Rising Stars: Meet Madz of Franklin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madz

Hi Madz, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Music has always been in my blood. My passion is my heartbeat, and my hunger is my motivation. I grew a love for performance at a really young age, probably only 5-6 years old, before I could really play anything. I remember the first taste of the rush, and excitement I felt wash over me when the lights came on and it was time to show them what I got.

The first thing I picked up was a pair of drum sticks, and I was encouraged to become a drummer by my father (who was a guitarist) and his drummer at the time, who taught me my first basic beats, giving me my “training wheels” behind the kit. I immediately took off with it, and drums became my obsession. They were my expression and passion from the start. I was a drummer and put together my own band my freshman year of high school, and we played together all throughout until the pandemic halted us my senior year of high school.

My senior year was the most difficult time of my life, and was the first time I had faced and began to struggle with depression. I had experienced a lot of mental struggles with the deep isolation of the pandemic, and no longer being able to perform with my friends. I struggled immensely and turned to the only thing I could think of- music. I started up my own little YouTube channel where I simply posted videos of my playing, interviews, and other music related content. My channel and Instagram page ended up taking off quickly, and I built a solid fan base that was my rock and motivation throughout. I became an artist, and a writer at the time as well, and published some original music that I used to document what I was going through and use my negative feelings into a positive expression.

Afterwards, I ended up going to a small school, putting my music dreams aside for a while and poking my way through college studying music business. I went there for a full year and created little drum covers on reels for fun, it eventually landed me my first audition in Nashville, that I ultimately didn’t get. Facing my first rejection in the music industry as a drummer, was where I decided I wanted to get serious and pursue it full time.

I played in various country bands while I went back for another semester, but eventually made the decision to move to Nashville last October of 2024. My grandparents luckily lived near the city, so they were able to give me a spot to get my feet on the ground, along with a practice space in their barn (check out some of my YouTube videos on my current wild life!)

Since moving here, I have played with some big names like Alli Walker, Kelli Baker, Music City Queens, and more. I am excited for the future with this city, and have been blessed with opportunity in such a short time.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think any musician has a perfect “smooth road” story. Everyone has struggles, pains, and even fucked up reasons and motivations for the things that they do. I have a very tenebrous sceptic on what the industry is really based off of, and raise many questions on why people are here. Why people will wake up one day and leave everything they know, leave their hometown behind, their family, maybe a great and positive support system. I am not a negative person, but I think it is a negative factor, because if everything was perfect and satisfying, they would never chase this life. Whichever their reason of vision of “success” is, there was a negative factor that created their being and pushed them to shed their skin into the anomaly that they are. Maybe they are trying to bury the person they were, maybe they want to be accepted somewhere, maybe that have something to prove, this is their only option to pursue, they think fame and money will solve their problems, maybe they want to change the world and inspire someone and be the support they wish they had. Everyone’s reason is different. Musicians have some type of relentless and intrinsic drive for sheer greatness. Passion fuels their actions more than any other career. They are willing to be broke, homeless, get the door slammed in their face a million times, stay up all night, live out of a fucking bus, anything you can imagine for this. They are almost like drug addicts, where they are relentless and constantly hungry.

I believe the only thing that can spark a feeling like this, something so strong and implacable, is a negative life event. For some reason, negativity seems to weigh more than positivity for most individuals. Some of us collapse into it, but some of us rise, that is the choice created by consciousness. Not enjoying the college that I went to, getting fired from my last band in Indiana, is what led me to Nashville. Rejection, doubt from others, struggle in my hometown, isolation, getting the knife twisted in my chest continuously is what led me to Nashville. All these misfortunes, and things that once made me sick, now make me strong. You can break my bones, but they will heal, and once they do your name is on my list. It builds me, and creates me into what I am. It has made me unstoppable, fearless, confident in myself, because nobody on this earth holds the power to make me afraid. That makes me bold, happy, and unstoppable.

