Madison Olds’ glitzy new track “3’S A Crowd”
Interview conducted on September 28, 2020
By Dan Locke
Madison Olds is a Canadian pop singer songwriter with strong vibrant vocals, breathy accents and an emotive delivery often compared to Ellie Goulding. She writes her music from a very honest personal perspective with catchy hooks and musical earworms and delivers an engaging show while playing along on her signature white guitar. She has found inspiration in the Beatles, Queen, Amy Winehouse, Julia Michaels and Ed Sheeran.
What was your upbringing like? How did you discover music? And then how did you start to write music?
Both of my parents performed music and even ran their own entertainment company in the first years of their marriage. My dad studied jazz composition and sang opera professionally and my mom sang and pursued musical theatre. So, even though they ended up having to give up their dreams to raise a family, music was so ingrained in them and obviously they rubbed off on my brother and I. They have always encouraged us to be creative and chase where our hearts take us. I started out by dancing at 4 and remember loving the feeling of being in front of people no matter what! Singing was something I always did as an obnoxious young child, but nothing I took super seriously until I was about 12/13 which is right around the time I started to write. They weren’t anything great, but I loved to write songs in my room, then run up to the kitchen to play it for my parents or whoever would sit and give me all of their attention haha. My parents, having given up their dreams, did and still do everything in their power to support me in my career. My dad still plays music with me and he even toured Asia with me and played every show with my brother on drums. I am absolutely blessed to have had the family I did growing up, because I know I would never have had the balls to chase music if it weren’t for them.
When did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I still have it! I will never forget picking it out. It was the only colored guitar on the wall at the Long and McQuade in my hometown. A beautiful blue Takamine. It was used, but I just fell in love with it so much. I think I was 14, maybe 15, when my parents got it for me for my birthday and I still play it to this day. Something so special about your first guitar.
What was your first performance like?
My first ever performance was at my church when I was 4 years old. I sang “Where Are You Christmas” by Faith Hill. I remember my mom bought me this gorgeous gold dress from The Hudson Bay company and I felt like an actual superstar. It was such a special moment to me that I think of it often.
How did you go about to write “Moments in the Mountains” for the Kamloops 2018 BC Winter Games? Did you think it would open up so many doors for you?
When I was asked to write the BC winter Games theme song, I was totally overwhelmed with the task and completely put it off. It was pretty early on in my career, so I didn’t feel very confident in my writing skills. I ended up hiking this mountain in my hometown with a friend. We woke up at 2 am, hit the mountain, and got to the top just in time to watch the sunrise. It was an amazing experience watching the dark turn to light and see a new day form in front of our eyes. I ended up writing “Moments.” based on that experience and thought that, while I couldn’t exactly relate to the athletes, I thought my own experience in the mountains was like what they were going to experience during the games. Coming together and creating memories that would last a lifetime. This was my first ever release and the song that has the most streams. People always tell me how much they love it, and it surprises me because I wrote so long ago and look back on myself as a naïve songwriter. But maybe there is a lesson there. Maybe I take music too seriously now and need to be a young person writing songs because I have a story to tell.
You have opened up for the likes of Willie Nelson and Kacey Musgraves. Do you have any stories you like to pass on to our readers?
It was a pretty great show, but we didn’t get any opportunities to hang out with them during the festival. However, my drummer at the time did roll a few joints for Willie’s band, so that’s my claim to fame and probably my coolest story to date haha.
Tell me about the writing / recording process of your newest single “3’S A Crowd”.
I actually wrote and recorded it at the same time. Ryan, the producer, played me an idea that I loved, and we just ran with it. I sat with it for the night and came up with the visual of a sexy badass Audrey Hepburn and the song kind of just snowballed from there. It was really fun putting it together and getting to let my mind drift and pretend to be somebody way more badass than I am haha.
The single before was “Best Part of Me”. What is the best part of you?
That is such a hard question haha. If I had to say, I feel like the part I love about myself most is my ability to stay positive and optimistic in bad situations. I think we don’t find happiness, but that it’s always in us and we can choose to be it.
What are your feelings towards streaming music? Digital vs. vinyl?
I’m a huge nostalgia buff only because I love reminiscing on the past, so when I see a record, I buy it. Not because I think it sounds better, but I think the overall experience is better. Putting on a record, sitting back, and actively listening to the song verses hitting shuffle on a random playlist on Spotify. However, I personally like the idea of streaming more than handheld records when it comes to sales. Someone once told me once you sell a song and that’s it, it’s theirs. But every time somebody streams it, that is a small, small, small amount of profit. So, I look at it as, streams are an endless amount of income, whereas tangible records are a one-time purchase. Sure, a CD makes more initial money than a stream, but I’m in it for the long haul haha.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
“People are Strange” by The Doors. I love this song so much and listen to it a lot. It’s getting really spooky out there and I love the weirdness Halloween brings with it and this song makes me think of Lost Boys. It puts me at ease and lets me indulge in my weird side.
How do you feel that Covid-19 is going to affect the music business in the future?
I’m not sure what’s in store for the music business with Covid-19 happening, but I know it feels like it will never be the same again. I myself am really scared of how “live” has changed and disconnected music feels from our audiences. I try so hard to stay in touch online, but I feel so far from everybody. I know the music will continue to grow online and different avenues for sharing will keep popping up because music is an ever-growing and ever-evolving art form.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine? Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
At the start of the lockdown, I picked up gardening and pottery. I love the texture and different forms of art, so I dove into it right away. My garden is shriveling up now as it’s getting colder and my veggies have all been harvested and I am all pottered out haha. So, I recently picked up writing again for fun and have started working on a novel. It’s been a dream of mine to finish a novel, and whether I do anything with it or not, I finally feel like I have time to do things like this and close some chapters in my life. Pun intended.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and use their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
I would say it’s between Disney plus and Netflix! I love the classics on Disney but am constantly blown away by some of the Netflix originals coming out. With the season changing and it getting a little spookier out there, I’m totally into ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.’
With no real live music (mostly virtual shows) except for things like Drive-In Theater shows with crowds for the past 6 months, what do you think will be the future of music?
To be honest, I have no idea and it really does scare me. I like to think of myself as a pretty optimistic person who leans towards the positive side, but I have been struggling to see the bright side of all of this. I know lots of online ‘live’ shows have been happening and with access to so many different platforms, the opportunities are endless, but there is something very missed about the face to face connection with an audience. I would love to do drive in concerts in my local community, but fear of spreading the virus has prevented any initiatives such as this, understandably of course. I am just praying things open up soon so we can safely have fun again!
How can bands keep the attention of their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?
SOCIAL MEDIA! With so many different platforms we have access to now, there is no reason artists and bands shouldn’t be active on them with their fans! I myself have picked up a love for Tik Tok and have been having so much just being me and talking with new people and sharing my music in different ways! With how life has been moving to a more digital realm, we were bound to end up here anyway and we might as well find ways to enjoy it!
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I have this list of major goals and2 years ago I started saying I wanted to play at Madison Square Gardens in 5 years… so I’m about 3 years away I guess haha. But I do hope to see myself touring the world and playing big stages like Madison Square Garden in the next 5 years.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thank you so much to you and your readers/listeners. Please stay safe and stay well.
