s created a safe space for vulnerability, reminding fans and friends alike that it’s okay to have those moments of doubt—as long as we continue to encourage and uplift ourselves.
Madeline’s music is streaming on all major platforms.
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