Canadian singer-songwriter Madison Muller strives to write songs that connect with her listeners on a personal level. She has garnered attention at her live shows, online, and across radio stations. Mueller has also won multiple independent music awards over the past five years. Her latest release, "Sweet Bitterness," came out in 2021 during the pandemic and explores the joy found in life's simple pleasures. The song captures the excitement reminiscent of childhood moments, like the night before a field trip or Christmas morning. Stef sat down with Madison to talk about her journey, "Sweet Bitterness," and what's next in our latest Five Fast Facts!
SJ: Hi Madison! We’re so excited to talk about you and your latest release!
MM: Hey Stefani! I’m so glad to be chatting with you about it!! It’s been a little while since, but the song doesn’t seem to get old for me!
1. SJ: Tell us about you! What first inspired you and your musical journey? Musical influences?
MM: I feel like inspiration comes in many different ways throughout life! I always loved music as a kid and I was lucky enough to have a family and parents that also loved listening to music. They saw a passion in me when I was young and have continued to support me throughout my career! Some of my major influences range from the classics of Joni Mitchell, Genesis, and Queen, and go all the way to some of my favorite current artists such as Maggie Rogers, Ben Howard, Bon Iver and so many more! When I’m not creating, I’m finding new music to obsess over and find inspiration from.
2. SJ: Your most recent single is "Sweet Bitterness." Can you tell us the story behind what inspired this track? What did your songwriting process look like?
MM: The songwriting process for every song looks a little different, especially for Sweet Bitterness! I wrote the verses first on the piano and then found a chorus that I really liked on the guitar - piecing them together felt seamless! I wrote it during the midst of the pandemic, and I was trying to draw inspiration from past moments that brought me joy.
I write a lot about nostalgia, and this song specifically had the idea of a young me being so excited for the smallest of things - a field trip the next day, or waking up on the morning of your birthday. I still do yearn for that childlike anticipation in my early 20s, and this song was a reflection of that during a very difficult period of life for many people.
3. SJ: What was the recording and production process like? Do you have a formula that works best for you, or does your process differ with each release?
MM: My process does change with each release, and I think that’s due to a few reasons. I have currently only released singles instead of a collection of songs, which I think gives me more freedom to change it up each song. I’m very much still finding “my sound” and I don’t think that will ever change (which I think is a good thing)! When I first started recording, I was only 16 then, so my ability to articulate how I envision my songs is a lot easier now than it was at the start. I usually write my songs fully on one instrument and flesh it out from that point, either on my own or with a producer. I feel like “Sweet Bitterness” had a really solid mix of my own wants, as well as the suggestions from the producer (Michael Jack) and the other musicians involved in the track. Sometimes another amazing musician adds something to your track that completely changes the initial idea and I think it’s good to run with that when it feels right!
Madison Mueller covering the Jonas Brothers!
4. SJ: "Sweet Bitterness" was released back in 2021. Since then, what have you been up to and working on?
MM: Due to the pandemic, live music in Canada didn’t start coming back really until the past two summers. Once it made a return, so did I! I have been working on my live shows and playing locally and within my surrounding area consistently, and am planning a new release within the next few months. I have done festivals and private events all throughout the summer, and it’s brought a new love of music back to me! Ideally, I would like to get an EP together as I think a collection of songs would be the right move for me at this point. I have been writing and planning for this and am super excited to see what my audience thinks! I don’t have an official release date as of yet, but I am working towards that as we speak!
5. SJ: What is one song you wish Madison Mueller wrote?
MM: What a difficult question!!! There are so many songs that I could name here… One of the ones that have always stuck out to me lyrically is Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”. I did a poetry project based on that song in high school and it has stuck with me since. It applies to so many walks of life and it’s a song that grows with you as you experience life. I think that’s the mark of a truly timeless song. I loved it at 17, and will probably attach myself to it just as easily when I’m 70. It’s incredible that she was able to write like that at her young age. Her ability to provide imagery in such few words has always amazed me, never mind her vocals and creative melodies. As mentioned, I take a lot of inspiration from her. Though I first used the guitar tuning of Open D when learning a Bon Iver song, every time I tune to that on the guitar, I call it my “Joni” tuning and I think that speaks volumes. I’m not even sure that I wish I wrote it, but it’s one of the songs that I catch myself impressed by every single time I hear it. Needless to say, it will stay in my setlist as a cover forever.
SJ: What’s next for Madison? What can we look forward to?
MM: You can absolutely look forward to new music in the new year! It’s going to be a reflection of life over the last 4 years, and I think a lot of people will be able to relate to the earnest and heartfelt nature of most of the songs. It’s vulnerable but still feels very genuine and authentic to me and I think that’s always going to be one of the more important things to me within my music. And it should get stuck in your head - I’m a sucker for a good hook! Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and my music, I hope you’ll continue to follow me on my journey!!
Album Art: Autumn Gallacher
Listen to "Sweet Bitterness" below!
Credits:
Production: Michael Jack and Madison Mueller
Recording, Edit, and Mix: Michael Jack at The Radio Room
Vocals Recorded by: Matt Snell at Genesis Sound Inc.
Mastered by: Peter Letros at Wreckhouse Mastering
Lyrics, Acoustic guitar, Keyboards, and Vocals: Madison Mueller
Drums: Davide Direnzo
Bass: Ed Roman
"High String" acoustic guitar: Chris Tomchak
Electric Guitar, Keyboards: Michael Jack
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