Madeline Consoer
I’m very proud to feature Madeline Consoer and her new song “How Do I Not.” on my music blog. My hope is to always keep discovering and supporting artists who deliver authentic and truthful songs like “How Do I Not”. How could I not love this song ? Madeline’s voice is out of this world and the songwriting is personal but yet relatable.
“How Do I Not.” is incredible and so is Madeline. Stream the new single now ! :)
Photo credit: Mason Goodson
Introduce yourself - what's the story of Madeline Consoer?
I love writing music. I have to write music. I moved to Nashville 6 years ago from Eagle River, WI so I could hopefully do this for the rest of my life. I’ve been singing and playing music for as long as I can remember, and started writing when I was fourteen… which has now become part of my daily routine. There are constant melodies and song lyrics running through my head. I’m equally as drawn to Country music as I am Pop, and I love being able to combine the two in new and different ways. I don’t know who I am without music, or who I would be if I stopped making it.
"How Do I Not" is your latest single - what's the inspiration behind this song?
Mentally I was going through a pretty tough time. I usually don’t need to be going through a specific situation to be able to write about it, but this time I was absolutely living and breathing through it. It was like therapy writing this song. I couldn’t stop thinking about this guy that I cared so much about, and it was, quite literally, driving me insane.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
I write a lot of songs with my really good friend Emma, and I’d opened up to her about what I was going through, and we sat and talked it over and came out with this song in the end. I think you can really hear the elements that allude to how “insane'' I was feeling, and how heartbroken and melancholy the whole situation was making me. Shawn produced the track and really helped to build on the emotional feel of the song by adding all the elements that you hear in it today.
What did you feel when writing this song?
After writing the song I honestly felt relieved. I felt like I had finally gotten off my chest what I’d been feeling for a month or so. Not being able to stop thinking about someone is obviously mentally exhausting, and writing the song really helped me get some clarity on the situation. It also made me feel better that I could maybe help someone else who was feeling the same thing, sort through what was going on in their mind as well.
What's your favorite thing about this song?
I’ve never used a vocoder, and I think that it’s one of the main characteristics of this song that really makes it stand out. It’s my favorite part because I don’t think that a lot of people in country music are using these out-of-the-box pop elements. Sure, this is not the most country sounding song that has ever been written, but that’s what I love most about it. I think I’m a part of the next generation of Country Music, and having this song be at the forefront of that is really special to me.
What do you want people to feel when listening to this single?
I always tell people to feel however the song makes them feel. I wrote the song essentially to help me get through something, and if it helps someone else, that's the best feeling in the world. But with THIS song, however, I think the feeling is mutual. Everyone can relate with not being able to get over someone they love, so when they hear the song they can think, “yes girl I FEEL YOU”.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
I had this vision from the second I heard the first rough demo of the song; I saw this rainstorm happening as the song started and it progressively getting stronger as the song went on. When I made the decision to release the song, I also made this music video where we built a rain machine and had a solo drummer and I in the rain. It’s probably my favorite visual that I’ve ever made and been a part of, and the artwork is just a behind the scenes photo from the video shoot that I thought fit perfectly, and helps tell the story.
As an artist, what is the hardest part? And what is the best part?
I’d say the hardest part is finding your identity in the music industry. Who are you, what is the sound that you have, and what is the impression that you want to make? It’s a big, thought provoking question.. and it’s an important one. It’s what sets you apart from the thousands of other people trying to make it. If you can answer that question, then the hardest part is over. The easiest part is making the music. It’s such a part of who I am, that I feel like it comes naturally to me.
What's it like to be a woman in the music industry? What message do you want to give to women out there?
Being a woman in country music is extremely empowering right now. It’s an uphill climb to even be heard as a woman in any aspect really, but it’s an especially steep hill getting our voices and songs heard in this industry. It’s exhilarating trying to get to the top. Any kind of success is even MORE of a success as a woman right now, because it’s harder for us to get there.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I think the independent artist has the upper hand right now. We have so many tools and assets to get our music heard on multiple platforms, that we can market ourselves these days, and we can market ourselves well. I wouldn’t change much, but maybe just giving less power to labels, and more to the artists themselves. Artists aren’t made to fill boxes, they are meant to burst out of them.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
Everyone being more kind and compassionate. That’s it.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
Be humble. Even when it’s your turn to shine, remain humble. Don’t forget where you came from. Bring your friends and loved ones to the top with you when you make it, because you did not make it there on your own. And most importantly, don’t forget to thank God for another opportunity at this life every single morning and night that you have on this earth.
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