Madeline Finn
Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2018
Music
Press
February 14, 2020 (New York, NY) - In its 23rd year, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest created the "Love Songs" Contest, to celebrate Valentine's Day. The JLSC is proud to announce Madeline Finn as the winner for her raw composition "Love Me Like I Love You." The singer/songwriter/guitarist now joins an illustrious list of winners that includes Grammy winner Meghan Trainer who won the Love Song Contest in 2011.
Ironically, and unbeknownst to the Contest, "Love Me Like I Love You" was featured in an article in Alternative Press just yesterday, praising the artist. As she told that publication, "'Love Me Like I Love You' stems out of my own personal experience. It comes from a super-personal place. I had just gotten out of a relationship and was still cohabitating with that partner. One day, I sat down at my little MIDI keyboard and ended up spitting out the first verse. The rest flowed out from there. Music has always been how I cope in difficult situations."
The multi-talented Madeline Finn touches on a wide range of sonic directions in her solo work from sparse folk to meditative piano ballads, twangy rock, and string-laced indie. Originally from Cleveland, she has fronted two bands, the pop-punk-leaning Envoi and Americana-tinged trio Whiskey Hollow. She was also seen on American Idol in 2018. Finn has toured throughout New England, the Pacific Northwest, and her adopted hometown of Nashville. In fact, she will be performing at the legendary Bluebird Café on March 1. Currently, she is working on new solo music mixed by Dave Schiffman (Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Frank Turner).
Prizes for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest "Love Songs" competition include gifts from Audio-Technica, Copperpeace, Focusrite, Genelec, K&M, Mackie, Neutrik, OWC, Reason Studios, Sonicbids, and Yamaha.
PRIZE PACKAGE
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones
Copperpeace Strap
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Focusrite Red 2 & Red 3 Plug-in Suite (AAX/AU/VST)
Genelec Pair of 8010 monitors with carry case
Koenig & Meyer E-Guitar Stand 17540
Koenig & Meyer Microphone Stand 26010-300-55
Mackie Mix12FX 12-Channel Compact Mixer with Effects
Mackie FreePlay LIVE Portable Personal PA with Bluetooth
Mackie Onyx Producer 2-2 USB Audio Interface
(2) Neutrik custom John Lennon Educational Tour Bus cables
OWC Mercury On-the-go Pro 1TB Hard Drive
OWC USB-C Travel Dock
Reason Studios Reason
Sonicbids Sonicbids membership (Gig Seeker Pro)
Yamaha PAC012DLX OVS Electric Guitar
Yamaha PSRE263 Keyboard & SKD2 Survival Kit - John Lennon Singer Songwriter Contest
The Cleveland musician first gained traction with pop-punk act Envoi, a band who once caught the attention of Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams via YouTube comment due to Finn’s powerhouse range. While the band eventually parted ways (and Finn recently reunited with them), she definitely hasn’t slowed down thanks to other musical avenues.
Finn ventured into more of a folk-tinged sound under the Whiskey Hollow beginning in 2015, releasing a debut full-length, X Waters, and Greenhouse EP in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Soon after, the vocalist grabbed her guitar and headed to American Idol in 2018, landing a golden ticket before being eliminated during “Hollywood Week.”
Following that stint, the vocalist recorded in an 18th century mansion for what would become her first release under Madeline Finn, Colerain Mansion EP. Finn closed out 2019 with a new single, “Save Yourself,” in December followed by an intimate music video.
Now, she’s opening up on the emotional experience that inspired her next song, “Love Me Like I Love You,” which you can see below along with the track.
Walk us through the writing process for “Love Me Like I Love You.” What inspired it, and how did it come together?
“Love Me Like I Love You” stems out of my own personal experience. It comes from a super-personal place. I had just gotten out of a relationship and was still cohabitating with that partner. One day, I sat down at my little MIDI keyboard and ended up spitting out the first verse. The rest flowed out from there. Music has always been how I cope in difficult situations, and I was feeling a lot of confusion based around still having feelings, understanding the unhealthy parts of the relationship and unraveling the whole process.
