Maddy Wood
Interview conducted May 30, 2021
By Dan Locke
Describing herself as a “Rock ’n’ Roll glitter princess,” Maddy Wood combines her love for the classic rock sounds of Led Zeppelin and Stevie Nicks with modern pop sensibilities, soulful vocals, and thought-provoking lyrics. However, this self-made artist should not be confused with any old rockstar — Wood’s most appealing aspect is how she grows beyond the boundaries of her idols. Maddy effortlessly dances through a myriad of genres to create a sound that is emotional, energetic, and all her own. Crafted in the pages of a songwriting notebook and perfected on the strings of her custom purple cheetah print Telecaster, every Maddy Wood piece is original as it is beautiful. Her process is raw, sometimes painful, but ultimately deeply relatable. Poetic and dressed in purple, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter is well on her way to joining the ranks of fearless, no-nonsense icons like Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers. Bending to no one, she channels her emotions unapologetically as she forges her own path.
You are from Providence Rhode Island. What is your upbringing?
I grew up on the East Side of Providence with my mom and my dad and my sister, who is 2 years younger than me. I went to public school in my district. I was a ballerina as a kid and took guitar lessons. I played sports in school. When I was 11 my parents got a divorce, and since then my sister and I have equally spent our time between my mom’s and my dad’s houses. Now they live a block away from each other, which is really sweet. My sister and my dad and I moved in with my stepmom and stepsister when I was 13 and my dad remarried. The whole big gaggle of us spend all of our holidays together.
How did you discover music?
I found my love of music through my dad. He is also a musician, he plays saxophone and flute, and there is always music playing in the house. He introduced me to a lot of the music that I still love the most. I have a lot of memories of spending time with him as a kid and listening to Prince, The White Stripes, Fela Kuti, etc. When I was a toddler, my favorite song was Hello Operator; there are a bunch of home videos of me thrashing around in our living room listening to that song and playing dress up.
How did you start to write music?
I always was writing little lines of things in my diaries as a kid, and in elementary school I was really into story writing. When I was 11, I started going to Girls Rock Rhode Island, which was an all-girls band camp. There we would write a song to perform with our band at the showcase at the end of the week. I think that is where I found my passion for songwriting. I still remember the thrill of performing something I wrote to a crowd for the first time.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
When I was about 8 years old, I saw the music video for Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” on Disney Channel, and was completely mesmerized by everything about it. I went right to my mom’s laptop and burned the entire Fearless album. I begged my parents for a guitar and lessons so I could be just like Taylor. My parents bought me a little tiny kids sized acoustic and some lessons from a friend’s dad. I don’t have it anymore; I think I gave it away to another little kid who really wanted to learn.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make, and model?
I am so in love with my Fender Telecaster. It is a solid body polar white Fender Player Telecaster, Model 0145213515. Alder body with gloss finish. I separately bought a purple cheetah print pickguard and replaced the original one on the guitar with it, to make it more me. I also really love my acoustic, which was my stepmom’s mother’s that she gifted to me. It’s an Epiphone. I am not sure of the make or model, it’s definitely at least 40 years old.
Do you also play the banjo?
Yes! I got a banjo for Christmas from my dad my senior year of high school, and I started playing seriously in college. Right now, I am in the Advanced Banjo group with a couple of other girls at my school. I really love it.
Describe your music.
Rock and roll with modern pop sensibilities and singer/songwriter lyrics.
What is your favorite Led Zeppelin song?
That’s really hard. I guess if I had to pick one it would be Ten Years Gone.
What was your first performance like?
If I am remembering correctly, my first real performance was in 2nd grade at the school talent show. I sang Whole Again by Atomic Kitten and accompanied myself on guitar. It was really exciting; I remember being really in the moment and feeling really happy and proud when everyone cheered at the end.
Your first song you released (as far as I know) was “Too Old to Play Pretend”. Tell me the backstory of the song?
