“The Madame” is the brainchild of Madison Daley, an instrumentalist and vocalist from the sunshine state. 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.
How did you decide on using the name Madame Daley, instead of your real name?
‘Madame Daley’ is not just a name but also a stage persona. She’s not exactly a drag queen but she isn’t me (Madison) either. In my mind, Madame Daley is her truest, freeist, most colorful self and inspires others to do the same. The actual name is inspired by Madame George by Van Morrison. The lines “In a corner playing dominoes in drag, The one and only Madame George” and “And as you leave, the room is filled with music, Laughing, music, dancing, music all around the room” in particular stick out to me.
The idea of Madame George doing something unspectacular while being dressed up spectacularly is something I love. You don’t have to wait for special occasions to get dressed up and laugh and dance. There are no rules! I wore this very campy avant-garde popcorn headpiece my mom made me (who is an amazing artist) at a gig recently and someone in the crowd asked “Why?” and I asked “Why not?” Haha. Just because it’s fun, that’s always why!
How long have you been making music?
I have been singing forever but I started writing music after teaching myself to play guitar at 15.
What was the first moment you thought “I could do this for the rest of my life?”
When I performed a cover on a loop pedal at my high school talent show. Though I had spent all my years in school doing theater, performing as yourself in front of your peers is a lot different. I was so nervous but the reaction was really nice.
What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
On this EP, there are some songs full of love and joy while others are about serious issues going on in the world. Songwriting often just comes from what you’ve been going through in the moment so, yes I would say of course it will change over time.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
So much of my sound is inspired by music from the 60s, 70s and 80s but I would definitely say my lyricism has been inspired more so by modern artists like Hoizer, Walk the Moon, Harry Styles and believe it or not comedy musicians like Bo Burnham and Ninja Sex Party. You have to be smart to be funny. Writing lyrics is just a different type of word play.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you when you first got into music?
HAIM. The 2nd time I saw Haim, it was 2017 and I was standing on the barricade at a venue with just over a 1,000 person capacity. Then recently, I saw them at Madison Square Garden from the 300 section! At the 2017 show I was in college and my friend who ran a local music blog in Denver asked me to write a piece about the show. The article was titled “The Importance of Haim”. I wrote about how awe-inspiring it was to see a band of all women (let alone sisters) absolutely shredding on their instruments and captivating a crowd in the process. They are not the first women to have a rock band but they were the first I ever saw and it meant a lot to me.
Your shows have been said to be a “rock n roll circus” and unlike anything else. What inspired you to take this approach?
I want people to walk away talking about it..like when you leave a movie theater and everyone on the way out is excitedly discussing the movie. Everything the Madame does is a show, not just a bar gig, and I want the audience to feel that. The ‘rock n roll’ circus thing comes from Rolling Stone’s show where they had tons of bands come together. We currently play an all covers show that we like to call a “Jukebox circus” because we play all genres and eras. It’s for anybody who loves music.
What do you do to prepare for a show?
Drink whiteclaws with the Starchild Band while rehearsing haha. Also, come up with a fun costume concept. I am about to head out to a gig and tonight me and the starchild band are doing a floral 70s inspired look. Two weeks ago, we dressed like honky tonk bikers. Genuinely, I want people to never know what to expect look-wise.
How can other artists make their live shows an engaging, interactive experience?
Figure out things that can be fun and surprising but still feel like you as an artist. Always get the audience involved anytime you can that feels natural. There is a 90s rap mashup in our show that always shocks people but ends up getting the best response.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Our EP release show is sold out! We are so excited to perform. 150 people is the biggest crowd to date.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Hmm, I suppose David Bowie and Queen. They are such big inspirations to me in how they put a show together. Freddie Mercury could entertain an entire arena with just his voice and Bowie knew how to brilliantly execute a concept. Currently, I think Harry Styles does something pretty damn close to that. So those three, definitely.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My main piece of advice to people that encapsulates the Madame is “If you want to pull something off, you put it on and say to yourself ‘I’m pulling this off’.”