Canada’s Madeline Manson does the impossible by blending the soft with the gritty on her EP Dirty Hollywood. There is something stirring beneath the warm acoustics, something raw and unstoppable. Madeline Manson shows no weakness, even between the lines and around the sharp edges of her most heartbreaking lyrics. She recently gave Indie Is Not A Genre the lowdown on her EP.
IINAG: When did you start making music?
Madeline: Music has always been a really big part of my life. It runs in my blood as most of my family on each side play some form of music. I started writing and performing my own songs at the age of 13 and haven’t stopped since.
Describe your sound.
I always have trouble answering this question. I frequently tell people it’s very singer/songwriter, but for some reason i always associate that term with musicians like Ed Sheeran and such. I personally like describing it somewhat like dream pop/alternative with a little hint of surfer vibes.
Where does your inspiration come from?
My inspiration is often drawn from life happening all around me. Growing up, falling in love, and living through some hellish trauma are all topics that I feel circling inside my head a lot, and that often, unintentionally, comes up in my writing. Whatever this chaotic life throws at me, I will always continue to write about it.
What is your creative process like?
It’s pretty all over the place to be completely honest. Sometimes the gears in my brain are really turning and all it takes for me to get a spark of inspiration is overhearing a phrase from a complete stranger and boom. I can write a whole song based on that. Other times I sit down and I play different chords, and mess around with melodies, see which ones resonate with me best, then i’m able to write lyrics from there. Some days it’s like my brain is the void, and there’s nothing there except thoughts of skateboarding and sunshine.
Madeline Manson – My Love For You
Do you have a dream collaboration? And why?
This question kills me because there are so many amazing artists out there that I would love to collaborate with. NoMBe and The Kills come very close to the top, but I would probably have to say Kurt Cobain. I’ve loved his music and his artwork for years. I would do just about anything to even just have a simple conversation with him about the realm of music, and creation just in general.
What’s next?
Currently I am in the works of a new full length album, will be playing shows around my hometown, and writing poetry as much as possible.