I wrote that song about my ex-boyfriend from high school. It was about a year after we broke up, I was having a flare-up of feeling sadness and resentment and I went and sat in my mom’s basement with my guitar and this song came about in probably 20 minutes. It was a relationship with a very imbalanced power dynamic and a lot of extremely intense feelings.
How was it to record it in NYC?
It was great! I really enjoy going to record in New York. The producer that I worked with on my last two songs, Arthur Pingrey, is really talented and a very wonderful collaborator.
How was it to try out for “Tiny Desk Concert 2020”?
It was cool! Nothing ended up coming of it, but it was good for me to think about how I could try and capture an audience that knows nothing about me. I had to think about how I could visually capture myself with the things I set up in the foreground as well as with the delivery of my song.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Not at the moment, no.
What makes a good songwriter?
Someone who approaches their writing with honesty and openness. Someone who is willing to fail. Someone who is willing to learn but also be confident enough to know that you have something that no one else has. A good songwriter is someone who doesn’t try so hard to make something make sense. Often the best songs are songs that each individual listener can maleate into being about their own experience, even if it’s completely different than the one that inspired the song for the songwriter.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first full original song was probably the song I wrote for my first Girls Rock showcase in 2011. I have no idea what it was called. It is probably on video somewhere in my parents’ archives.
What is the process of writing your music?
It varies song to song. Sometimes I am playing around on guitar and come up with a chord progression or a melody that will inspire lyrics, other times I have a line or a group of lines that I really like that will inspire the instrumental. All day long I am coming up with phrases that I jot down in my notebook or in my note’s app on my phone, and typically when I am starting to write a new song, I look through the collection I have made to see if anything I have down fits into the new song idea I have. Most of the time a whole song stems from one line that I feel really strongly about.
Tell me about your new single “If I Could Move”?
If I Could Move is a song about really caring for someone and wanting them to be better for both of us, and because of this feeling paralyzed and stagnant in a toxic relationship and being too scared to leave and be alone. It is not about one person, in particular, I took fragments from a few different situations. I wrote the first verse not really thinking much of it and posted a video of me playing it on TikTok, and I got an overwhelmingly awesome reaction from so many people telling me how moved they were by the song and how they needed the full thing ASAP. Because of this, I knew it could be something special. I spent the next couple of days working through the song and went into the studio the next week to bring it to life. I am really excited to finally be able to share it with everyone.
What are your feelings about streaming music?
I am conflicted about how I feel about streaming music. On the one hand, I think streaming music has allowed so many people to have access to so much music for a lot less money than it would cost to buy it all individually. I have found so much music on Spotify (which is the streaming service I use) and the way you are able to connect with so many listeners across the world is really cool. On the other hand, the way that streaming services compensate artists on their platforms is atrocious. The CEO of Spotify should not be making millions of dollars when most artists are making less than a cent per stream. Musicians are definitely exploited by the streaming services.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign, and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
I’m a music major in college, so for the most part now when I look at the # I think of a sharp symbol in music theory. But I also have definitely grown up in an age of the internet where the hashtag is used a lot, so I definitely see it that way as well. I don’t know if I think of the hashtag as a part of music, like when I think about it notes doesn’t have anything to do with the actual creation of the work, but it is definitely a good way to centralize a conversation about something online which can be a good thing for an artist if they want to have one big place where their music can be talked about.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I love vinyl a lot. I have a record player at home and collect vinyl. I definitely listen to streaming music more though, because it is readily available to me at all times and I am always listening to music.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
I have been listening to a lot of Prince lately. Right now, the song of his I have on repeat is How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore off of 1999. It is just really raw and beautiful, it’s just him and the piano, which I love, and his voice is so emotionally charged and powerful. It to me is about a really passionate and exciting relationship that has ended abruptly, leaving Prince to wonder why they don’t call him anymore if what they had was so good. I can definitely understand the feeling of not being able to let go of something that you feel had so much potential.
How long has purple been your color of choice?
Forever. Ever since I was conscious of color, I have always had a deep fascination with the color purple and have had it heavily integrated everywhere in my life. Purple to me is the color of freedom, power, fantasy, and honestly it just feels like me.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus is going to affect the music business in the future?
