MADAME MAYHEM: "The lyrics come from real life experiences I was dealing with at the time, and topics I continue to struggle with today. I hope the listeners can relate to the new music and make it part of their own lives, enjoy the music and sing along."
March 18, 2018
MADAME MAYHEMis a Manhattan born singer-songwriter. She released her debut album "White Noise" in 2012. That was followed up by the album "Now You Know" in 2015. Recently she has released "Ready for Me" and is on tour with SEVENDUSTin the US. Metal Temple Co-Editor-In-Chief Bradley Karr recently had the chance to ask her a few questions and dig deeper into her songwriting, the band, and other topics.
Please allow me to give you a big welcome from Metal Temple! Can you give us the story of how Madame Mayhem began?
Thank You! I knew I wanted to be a musician, a singer, and performer ever since I can remember and have spent my entire life preparing and striving for that goal. I am a rocker at heart so it only made sense to pursue the hard rock genre. All artists constantly evolve as I think I have with every step in my career, and will continue to do so. My parents started calling me Madame Mayhem years ago because whether I caused it or not, Mayhem seemed to follow me wherever I went, and then the name just stuck. So when it came time to choose a name, it made sense to use it.
If you had to describe Madame Mayhem to someone unfamiliar with you, what would you say?
Entertaining and theatrical Hard Rock, hard- hitting, high-energy music with pleasing melodies and real emotion.
How close is the Madame Mayhem persona to your actual persona? What are the similarities and differences?
On stage the outfits and makeup are exaggerated but I don't try to be a different person. I try to be true to myself with just a heightened and more extreme ' in your face' attitude and energy when performing.
Who were some of your influences growing up and now?
I have a very eclectic taste in music, but I truly love Hard Rock and Metal. I am also a classically trained singer so melodies and harmonies are important to me as well. My mother listened to Grunge music when I was a baby so that was some of my first music listening experiences. Then as I got older my taste got heavier. It's hard to say what exactly inspires me at any given time, it's just a feeling of inspiration I get in the moment from whatever it may be.
What do you do to unwind when you are not doing music?
I'm usually always doing something music related, it is my life, whether I'm creating, performing or working on the business side of things. But when I do have a chance to unwind I love spending time with my family, playing with the family dog, and going to do fun workouts like dance classes or kickboxing.
The song and video for "Ready for Me" has a lot of themes of being comfortable with your individuality and differences. What message would you give to fans who have a hard time accepting their individuality?
Yes! Those are the themes in the song and the video. I would tell fans to be themselves. Be proud of your individuality and don't think you need to hide being different just because you are afraid you won't fit in. Just be you, and it'll all work out.
In the video of "War you Started" everything is black and white except for the pink colors. Was this just an artistic choice or did it have a deeper meaning?
It was more of an artistic choice for this music video. The coloring matches the hot pink and black spiked gloves I usually wear and we thought it would look really cool and add something a little different and interesting to the full band performance video. If people haven't checked out the music video yet, I recommend going to our official YouTube page and watch!
https://www.youtube.com/user/MadameMayhemOfficial
I saw that you are doing a tour with SEVENDUST. How do you prepare for a tour, and get into the mindset to be on the road for an extended time?
Yes! We are super excited for this upcoming tour! There is a lot to do to prepare for a tour, both logistically and artistically. There is a lot of work to be done but it is always worth it and always so much fun to get out on the road and rock out with the crowds every night. The most important thing I do to prepare is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. As for getting into the mindset of being on the road for a long period of time, I am lucky that my band and crew are super close and we all get along great! We all try to respect each other's space however small it may be, since we are in close quarters at all time on the road.
What is the craziest thing you have seen, or encountered while on tour?
What happens on the road, stays on the road (haha). People should come out to the shows to witness any potential craziness for themselves, they will not be disappointed, it's always a good time.
What three bands would be your dream to tour with?
That's a difficult question! There are so many bands I would LOVE to tour with and feel we would be a great fit to tour with. But for the sake of the question, three bands that would be my dream to tour with (living) would be Metallica, Breaking Benjamin (we got to open for them at SunFest 2017, but a full tour would be amazing), and Disturbed.
Can you tell us about the evolution of your sound from the album "White Noise" to "Now You Know" to "Ready for Me"?
I feel I continue to grow as an artist and a songwriter through life and practice. I feel the songs I write have gotten more and more personal as I become more vulnerable in my lyrics. The sound is definitely continuing to be modern, hard hitting, hard rock music with melodies that bring out the emotion of each song.
What would you say is the biggest difference between recording your first album and recording you new album?
As an artist, you are always trying to make your next work better than your last. I am really proud of "Ready For Me". I think listeners are really going to enjoy the modern hard rock, high energy and melodic elements of all 13 songs. I feel this album has music that all music fans can enjoy. The new songs are very personal to me. The lyrics come from real life experiences I was dealing with at the time, and some topics I continue to struggle with today. I hope the listeners can relate to the new music and make it part of their own lives, as well as enjoy the music and sing along!
What methods do you use to get your music out to the masses, and expand your visibility?
There are so many different ways to get music out there these days. Hitting the road and playing live shows definitely helps. Performing and singing on stage has always been my favorite thing to do so it's definitely my method of choice.
Do you think social media helps bands get noticed easier now, or do bands get overlooked because there are so many vying for fans attention?
I think it's a mix of both. There is a lot of pressure to keep up with all forms of social media at all times in order to continue to keep fans engaged. The industry keeps an eye on those statistics, so it can be stressful. BUT at the same time I enjoy connecting with fans and fellow music lovers through our social media pages and through our email list which people can sign up/"subscribe" for free on at our website www.MadameMayhem.com.
Where would you like to see Madame Mayhem in the next upcoming years?
Continuing to play live shows around the world and continuing to make music.
Thank you for this opportunity. Is there anything else you want to share with us that I might not have asked?
Thank YOU!
People can keep up with all things Madame Mayhem by going to the website:
You can also go to the website to see where you can get your copy and listen to the new album "Ready For Me". It's out now! You can see the next time we are playing in a city near you by subscribing to our e-mail list on the website and by checking out:
https://www.MadameMayhem.com/Tour
Or tracking us on:
https://www.bandsintown.com/madamemayhem
Also make sure to follow, like, subscribe, and say hello on social media:
https://www.Facebook.com/MadameMayhem
https://www.Twitter.com/MayhemOfficial
https://www.Instagram.com/MadameMayhem
https://www.Youtube.com/MadameMayhemOfficial
SnapChat: MadameMayhem
https://www.Pinterest.com/MadameMayhem
Let the Mayhem Continue!
Source:
More results...