Read more: Matty Healy promises the 1975 will only play gender-balanced festivals
Tell us more about the inspiration behind the track’s lyrics. Why was it important for you to tell this story through music?
While diving into some of the more complex emotional parts of the experience, I found a lot of healing in writing this song. I realized that so much of the turmoil and toxicity came from misunderstanding along with poor communication. Facing the rawness of the whole ordeal head-on gave me a new perspective on conflict, especially in terms of a romantic relationship—one where I could attempt to understand and truly accept the other person without judgment. It’s funny because the whole song almost mirrors me finding the lesson in grief. I think the story shows what it’s like to have anger toward someone or a situation while still caring for them. It’s one big confusing hot mess, but man, it really helps you grow.
Sonically, the track builds from soft vocalization to a really full sound with more instrumentation. What was the significance of approaching the structure in this way?
I’m a total sucker for starting a song stripped down and then bringing out the big guns. However, this song goes a little beyond just enjoying the dynamic variation. I feel like starting pretty bare with a simple piano and vocal speaks to the fragility and vulnerability of coming to some of the harder realizations about unhealthy relationships. When the band kicks in, the drums are actually live takes drummer Tom [Stankiewicz] did that we then spliced into samples and manipulated. I really dig this part because it speaks to the repetitive and sometimes destructive cycles we can get into when we are fighting to make something work. As the song progresses and the energy builds, I wanted it to speak to the intensity and commotion that was going on in my inner monologue.
Read more: Hayley Williams shares camcorder footage for raw “Simmer” lyric video
How has your sound progressed with this track compared to your other releases as a solo artist as well as with projects such as the Whiskey Hollow and Envoi? How is it different?
It really has been a journey, hasn’t it? [Laughs.] It’s so interesting to look back and observe how much my style has changed since Envoi released an EP in 2013. The Whiskey Hollow were an outlet to break off from the super-heavy, energetic pop-punk stuff and focus on more of my songwriting. Within a few years, that project went from being a solo Americana vibe to a total hard-rock full-band scenario. No matter what project I’m in, I always seem to gravitate back to more chill, ethereal and ambient music. So my first solo release, Colerain Mansion, was another chance to break away and get back to focusing on songwriting. But now, for the first time, I feel like I’ve found the balance with this release and “Save Yourself.” It’s the perfect, soul-feeding blend of chill singer-songwriter meets “I’m going to kick you in the teeth” rock ’n’ roll that I have such a blast with. With this new direction, the focus is above all else on the song…It’s all about serving the song.
Madeline Finn has a personal goal of playing 150 shows in 2020, and the first handful are scheduled over the next few weeks with tickets available here. She also plans to keep releasing plenty of new tunes, and you can keep up with her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Check out “Love Me Like I Love You” below. - Alternative Press
Madeline Finn’s “Save Yourself” is both heavy and folky, leaning into the bold, etherial style she’s known for.
“Part of what I love about being an artist is being able to collaborate with other creators,” she explains. “The Overlook Entertainment creative team have crafted such an interesting, articulate-yet-simple visualization of a song that is very vulnerable and personal to me. ‘Save Yourself’ is an exploration into instrumentation, emotion, and honesty … one that I felt led to share with anyone who has ever experienced the toil of unhealthy examples of love.
Musically, “Save Yourself” illustrates Finn’s diverse strengths as a musician and songwriter. The song begins with sparse arrangements dominated by rich, folk-leaning acoustic guitar and her evocative voice. But, as “Save Yourself” progresses, Finn adds sturdy electric guitars, forceful drums, textured percussion and arrangement flourishes—including layers of mesmerizing, interlocking, vocals—until the song explodes and morphs into a strident, confident rock song.
Lyrically, “Save Yourself” details the aftermath of an unhealthy relationship told from the perspective of someone who misses an ex but knows that self-preservation required the breakup. In a voice full of resignation, Finn hints at hitting a breaking point (“I keep treading water, but you’ve got to save yourself”) even as she misses her partner.
