Meet MADSN, aspiring singer-songwriter
24-year-old aspiring singer-songwriter from Washington State moved to L.A. to pursue her lifelong dream of being a musician.
Image taken by Maria Weyne for Bassline Magazine
Washington state is known for its forests, gloomy days, and music innovators. MADSN hopes to join that list one day. The singer-songwriter grew up in Spokane but has dreamt of being a musician since she was in elementary school.
She spent most of her life working towards music, playing at churches and local cafes around her hometown. She later went to college, got her degree in Communications, and then made the biggest move yet, Los Angeles, CA.
In August 2021, she packed her bags and moved a few hours down the interstate 5 freeway to sunny California.
THE L.A. DREAM
Despite being completely new to the city of dreams, stars and angels, MADSN had a few familiar faces to surround herself with.
“I was definitely expecting not to get into it as soon as I did,” she explained. “I was really thankful because I had some people I already knew here, a lot of my friends from Seattle moved down here.”
Like many small artists, MADSN chose to play a few gigs with Breaking Sound, The company strives to help young and new artists to achieve their dreams of stardom worldwide. She also wanted to network and began attending gigs to meet and support fellow musicians.
“I think the Biggest thing is networking, making friends and helping each other [out],” she said. “Yeah, I actually feel like I’ve been really lucky, the people that I’ve met have really helped get traction.”
Before her move, MADSN had already released five of her own songs, adding three more to the roster once she had settled in her new home. Despite her talent and grit, she feels that all the connections she has made since arriving in L.A. are genuine, and attributes a lot of her career advancements to them.
Surrounded by her support group, she has already broken through to the other side of music-making. At just 24, she has performed at the Viper Room, the Hotel Cafe, and at the Life is Beautiful music festival, creating a prodigious resume for herself.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
MADSN still strives to push herself to the highest level a musician can achieve: worldwide fame. One of the biggest setbacks she and many other artists in L.A. have is the cost of being a musician. Between paying bands, producers, photographers and editors, most end up with only a few dollars in their bank account.
She explained that if she could give anyone advice, it would be to be picky about the things they choose to pay for. MADSN added that shows, booking studio time and rehearsals are all very important investments in her eyes.
A big leap in her career happened recently when Kelly McGarry Presents offered her a slot at Troubadour, one of L.A.’s biggest venues for smaller-scale artists. The venue requires a minimum of 300 tickets sold according to their booking agent, which is almost double the maximum attendance for venues like Hotel Cafe. The show will take place on Jan.12, 2023.
MADSN also has a new single, “Ready to Go,” on the way set to hit streaming platforms on Jan. 13, 2023. As she continues on her journey, things seem to be falling into place.
THE ULTIMATE GOAL
MADSN’s hard work and dedication are clearly seen through her work. In a little over a year, she has come as far as playing music festivals and headlining some of the biggest venues in Los Angeles. But, she feels that this is not all hers to take.
“I could definitely see myself, if I was signed to a label, [...] doing consultations with people [on the side],” she explained. “[I would be] teaching them how to be successful, because I feel like it is kind of a waste if you are just keeping it all to yourself.”
