Rising Stars: Meet Madison Taylor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Taylor.

Hi Madison, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Hello, thank you for having me on your platform! I believe music was woven into my being the moment I was created. My mom claims that “I began to sing long before I could talk,” like the lyrics say in the Abba song, “Thank You for the Music.” Parents tend to exaggerate things like that when they’re talking about their kids, but I’m willing to believe she was spot-on with this remark. Music has always been an empowering outlet for me, and singing is the best way for me to process my faith, relationships, and life experiences.

I dreamed of performing onstage as soon as I was able to comprehend the courage, excitement, and creative overflow that accompany those who take on any platform. I particularly enjoyed watching people perform in plays or musicals, and I challenged myself to try out the world of drama. When I was in sixth grade, my local high school had auditions for “The Sound of Music,” and I received the role of Brigitta. It was so much fun to play her character since I resonated with her stubborn personality and understood why she liked to ask tough questions and tell the truth, even when it made others feel slightly uncomfortable or intimidated. It reminds me of the quote by Cesar A. Cruz: “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” Like Brigitta, I want to make sense of the complexity of the world and I’m not afraid to address tough questions and emotions through my music.

I started piano lessons in first grade which enabled me to effortlessly write and compose my songs by the time I was in middle school. Learning the guitar in high school also broadened my songwriting perspective on how the unique timbre of guitar strings inspires different melodies in my head compared to the more muted timbre of piano strings. Growing up, I mostly listened to my parents’ favorite singers like Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Michael Jackson. We also listened to old country including the Oak Ridge Boys, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, and Randy Travis. Enya’s ethereal vocals used to infiltrate our living room quite often which inspired my desire to invoke mystical and dreamlike soundscapes in my music.

I was 8 years old when Taylor Swift started her music career and I have always greatly admired her free-spirited and romantic songs. I aim to emulate the way she carries herself with confidence whenever she performs. The vulnerability and authenticity of her songwriting in matters of the heart are very impressive. I have had producers and songwriters compare my voice to hers which is always an amazing compliment to receive.

My consistent work ethic, value for authenticity, and steadfast belief in God motivate me to continue in my unconventional career as a singer-songwriter. I recently reconnected with a college friend in Nashville who produces his music, and he told me that songwriting is not something he has to do or wants to do, but is what he feels called to do. I feel the same way about my perpetually artistic lifestyle. There have been countless setbacks and trials over the years that have challenged my goals and overall growth as a musician, but I keep reminding myself that singing and songwriting are part of who I am and will manifest in whatever way possible during every unique season of my life.

A recent milestone in my music career was performing my concert at a theater in New Jersey. I plan on performing more often in 2024 to help overcome my anxiety and promote my music to a wider audience. The past summer, I met with a producer from Tennessee to begin working on my first album. My first EP which was released in 2020 consisted of soft rock and pop songs whereas my upcoming album will be taking on a more cinematic and dream-pop style. I’m excited about the feedback I will receive as I release new music and delve into the next chapter of my music career.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pursuing my artistry as a singer-songwriter has brought many challenges along the way. I have several health conditions including chronic post-nasal drip, chronic hives, chronic fatigue, and dysthymia. I also deal with hyperhidrosis in my hands which prevents me from playing my guitar, harp, and the piano as effectively as I would like to.

Emotionally speaking, I often struggle with imposter syndrome which makes me question whether I’m worthy enough to continue contributing to the world of art as a musician. It’s my immovable faith in Jesus that gives me strength to rise above these setbacks, but being a Christian also invokes the sense that I am a terminal foreigner in an industry that is worldly and self-seeking. I know that singing and songwriting do not make up my identity or ultimately give me my worth, but they are my passion and help me connect with God in a transformative and healing way.

Over the past year, I have challenged myself to perform more despite my health conditions and the Lord has been faithful to prepare me for each performance. In the words of Sun Tzu, “If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.” I am determined to persevere in 2024, so I look forward to seeing how much farther the Lord will take me in my music career.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work? What do you think sets you apart from other musicians in the artistic community?
I’m an independent singer-songwriter based in New Jersey. I specialize in songwriting and enjoy performing my original songs at local venues. I’m passionate about exploring the world of audio production to effectively articulate my original sound as a music artist.

I’m known for writing song lyrics that articulate the complications of romantic relationships. At the beginning of 2020, I released an EP titled “Evergreen,” featuring six original songs. Unrequited love and heartache are the general themes, but I challenged myself to include one song that was more hopeful about finding the one that you’re “destined to be with.” That song ended up receiving the most streams on my EP which just goes to show how faith always beats cynicism in art and life.

