INTRO BY KAT VISTI
INTERVIEW BY CAMI LIBERTY
PHOTO BY IRVIN RIVERA
Madeline Lauer is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. Her creativity in music, which blends together pop, R&B, and jazz, helped her to create a lot of her music. She just released her album Open Book which features her latest single 'Come Around.' Madeline also just released a music video for her single entitled Chasing. We sat down with Madeline to learn more about how she got her start, the music she's released, and what she wants to do in the future.
How did you first get your start in the music industry?
MADELINE: "When I was 17 years old, I met a producer at a talent show who invited me to California to start making my first album. I spent the last half of my senior year in a hotel being homeschooled by my dad while I began writing and recording my project. I was supposed to go to college at the end of the summer but I never left. That is how I got my start in the music industry."
What was your first live performance like?
MADELINE: "My first real performance was a high school talent show. I performed So Emotional by Christina Aguilera. I was obsessed with how big the stage was. I just sexy walked back and forth in low rise jeans and a white tube top. I felt so cool and it makes me giggle now."
In your own words, how would you describe your music?
MADELINE: "I would say its emotional, relatable, and sensual. It has a lot of different elements like R&B, alternative, pop, and a touch of jazz."
You recently released your album Open Book – what was the process like creating it?
MADELINE: "It was hard to get this project completed for one main reason, I was working and going to school full time. However, my production team had a catalogue of pretty funky beats that they let me choose from and write to in my free time. I happened to be working at Conway Recording Studios during this period and was able to pop in before and after sessions to record what I had written. It took a while but we were determined. My next album will be a completely different process."
For those who don’t know you, which song of yours would you want them to listen to as a first impression?
MADELINE: "I would say that when I recorded Anchor, I felt like I finally found my sound. I loved how romantic it was and I had never sung an entire hook in my falsetto before. It's my favorite song on Open Book."
PHOTO BY IRVIN RIVERA
You also recently released your second EP, Black Roses! What made you want to release another EP?
MADELINE: "My boyfriend and I recently went to Tulum, Mexico and happened to be listening to a lot of the reggae artist Barrington Levy on the trip. Although we have been fans of Barrington throughout the years, there was something about the setting of Tulum, the people we were meeting, and the adventures we were going on that inspired us to create a project in remembrance. So, we covered three Barrington Levy songs and decided to release them for free on my SoundCloud while continuing to focus on my next full length album."
If you could collaborate with anybody, who would it be and why?
MADELINE: "I would love to work with Miguel. He’s one of my favorite R&B artists of all time. His unmatched sound is fantastically stimulating and I would be honored to be a part of it in any way."
Is there anything we can expect from you in the near future?
MADELINE: "Besides a new album, there is a little surprise I am working on. I will also be dropping more free music in between. Keep a look out on my social media @madelinelauer."