The stark, black-and-white video for “Save Yourself” embodies the song’s deeply personal lyrics and themes. Footage of nature’s awe-inspiring power—for example, tranquil, crashing ocean waves and a house engulfed in flames—alternate with Finn in a bathtub full of water, fiercely staying afloat despite hands that try to push her under. The video films these struggles from above and focuses on Finn’s face—illuminating the strength and grace with which she faces this tough situation. - New Noise
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland singer-songwriter Madeline Finn has embarked on her first solo venture with her debut EP "Colerain Mansion."
Finn is the lead singer and guitarist of Cleveland rock band The Whiskey Hollow, and in the past was the singer of pop-punk band Envoi and rock band Maddie Finn (her high school band which won the Tri-C High School Rock-Off in 2010 -- the first female-fronted group to do so). - Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland rock star Madeline Finn is going to Hollywood.
Finn, who auditioned on "American Idol" months ago, officially announced her move forward in the show on Sunday night after the final audition episode aired on ABC.
Finn's original audition was not shown on TV, but she's expected to appear in the next week's "Hollywood Week" episodes on "American Idol." She announced her move forward in the show on social media Sunday night. - Cleveland.com
Discography
Colerain Mansion - EP (release date: 9/18/18)
Trial By Fire - Album (release date: 8/28/20)
Whippoorwill - Single (release date: 11/13/20)
Ohio - Single (release date: 3/26/21)
Photos
Bio
Madeline Finn's musical c.v. already includes fronting two bands at opposite ends of the sonic spectrum: the pop-punk-leaning band Envoi and the Americana-tinged trio Whiskey Hollow. Appropriately, the Cleveland-raised singer-songwriter's solo music also reflects a wide range of sonic directions: sparse folk, meditative piano ballads, twangy rock, and string-laced indie. "I have such an eclectic mix of influences, I wanted to record music that reflected that," she says. "It's all about making decisions based on feel, making decisions based on what is authentic and what the song wants—and not necessarily trying to stay into a certain box." Finn's new solo album ‘Trial By Fire’ was mixed by Dave Schiffman (Jimmy Eat World, Weezer, Frank Turner), an experience she relished for the way it challenged her. He isn't the only industry veteran giving Finn expert guidance, however. In 2018, when she was a Top 70 finalist on American Idol, Finn also received an unexpected boost from a pop superstar. "Katy Perry gave me the best piece of advice I've ever gotten: 'Maddie, you've got this really cool, sexy, angsty thing about you. But you don't need to prove it every time you sing,'" she explains. "Which was such a light bulb moment for me. I feel like I've grown as a vocalist so much just from that one piece of advice. Having somebody like her say that to me totally flipped my perspective on how I approached my vocals." Finn has taken all of this advice to heart because she's always been serious about her craft. She started playing guitar at age 12, and then taught herself bass and played drums in high school marching band. (For good measure, she also plays piano.) Even as a young kid, Finn was drawn to music: She vividly recalls pretending to play guitar while singing into a microphone, and frequently turned pots and pans upside down and banged on them using spoons for drumsticks. At the end of the day, Finn doesn't take her responsibility as a musician lightly. In fact, she relishes the one-on-one interactions she has with fans, who are drawn to her genuine storytelling and emotional sincerity. "I have a mission statement that I live by: that I'm a voice to help encourage others to rise above their own negativity so that they may inspire others to do the same thing," she says. "I feel strongly that [musical ability is] this gift I've been given, and it's my duty and my job to share it to make the world a little bit better place.
Luckily, Finn is also the rare vocal talent with the range to handle just about any music she wants to write. She'll howl and whisper, rage and mourn, croon and conspire—always with breathtaking precision and heart-piercing sincerity. And, as always, Finn's lyrics speak to the awe-inspiring (if occasionally bittersweet) experience of being human.
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