Soon after my EP release, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic so I shifted my focus from performing live to performing in music videos. I worked with a local video production company to film two meaningful videos for my songs, “Destined” and “Secretly Admire.” My first video for “Destined” was fully funded by my friends and family which was very encouraging. “Secretly Admire” was set in the Victorian era with a small cast of 4 actors. Ironically, my sister in real life acted as my sister on-screen so it was fun to include her in my project.

In 2023, I worked with a Portuguese videographer to film a music video for my song, “I’ll Never Know Him,” set in the beautiful city of Barcelona. I had envisioned myself singing along the streets of Spain because the guitar tracks in my song reminded of me of Spanish guitar music, so being able to film there was a dream come true.

Much like Taylor Swift picked up her Wuthering Heights quill during social quarantining to create her fanciful “folklore” album, I challenged myself to compose more elaborate and exaggerated storylines within my music. I desired to go beyond the simplicity of expressing pain and disappointment in my lyrics and draw from more imaginative narratives that could colorfully describe and add depth to my songs about love and heartbreak. I am in the process of recording my first album which will take a turn from the soft-rock sound of my first EP and focus on a blend of art pop, electronic, and cinematic sounds, so I look forward to releasing that later this year.

As a music artist, I believe my values and confidence in my performance ability help me to stand out among my community. Songwriters typically filter their grief through their lyrics, and I strive to articulate my grief in the purest form possible – by lamenting what never was and what could have been without directly blaming anyone in the process.

My belief in God helps me to arrange my musical thoughts in coherent and redemptive ways. My passion for truth and self-expression gives me the courage and boldness that are required to perform in front of others as my authentic self. The ultimate aim of my music is to inspire people to handle their grief as gracefully as possible; to look inwardly at one’s flaws with conviction and penitence, and to look outwardly at the world’s brokenness with faith, hope, and charity.

What were you like growing up?
I’ve always been an introverted daydreamer who enjoys being at home as much as possible. I crave security, familiarity, and constancy, yet at the same time, I long for adventure, drama, and continual transformation. I find that the more I study myself, the more I realize I’m a walking contradiction. In the words of the singer Andy Squyres, “irony abounds.”

As a student, I would often tune out of the lesson and look out the window, escaping into my head to contemplate abstract ideas, solve some existential problem I was currently grappling with, or imagine myself on grand, made-up adventures. My teachers would have to repeatedly say my name to snap me out of my trance, and I had a peculiar talent for never listening to what was announced for homework. I would continually rely on the mercy of my attentive, success-driven peers to help me not fall behind. Not much has changed as I still heavily depend on focused, work-oriented people to help me stay on task and progress through life.

My preference to work in isolation was fostered by my desire to work at my own pace as a child and to express myself on my own terms. People mistake my stubbornness, reticent demeanor, and avoidance of social interactions as self-righteous impudence, but the truth is I am as displeased with myself as I am with everyone else and I long for something more exciting, truthful, and meaningful than what my current situation offers.

When I create, I try to aim for a higher ideal that is worth living for, that is the study of God and the contemplation of all that is “lofty and beautiful” in the words of Dostoevsky. I feel a special closeness to my Maker when I eliminate worldly distractions and imitate Him through my art. My songwriting, journaling, bible study, and prayer time are sacred to me.

As a woman, I am very sensitive and emotional which are both my strengths and weaknesses. Whenever people take advantage of my kindness, I focus on grace and forgiveness to not lose hope or compromise my character. I have a severe lack of trust in others, so it takes a lot of time, effort, and consistency to win my companionship. Once that trust is broken, I usually view the relationship as unsalvageable and retreat into myself to preserve my love and peace.

I am known to be a rule follower who avoids conflict or confrontation at all costs, and I have learned to master my anger and disappointment through self-control and surrender. Once I reach my threshold for repressing my strong emotions, I allow them to filter uninhibited through my music. Songwriting is my release, and it helps me to maintain alignment with my self-worth and principles.

In times of distress, I usually meditate on my favorite book of the bible, Ecclesiastes. God has made both “the day of prosperity and the day of adversity” so that none of us can predict what the future holds. It is said that music allows us to escape time, but writing allows us to feel it. I hope that my continual reliance on prayer and creating music will gracefully carry me through both my days of rejoicing and grieving as I navigate life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://madisontaylorsings.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madisontaylorartist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madisontaylorartist/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtaylorartist
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMpk-mwyz9tTEx2D1MIcKlg
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/madisontaylorartist
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6f92fjvDtMCHBxMVcLEb0c?si=mXP0brJEQFeu0rTX-n3bDg

Image Credits
Brianna Joy, Dan Whitehead, Roger Payne, and Ana João Machado