Cranbrook, BC-based singer-songwriter Maddisun released her third album, “The Pages”, last October on digital streaming platforms after an initial physical release in July.
The album’s old soul vibe is uniquely structured as a deeply personal musical journal. Across 12 tracks – all written by Maddisun with 10 produced by Julian Bueckert, and one each produced by Ian Docherty and Jim Bryson – the album draws from an eclectic blend of vintage folk, rock ‘n’ roll, Southern Rock, and Americana.
The nomadic musical adventure for Maddisun has taken her throughout Canada and most recently to Ireland and the UK where she toured to support the album. In the past five years, she has released two prior albums and more than ten singles, played over 500 shows including four NXNE showcases and a Folk Canada showcase at Folk Alliance International, and landed a sync deal with Hook & Co to go with endorsements from Aria Guitars Japan, Godin Guitars and Yamaha Canada.
As she celebrates the album and the February release of the title track’s video, which was filmed in Belfast, Maddisun is here to offer an inside look “Behind the Album”.
Check it out below:
“The Pages” is like a musical journal for me. Every song is a story from the pages of my life and together, these pages touch on love, loss, growth, resilience, and connection – moments and emotions that are close to my heart and essential to my own self-discovery
I’ve been fortunate to be able to share this album with the world authentically and in my own way – first on CD, Cassettes and vinyl, then later on digital platforms, and I’ve performed it for audiences in Canada, the UK, and Ireland.
Now the time is right to share it with Live in Limbo by taking you behind the album, so you can hear the songs and see the sights of “The Pages” and why this release is so special to me.
“The Pages”:
The title track. The song that shaped the entire project. I didn’t actually think much of this song when I first wrote it, but then I showed it to my people, and Julian (who produced it) said “This is the song!” and then I built the whole world of the album around it. I wrote it partially in Nashville, and in Kimberley. It’s rooted in classic country, and has a very nostalgic feel to it, sonically and lyrically. I am reminiscing on my story thus far, and trying not to look too far ahead, and just stay grounded. Featuring some really top-notch musicians, and a lot of heart n soul – Matt Kelly on pedal steel, Harry Bartlett on lead guitar, Evan Bueckert on piano, Julian on drums + production – wow! The video was filmed during the Belfast stop of my tour.
“Pumpkin Pie”:
Such a cute and sweet song, obviously! But no pumpkin pie is complete without a little spice, now am I right? I wrote this song in the heat of a relationship that wasn’t really going my way. I was feeling unappreciated and unrequited love. So, as an aid to my sorrows, I wrote this little “diddy” , a very classic western swing tune. SOOO fun to perform live, and of course, can’t forget… It has a KAZOO SOLO!
“Like A Rock”:
Big feelings in this song. Very expansive pop/rock. I wrote it in Toronto when I was on the road, searching for things that felt steady and solid, relationships that were actually built to last, and someone that really understands me. I am very emotional and passionate, and as much as I say “I don’t really write love songs”, I am definitely a lover girl. So it comes out in this song. The production was really fun to do. I also may have recorded the vocals while on psychedelics and completely let go and belted my lungs out.
“Good Plan”:
Such a fun tune. Kind of Alanis Morisette vibes. ‘90s country rock n roll. Another one that I wrote in Toronto, actually I wrote this song over two years ago… and it sat around for awhile before I figured out what to do with it. That’s the cool thing about songs, you never know where you might find a home for them. This song is about just enjoying the life of the city in Toronto, meeting cool people, wandering around, and just going into it with no plans at all, and letting the city and the universe guide me. This is what I try to do always, though sometimes I’m a control freak.
“Get Through”:
A very funky groovy song. Actually written in two parts, I wrote the chorus and then pulled the verse from another song I was writing and combined them. It ended up working and that’s why the song has like the full / half time slow down feel in the verse/chorus. It’s written a little about the feeling of “getting through” in the music industry, and how I don’t want to have to compete, I just want to be me, and how I’m trying to trust now that the right people will find my music, I don’t need the industry to give me a stage, I’ll make my own. I LOVE the piano part on this… thanks Evan B! (Shout out Orange Door Studios, the first place I ever recorded music back in 2014).
“Open Door”:
A heartfelt stripped-back piano ballad. Wearing my heart on my sleeve, singing about the feeling of giving so much and opening up your heart but not always getting let in. I wrote this song when I was with someone who we have now lost. I knew this song was going to have so much meaning, I just didn’t know it at the time. Now it has a home on this album, and is a way to honour my friend, and our time together. Every single one of my albums needs to feature a piano ballad song like this, it’s such a part of me and my writing.
“Colours”:
This little instrumental style tune splits the album in half, breaking it up with a light airy folksy feeling. A song I wrote in my sun porch one summer evening… about wanting people to know that I am “all of the colours” (ie: all of the emotions, feelings, versions, styles) and not just one facet. The style reminds me of songs from my childhood that I would’ve played around the campfire…. And it blends seamlessly right into the next track.
“Amber”:
Straight in from the A chord on “Colours”, “Amber” is easily one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written. I’m like reaaalllly proud of it! Classic southern americana rock. Very Sheryl Crow/Tom Petty vibes. Very me vibes! The vocals at the end I’m really happy with. Theres a recurring lyric/theme: RADIATE GENUINE ENERGY! This lyric is inside the notes in the album as well, and is something I strive for, always.
“Your Muse”:
A song that came to me through a bit of a frustrating time. Being a solo female artist isn’t always easy. I get a lot of opinions and am often underestimated. The lyric “took a call from a man, who said to me you don’t know what you’re doing” – it hits good and feels great to sing, it’s kind of my way of claiming back my worth in the song. Country rock Taylor Swift empowerment vibes. Ironically, a man commented on my YouTube video of this song saying “sounds too much like Taylor Swift, do you make anything else?” like yeah, only hundreds of songs.
“Big Star”:
Another song I wrote in Nashville. When people ask me “which song really feels like the most ‘you’,” I say this one! It encapsulates all of my energy. It’s written from the perspective of a little girl with big dreams (aka me) and was the first time I wrote a song in the third person like this. It was incredibly fun and fulfilling to write. I recorded this one at Fixed Hinge Studio with Jim Bryson! We had a blast, and that fuzz solo completed everything. I did a music video for this song, driving around in my classic 1976 Chevy Chevette, and lighting a giant wooden star on fire.
“Basil”:
A very special song, co-written with Julian. We wrote this song in the first couple weeks of our time together. It was all blossoming love and feel good vibes. Warm, cozy, yet very cinematic and expansive vibes. I think one day this song will land in some indie romance film. I’m manifesting that. My sister recently got on stage and sung this song with me, it’s her favourite from the album, and apparently it’s everyone else’s as well.
“To Heal”:
The heartfelt closer, and I couldn’t imagine a more perfect track. This song was one of the tracks I recorded in Toronto with Ian Docherty. It’s kind of Boy Genius meets The Tragically Hip. It was a bit of a hard one for me to write, because I’m writing about an experience from my teenagehood that was really tough. Though, it made me so strong today, and this song is a testament to that. It starts slow and somber, then it grows and lets out into an incredibly uplifting and ecstatic happy cry. (also I happy cried so hard when I wrote this song) Let’s all remember… life, is just “doo doo doo ba ba da ba da” hehe.
Thank you to Live in Limbo for the chance to share this deep dive into “The Pages”!
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