From The Artist : Loneliness is a big theme in country music, and I assume space is a lonely place. So to me, space is a natural place for a cowboy and “Collide” is my take on what that might sound like. I remember coming up with the line “I hope that I can see you when our rocket ships collide” a few months prior to writing the song. I thought it was such a great turn of phrase – so lonely and sad, but also hopeful.I worked on the production of this song with my friend Peach Luffe, who’s a great producer and also a singer-songwriter himself. We’ve never done a song together before – I thought this would be a good fit for him because he loves lush, smooth chords. We just recorded in his bedroom. I had only done full band recordings before – I thought it was cool to have a more personal recording experience this way. This song is a little whimsical. I think the fantastical element helps me in writing to express a ton of emotions in a really heightened way. This song, I hope, expresses a lot of sadness and a lot of hopefulness in the same breath.
Don’t tell anyone, but David Madras isn’t really a cowboy. Toronto born-and-raised, David
discovered country music in his 20s. It opened his mind – a songwriter first and foremost, he
was impressed by the craft, attention to detail, and storytelling displayed by the best country
songwriters. Inspired by Kacey Musgraves’ and Jason Isbell’s boundary-pushing country albums
in the early ‘10s, David became obsessed with bringing the joys of country music to the people
around him, many of whom “would listen to anything but country”.
“As someone who has never ridden a horse or owned a car (let alone a pickup truck), it was
always easy to feel like there was nothing in country music for me”, David says. “But that’s not
true! The genre has so much substance and its core qualities are universal. Great songs are
great songs and stories are stories. Nowadays, so many people listen to basically every genre of
music, and it’s kind of crazy how many people still won’t listen to country music. It makes me
sad! It really feels like a lost opportunity.”
After honing his songwriting skills for years through a number of eclectic projects (writing the
score to a moderately successful indie musical and an obscure clown show along the way), he
found his voice in the mid-2010s, zeroing in on his unique brand of alt-country, folk, roots rock
and Canadiana. “Once I found country music, I suddenly knew the ingredient my writing had
been missing.” As a solo artist, he became a fixture in the Toronto open mic scene late in the
decade and played a number of classic Toronto venues with his band, including a Cameron
House residency and Horseshoe Tavern headlining slots.
David’s debut album “Early Bird Special” (released in 2018), showcases his range as a writer and
performer, alternately catchy, bluesy, sweet and driving across its ten tracks. “Early Bird
Special” blurs genre with ease, equal parts Nashville and Niagara Falls, with the band eliding the
roles of coffee-shop troubadours and bar-room entertainers, replete with rich organs and
ringing guitars.
In 2020, David hopes to keep pushing the boundaries of what country music can be. His first
release of the year, “Collide”, is a space Western, featuring a lonely desperado piloting a rocket
ship, yearning for a love lost a long time ago. The production nods at classic psychedelic country
with slide guitars and keyboards shimmering over a finger-picking background. “I think Collide is
an unusual pick for a single, but I think it captures something special about what I want my
music to be. I love writing about nostalgia and loneliness, and what’s lonelier than outer space?
People want to hear more country songs about space, even if they don’t know it yet.”
“Country music is the same as anything else – the songs are about love and loss and having a
good time and being desperately sad. I hope that people can feel that and hear something fresh
and familiar in my music.”
“I also think more people should wear cowboy hats. They’re so cool.”
Connect with David Madras : Website || Facebook || Instagram || Spotify
