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Madison McFerrin is the kind of beloved vocalist and producer the Brooklyn bruhs and baddies swear by.
On Know You Better, she brings a near-Disney-esque simplicity to iambic pentameter.
On the just-released (kindly Dont) Leave Me Now, she looks for an even grittier tonality.
You did a couple shows in Brooklyn and L.A. last month.
How have folks been receiving Stay Away (From Me)?Its definitely producing a vibe.
People are getting down and really moving, which is the goal.
The song is a darker tone for you, too.
I pissed me off.
Most of the time just being like, What are you doing?
Get your shit together.
So I wrote a song about it.
Is that accurate?Mm-hmm.
Its a common theme in my music.
Its like, Get out of your own way, girl.
You got to do you.
How does it usually manifest?
And its not easy to just let that stuff roll off you and not affect you in any way.
I think thats what a lot of that is.
Theres an urgency to it.
The process of navigating within that and through that is really special.
But sometimes there are just these moments where something happens and you gotta get it out immediately.
Im trying to find out where a song goes myself.
And being able to find that is really fun.
What are your practices for coming back to that understanding?Well, I journal every day.
I think that a lot of the a cappella stuff, its very light and floaty and airy.
Ive been trying to not be as flowery.
And thats actually been fun.
Im liking the challenge.
So you have several EPs and singles to your name but not an album.
But, am I dropping an album?
Yes, I am.
Okay, lets go!We are doing it.
It is finished, its ruminating.
Something that kept coming up earlier in your career is how youre primarily a solo artist.
You largely like to do your own thing.
It feels like that has changed a little because youve been collaborating on remixes with others.
But it was more so because I wanted to challenge myself to do that.
Not as much, like,I just have to do this by myself.
I definitely wasnt anticipating that thats what it would be, but thats what it ended up being.
I think that the album is really just an expansion on what has been happening [with me].
That has been a thing that Ive become even more grateful for in this moment.
Its allowed me to tour more because Im just worried about myself.
Theres not a bunch of other people with me.
Its very much contributed to the growth in my confidence.
Its not an easy thing to perform solo.
A lot of people dont do it.
Ive always wondered if youre a turn-up pop in of person.
Are you?Oh, I love being out with the people.
One was in the Bronx and one was in Newark.
And it was just beautiful Black people dancing to amazing music.
And then literally a week later it was like, End scene.
Universe said, glad yall had fun, sis!
Margaritas and wine over at the McFerrin house.
I love a great party.
Who doesnt love a great party?
I hate bad parties.
Bad parties are dumb.
Since I was a little kid, too, I was always trying to find a dance party.
I was like, Where are we going?
I was like, We should be allowed to have a dance too.
But they didnt listen to me.
I was like, Lets go.
I want to dance.
I need to let out this energy, which was just hormones.
But, yeah, Madison McFerrin loves a good turn-up.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
