At the age of 5 Madysyn performed a Christmas duet with her dad at church, awakening a desire to sing all day every day as she grew up. Seven years later, her dad posted a video of the country-pop vocal sensation singing Naughty Boy / Sam Smith’s hit “La La La” and as they say, a star was born. The 30-second long video garnered over 20 million views and Madysyn soon had fans that stretched the entire globe! In the years since, Madysyn traded in the West Coast for Music City, honing her gift of voice and started to not only write her own material, but has had the opportunities to work with some of Nashville’s best songwriters.
We caught up with Madysyn to talk about her larger-than-life musical journey, her latest single “Girlfriend” and more.
CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
M: I’m Madysyn! I’m 18 years old and from Southern California but as of right now I’m pursuing country music in Nashville, Tennessee.
CN: With everything that’s going on in the world in regards to COVID-19, we hope everyone in your circle is safe and healthy. How are you holding up?
M: Yes! It’s definitely been difficult but I’m staying safe and healthy, hoping everyone else is as well.
CN: How has the current situation affected your craft? Perhaps productively such as inspiration (providing some or a lack of)?
M: Looking at the bright side of all this, I’ve been writing multiple songs a day just me and my piano! I have been really tapping into my creative side/imagination for concepts to write about. My brothers are also musicians so we’ve been writing a lot together in quarantine.
CN: What was the first album you ever owned?
M: My first album I ever owned was Highway to Hell by AC/DC. Growing up I was super into old music, especially classic rock so if you know me this just makes sense.
CN: Which musicians, country or not, have influenced you both personally and as an artist?
M: John Mayer is my biggest influence when it comes to music. I admire his musical ability and genuine sound in all his songs and albums. Tori Kelly is also someone I’ve looked up to for a while. She is not afraid to be herself and worked hard to be where she is. Both their voices are phenomenal.
CN: Your first on-stage performance was at the age of 5 when you sang with your dad at church during Christmas. Which carol did you both sing?
M: Yes, we did a duet of “Welcome To Our World” by Michael W. Smith
CN: When you were 12, your dad – who for those who don’t know is Jack Vale – shared a video of you singing Naughty Boy/Sam Smith’s “La La La” and it went viral practically instantly (and by viral we mean 20 million views). As a young child, how did you handle the sudden social fame? What did you learn from that experience?
M: Once the video went viral is when I made my personal social media. I was always interested in singing so once this happened I got very motivated to pursue a career in it. I learned a lot about social media and how great of a tool it is to use.
CN: Can you take us through your own writing process?
M: Whatever emotion I’m feeling is usually how the song will feel. I like to start with the title first. It gives me the vibe I want to go off of for the song and then from there I’ll start the music chords and melodies. Once I have that I start writing lyrics! And I always write on my notepad rather than phone.
CN: Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
M: The first song I ever wrote was called “fairytale” and I was 9 years old. Like most 9 year old girls, I was obsessed with fairies, princesses, rainbows and everything in between. I’m pretty sure that’s all the song consisted of as well!
CN: Your latest single is “Girlfriend,” which was written by Ross Copperman, Logan Turner and Cali Rodi. What was it like to work with some of Nashville’s best?
M: All of the writers on “Girlfriend” are abundantly talented! It’s such an honor getting to sing that song and have it be an original. I feel very lucky!
CN: What was the inspiration behind the track?
M: “Girlfriend” is super relatable and that’s what I loved about it. I’ve heard the story from friends countless amounts of times, you’re in a relationship and putting in all your effort only to realize you’re not being treated the same. Everyone has to have that “what are we” talk eventually and ‘Girlfriend’ is saying I’m going to stick up for myself and tell you. If you want all the benefits of a girlfriend then you’re going to have to call me your girlfriend and put a label on us.
CN: If you could collaborate with any one artist, who would it be?
M: It would definitely be John Mayer. He’s incredible! His music has inspired me since a young age and I resonate with his sound, lyrics, everything. I love how diverse his style is as well.
CN: What was the first concert you ever attended?
M: I think this is funny, but my first concert ever was Big Time Rush! I was 10 years old and my best friend at the time got us tickets and I was so excited. We had a huge poster for Carlos and had a great time. If you don’t know BTR they are a boyband that had a show on Disney Channel when I was younger.
CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?
M: I think the word I would use would be passionate. In my career of course, but I’m also just a very passionate person in life. I try to give every moment my fullest attention and live as deeply as possible.
CN: What’s next on the horizon for you?
M: I have a lot of music coming! Definitely stay tuned, you can follow me on any music streaming platform you use to be updated when I release new tunes!