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We’re happy to have some time today with Glam Rock artist extraordinaire Madame Daley; greetings and salutations, Madame! Before we dive down the proverbial Q&A rabbit hole, how has 2022 been treating you thus far?
2022 has been amazing. I finally got my band together and the EP is finally coming out! It’s been wayyyy too long in the making.
Kudos and congrats on the August 5 release of your new EP entitled Classic! What’s the Secret Origin story for Classic, how did it come into being?
‘Madame Daley’ the stage persona came to me after watching the movie Breakfast on Pluto for the first time. I have always loved glam rock, 70s fashion and camp. I had always envisioned having a big energetic theatrical rock show with Madame Daley as the perfect ringleader. After a few years of releasing some singer/songwriter material under my actual name, Plaid Dog Recording approached me about their artist rising program where the studio assists the artist in crowdfunding a release. At the time, I hadn’t managed to put a band together so I figured it’d be the perfect opportunity to bring Madame Daley to life with the help of a producer and studio musicians! Finally I got to make some good ole fashioned rock n roll. We actually recorded Annie, Sing Your Heart Out Anyway all the way back in February in 2020 and then the world shutdown. I am actually including a remastered version of Annie on the EP somewhat as little insider joke/reference to what was such a life-changing time period for literally everyone in the world.
Classic is a potent cocktail of love, redemption and empowerment mixed with a healthy dose of hand-clapping rock and roll. Was it important for you as an artist to touch on some of those very raw and basic emotions which we all share?
It’s funny, I used to say I wrote this as a love song about no-one but then my guitarist Suzie said “It’s about your love of music and rock stars, duh!” Haha and she is right. When I sat down to write Classic, I wanted to use only song titles and references to pop-culture because that one of the first questions you ask or get asked when getting to know someone is “What kind of music do you listen to?” I’ve also always loved the idea of a classic beauty, someone who’s style is evergreen and picturesque. So yep, it’s a love song but more so about how music bonds people.
What makes Annie, Sing Your Heart Out Anyway the perfect choice as the single release in the run-up to the EP release of Classic?
My family and the badass women within in it as well as our tie to NYC is very important my identity as a person and as an artist. So using Annie, a song that was inspired by grandmother and speaks about being your unapologetically joyful self, no matter how cynicism you may face, was the perfect way to introduce the Madame to the music scene.
We can’t get Modern Day Dandy out of our noggins! How did this infectious tune come about?
People have told me that before, someone said “it’s like bubblegum for the brain.” I wrote Modern Day Dandy after the political and social unrest that happened in June of 2020 amidst the pandemic. There was sooooo much performative activism from corporations and celebrities. It was so tone-death but it definitely wasn’t a new thing. People with money and status realized they can’t stay relevant if they don’t at least fain some empathy for what’s going on in the world…and then naturally they started capitalizing on it. Prime example are the companies who make their logo rainbow during pride but continue to donate to homophobic politicians. There’s a lot of ugliness happening in this world behind a pretty exterior, so that’s why I wanted make the song super dancy and fun. Like what song is the king whistling to himself on his throne while being fed grapes as the people are outside starving? Its the “Can Can Can Can Ennui”
Who was your producer on Classic and what did your collaboration look like in the studio?
Mike Davidson! He is the owner and founder of Plaid Dog Recording. Very talented guy. It turned out to be a really great fit! He shares a lot of my passion for fighting the good fight and totally understood what I wanted to go for musically. We also tend to enjoy the same memes so that’s always good.
You’re noted for having not only a tremendous presence in the recording studio, but also for being one of the most exciting live acts to ever hit a performance stage! Can you talk with us about your passion for performing in front of an audience and what that means to you as an artist?
It really came from my background in theatre growing up. I was a very shy and anxious kid. Now I have become a not so shy yet anxious adult haha. On the stage, though, I step into a role and become someone new. I always found it to be a safer and less nerve wracking way to express myself. As I’ve gotten older, it’s been easier to tap into the Madame in my daily life. With my shows, I really want the audience to be able to do the same. Let your guard down and just f-ing dance! Be silly and colorful and joyful no matter who you are or what your background is. Become a Starchild even just for the night.
How did the Starchild band form and who are the members of this rocking group?
After moving back to the city in 2021, I let my friend Ruba know that I was looking for some musicians so I could actually perform the EP live. It has also always been a dream of mine to have a band after performing solo for years. Ruba connected me with Suzie Ciftcikal, our lead guitarist and Suzie then reached out to Jasmin Lopez. because they went to high school together and she remembered her playing bass. After that, the three of us were just so happy to be playing with other women that we were determined to find a female drummer and then somehow through the magic of Instagram I found Lexi Jaeger and she joined! Leah Nawy, Lexi’s best friend, joins us on keys when we play original music shows. I love this band so much. They are some of the kindest and most talented people I know. I am a bit older than the rest of them so they truly are my star children.
What do you hope fans walk away with after listening to the Classic EP?
A smile, I suppose. What else can ya hope for?
With the release of the Classic EP, can fans anticipate a full-length album from you in the near future?
Most likely not the near future but there is definitely more on the horizon. The Starchild Band and I are so excited to finally get to write together.
What does your touring itinerary look like for the summer and fall?
We play constantly all over the city but our home base is Haswell Greens! The staff is so great and so is the food! New Yorkers, go visit Haswell Greens asap!! We are playing tunes there most Mondays.
Musically, who excites you?
I am constantly BLOWN away by Remi Wolf. Her production quality is insane, her vocal control is wild and her melodies are so unique but so catchy. She’s fierce.
Final – SILLY! – Question: Favorite movie about the music scene- This Is Spinal Tap or Almost Famous?
Since there is an Almost Famous reference on the EP, I think it might be sacrilegious if I said Spinal Tap.
For Fans Of: T.Rex, Haim, David Bowie, Sweet, Harry Styles, Janis Joplin, The Kinks
About Madame Daley:
“The Madame” is the brainchild of Madison Daley, an instrumentalist and vocalist from NYC. Performing in theatrical productions, writing her own music, working as a staff photographer, and creating film projects, Daley has worked in nearly every artistic medium.
Madame Daley exists at the intersection of Madison’s love for glamorous fashion and gritty rock n roll, her affinity for drag queens and broadway musicals, her nostalgia for the Daley family’s multi-generational history with the city of New York, her all out devotion to the music legends of the 20th century and her never ending appreciation for the power of women and femininity.
Madame Daley crowdfunded her debut single “Annie, Sing Your Heart Out Anyway” in early 2020 and the remainder of the EP in the fall of 2021. She recently joined forces with three NYC based musicians to form the Starchild Band. Madame Daley and the Starchild band take great pride in being an all woman and lgbqt+ group. They began performing together in NYC in May of 2022 to many enthusiastic audiences.
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