Jason Barnard speaks to Maddison’s lead vocalist and guitarist James about ‘Lose My Mind’. The video for ‘Lose My Mind’ is out today and is one of the highlights from their new EP ‘Recovery’.
Hi James, firstly can you tell me about what inspired ‘Lose My Mind’?
It’s an upbeat, anthemic rock track about being in control of your own mind, controlling your emotions, and trying not to lose it.
Can you introduce the band, where you are from, how you met and formed?
We’re based out of Chepstow, South Wales. I’m James and I sing and play lead guitar in Maddison. Peej is on rhythm guitar, Benj on bass, Aled on keys & Kob on drums. We all met through playing with various bands in the past and formed Maddison in early 2017.
Going back, what where your formative influences?
Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, Guns n Roses to name a few.
How do you come up with song ideas? Is there always a set idea or is it a natural process?
It always comes together quickly. We jam for a while and as soon as we have a hook that we want, it all falls into place really. I always like to write about my own personal experiences so it’s great to get that down in our songs.
Are there any lyrical themes you return to?
The music I write with the band comes from past struggles I’ve faced. Losing my father and my brother and having a near fatal motorbike accident has made me realise that no matter how hard life gets, and no matter how low you may feel, there is always something around the corner to lift you back up, and with me that’s definitely in music. In my writing I try to remember that no matter how hard life gets, or how difficult things can be, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel.
What music influences you now?
Foo Fighters, Bring Me The Horizon, Pink Floyd, but we all listen to a wide variety of genres between us all which helps us to have some fun with our writing and trying to make our live set as exciting as possible.
What artists are you proud to be associated to when people compare you?
Foo Fighters is an awesome one, but who knows!
Which tracks of yours would you recommend new listeners seek out?
I would say Sinking Like A Stone, we’ve had some amazing feedback and to see so many people listening is huge for us. We can’t wait to get our new EP Recovery out and see what our fans think of our new material.
You’ve recorded quite a few covers that some listeners may not expect (Ed Sheeran, Selena Gomez). Is this because you feel you bring something new to this material?
We just like to have a lot of fun in practice, especially with covers. We just end up jamming them out and giving it our own spin, and they come together. Especially with our Selena Gomez – wolves cover. We’ll have a lot more like that one coming out in the future so watch this space!
Do you plan many live shows? Have you played any particularly memorable gigs?
We have our debut live show coming up at Chepstow Racecourse on August 25th and are currently booking future shows, follow us on social media to find out where you can see us!
What are your future plans/ambitions? Have you written any new material?
We’re already halfway through writing our next EP. We love writing and making videos and playing live and we plan to just keep hitting it 100% to get our music heard and out there.
Finally, how do people find out more about you?
youtube.com/c/MaddisonBand
facebook.com/maddisonband
twitter.com/maddisonband
instagram.com/maddisonband