I mean obviously, it has brought live music to a halt until very recently. I definitely do not think it is dead though. If anything, it has made people more appreciative of how beautiful the live music scene and experience is and has brought about a really strong desire for having live music again. I think it is going to bounce back strong when it’s possible again. It definitely has affected the music business as a whole, especially the independent side of it, a lot of people have lost their jobs/ their income has been significantly decreased and small venues have had to close down indefinitely.
Who designed your logo?
My friend/manager Madison Pappas designed my new logo with her friend Emma Daley.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I have been writing a lot of music, recording some stuff, putting work into my instrumental skills, trying to read more, etc. I have been doing a lot of work with my friends and team to make If I Could Move what it is now over these last few months in particular.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I started doing a lot of yoga, which has really done wonders for me. I do it every day.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Not necessarily anything new, but I started taking guitar lessons again last April and have general been really honing in on my guitar, piano, and banjo skills. I started playing the mandolin; I am also trying to learn the drums and the harmonica.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will include [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I feel like a lot of the time Facebook is used exclusively for older groups, and definitely when I think about Facebook as a company it feels very corporate and non-personal, so livestreaming might broaden the scope of who uses Facebook.I am not really sure though.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
I think social media is a really great way for artists to connect and engage with their fans, especially during Covid where in-person shows have not been possible. I think doing a lot of livestreams and responding to fans on TikTok and Twitter and Instagram is a small but really good way to show your fans that you still really care about their engagement with you and you appreciate their support.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means things like a playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
In all honesty I did not know what pay to play was until reading this question, I had to ask my publicist. Paying for playlists only does so much; it has the potential to get you a lot of streams and reach a wide range of people, which is good, but it doesn’t really get you any real fans or genuine connection, often those streams don’t really do anything beyond making the numbers look good.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
I really hate the idea of that.
Governments around the world are hearing the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Do you think this will save music venues?
It’s hard to say. Although it is definitely a good thing, I don’t think it will be enough to save small venues and give enough support to independent artists, which really sucks.
Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artists? The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. RELIEF RESOURCES. Have you applied for it yet?
No, I haven’t. I am in school right now so I have not felt I needed it as much as other musicians have, since I am also focusing on / supported by that.
In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
I have no idea. I have always said I have no plan B, there is genuinely nothing else that I can think of that I would actually want to fully commit to. I was a ballerina for my entire childhood, I guess I could see myself as a dancer. I also really like working with kids so maybe I could be some type of music teacher.
What is your happy place?
My happy place will always be camp.
Do you think you would be willing to sell your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Right now, where I am in my career, I feel really strongly about owning all of the rights to my music and owning the catalog, so right now I would say no. However, I am so far removed from that level of wealth and fame that I don’t know what I would actually do if I was in that position. I can understand why someone would sell their catalog at a certain point in their career.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still, back at the beginning of the year, Spotify deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think that could mean to independent artists?
I think that means that they are getting really screwed. For most independent artists, getting put onto Spotify playlists is the only real exposure that they can get. I obviously don’t know the position of all of those indie artists, but it says something about the music industry that only independent artists’ songs were being deleted.
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
I already use TikTok a lot and love using TikTok! It is where I post the most about my work and where I have been able to connect to the most people who like my music.
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners with Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival for September 10-12 Event in Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set for September 23-26 with Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration in Louisville, KY
Welcome To Rockville Expands To 4 Days and Shifts from Spring to November 11-14 in Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set for October 7-10 in Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
Yes of course! In terms of Covid precautions, I would like to be following the CDC guidelines, have everyone masked who needs to be masked etc.
What is a “Watermelon Sugar High”?
I think it’s what I am going to feel when I finally get to see Harry Styles on tour again. Hopefully in the fall, fingers crossed.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thank you so much for this opportunity to talk to you guys, I really enjoyed it! If you want to follow me online, I am @womanwood_ on Instagram and TikTok and @m_wood25 on Twitter, and my website is maddywoodofficial.com !r