Now, not to mislead you and think that I am a dark and grim individual. I am not bitter, I love life and the experience more than anyone I know. Every day is a blessing, and I think the dark times are what made me so high on the human experience. I love psychology, I love talking to people of all ages and connecting with them deeply. I have a saying, “if you are lacking direction, maybe you haven’t talked to enough people yet.” Share your soul with someone, and accept a piece of theirs. Exchange energy, and you just might find a piece you want to add to yourself. Be unafraid, and live this experience as deeply and intentionally as you possibly. You are no mistake, your mind, soul, and consciousness is no coincident or mistake.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I always like to think of myself of more than a drummer. Being a “drummer” isn’t my only identity, obviously it is my job and what I do, but I consider it a much deeper level than performance. Every time I step on the stage and the lights hit my eyes, I feel the bass rattle my chest, my blood flows and my heart opens. I am never anywhere else in my head, it goes silent and my existence ignites. Every time I step on the stage, I get to be the conductor. I get to be what sets the tone, and what this show is going to be. Are we just going to be the background band that nobody cares about or remembers, or are we going to give them the night of their life? Let’s make someone really feel something, let’s pull them out of their shells and bring them to where we are, operating on a similar wavelength. Let’s change the way they see performance and music. You can be insanely talented, but if you never make the crowd feel seen and special, you will never succeed. They want to be noticed just as much as you do. They want to feel like they know you, and that they’ve made a friend by the end of the night, even if you never exchanged words.

I think my true passion and enjoyment for performance and music makes me unique. When I first moved here, I thought I would see a million people just like me who had it all and that I wasn’t different in any way. It was me and 100 other clones of others like myself; but I’ve been told many times that my passion and energy is unique here. I specialize in energy, in moments, in making the crowd remember what they saw, felt, and experienced that evening. The most rewarding thing I ever felt was when I DJ’d a middle school dance in my hometown, and had a family friend call me and tell me how “their daughter and her friends came home talking about the dance for about a week, begging me to come back next year.” I felt our DJ’s never cared about being there or not, and just collected their paycheck and left- I felt like the kids deserved more. I give my audience something to remember and talk about, and connect with them.

I am most proud of how far I have come. It wasn’t even two years ago when I decided I wanted to take drums seriously, and I worked tirelessly. I would wait outside the studio door at 7:30am for my professor to arrive so I could practice. I built my mind, body, and self discipline deeply. Even the past 4 months is almost a complete 180 of the life I used to live, I never thought I would be here right now; my passion got me here and made my name.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck doesn’t exist. Luck is bullshit. I believe in hard work and “blessings” as rewards. Now, there are people who are born with parents of famous musicians who have millions of dollars and connections to put into you, but I also believe that true talent requires effort. Miley Cyrus may have had a famous musician as her dad, but she just about gave up her entire childhood life to start on Disney at a young age. While you were watching SpongeBob and playing tee ball, she was working 10 hour days on set and heading to vocal lessons after. There may have been some natural talent involved, but it took effort- now she is one of the best artists/vocalists in the world. You can’t quite compare yourself to someone who had those opportunities, but maybe if you had started acting and singing at 8 years old, you’d be pretty good too. Everyone’s upbringing is different.

First of all, you make your own luck, then God (or the universe, Buddha, whichever you follow, a higher power) will bless you. If you are here for the right reasons, if it’s meant to be yours it will be. I always tell others, “God will steer the boat, but you have to row; and I’m going to row harder than anyone else.” If you are pure, passionate, and dedicated people will recognize it. They will see your aura and it will attract them. They will want to be a part of whatever you have it, everyone wants happiness. If you have enough positivity in your heart to give, people will come take a bite. The true luck comes from giving back and providing something to others that makes them feel good or seen.

I have been blessed in many ways. For only being here two months, I have gotten amazing opportunities that many people wait years for. I think of blessings as more of rewards. If you work hard, if you suffer and persist you will be rewarded. I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve gotten a great reward I’ve been struggling in and out for about a year now, but I kept going and I got rewarded. I laid myself before it, I gave my mind and existence to it, I have gotten the desired return. Fortunately, it’s not even close to over yet, there is much more to be had.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://madisonlockwood.godaddysites.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madzrocks_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madz.onfb/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/madzonyt
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@madzrocks_