Maddie’s voice is special; it’s what sets her apart. By turns ethereal and powerful yet always expressive.
“A voice that could melt glass.” Decode
“A voice that projects both her humanity and her warmth.” Green Man Review
“Reminiscent of the great Joni Mitchell.” BBC Wiltshire
Maddie’s music is equally impressive. She writes songs of longing, nostalgia and beauty; songs inspired by looking out of the window on long journeys at changing landscapes and glimpsed lives; twisted fairytales and characters as “poignantly real as any that the late Dennis Potter ever invented.” Living Tradition. And all tempered with a wry humour and a whimsy that never becomes predictable.
The arrangements, featuring Maddie’s trademark piano and enhanced by the beautiful and haunting cello of long-time musical collaborator and Katherine Martin, display at times an almost classical purity.
“Imagine the contented glow you get sitting comfortably in front of a fire, thoughtfully reflecting on moments and evocations arising within and out of the flames.” Net Rhythms
Her first two releases, the independently produced and released ‘Unlikely Prom Queen’, and the EP ‘Hollow’, were extremely well received, gaining plaudits and airplay both here and in the USA and inviting comparisons to Suzanne Vega and Kate Bush. “Maddie Southorn’s delightful album ‘Unlikely Prom Queen’ has depth and heart. This is a beautiful, wonderful album…I am indebted to her for sharing her thoughts, her words and her wisdom.” Green Man Review
“This has quality stamped all over it.” Net Rhythms
Her third album, ‘The Pilgrim Soul’, was released by the prestigious Fellside Recordings label and featured contributions from such highly respected artists as Nancy Kerr (fiddle), Karen Tweed (accordion) and multi-instrumentalist Stevie Lawrence. On hearing it Radio 2’s Mike Harding was prompted to declare it “one of the best albums of 2005. A real gem.”
“A CD of great musical integrity, of substance and control.” Stirrings.
“An excellent contemporary slant on the folk tradition.” Maverick
Maddie returns to her singer-songwriter roots with her latest album 'What Came Before', released on 16th March 2012. The result of two years of writing, producing and recording, the album is a breathtaking and bittersweet reflection on life and loss, full of texture and nuance. Oh, and there's a Duran Duran cover version too. This time it was completely independent as she not only wrote and performed but also engineered and produced. "Having my own studio has given me the time and space to explore all the ideas that have inspired me over the last two years, both musically and lyrically, and to really challenge myself to be a better artist," says Maddie
Proof, if proof were needed, that Maddie is “a creative force to be reckoned with” Net Rhythms and continues to create the kind of music that “could find itself resting proudly on a million coffee tables worldwide.” Decode
www.maddiesouthorn.com
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.
Maddie’s voice is special; it’s what sets her apart. By turns ethereal and powerful yet always expressive.
“A voice that could melt glass.” Decode
“A voice that projects both her humanity and her warmth.” Green Man Review
“Reminiscent of the great Joni Mitchell.” BBC Wiltshire
Maddie’s music is equally impressive. She writes songs of longing, nostalgia and beauty; songs inspired by looking out of the window on long journeys at changing landscapes and glimpsed lives; twisted fairytales and characters as “poignantly real as any that the late Dennis Potter ever invented.” Living Tradition. And all tempered with a wry humour and a whimsy that never becomes predictable.
The arrangements, featuring Maddie’s trademark piano and enhanced by the beautiful and haunting cello of long-time musical collaborator and Katherine Martin, display at times an almost classical purity.
“Imagine the contented glow you get sitting comfortably in front of a fire, thoughtfully reflecting on moments and evocations arising within and out of the flames.” Net Rhythms
Her first two releases, the independently produced and released ‘Unlikely Prom Queen’, and the EP ‘Hollow’, were extremely well received, gaining plaudits and airplay both here and in the USA and inviting comparisons to Suzanne Vega and Kate Bush. “Maddie Southorn’s delightful album ‘Unlikely Prom Queen’ has depth and heart. This is a beautiful, wonderful album…I am indebted to her for sharing her thoughts, her words and her wisdom.” Green Man Review
“This has quality stamped all over it.” Net Rhythms
Her third album, ‘The Pilgrim Soul’, was released by the prestigious Fellside Recordings label and featured contributions from such highly respected artists as Nancy Kerr (fiddle), Karen Tweed (accordion) and multi-instrumentalist Stevie Lawrence. On hearing it Radio 2’s Mike Harding was prompted to declare it “one of the best albums of 2005. A real gem.”
“A CD of great musical integrity, of substance and control.” Stirrings.
“An excellent contemporary slant on the folk tradition.” Maverick
Maddie returns to her singer-songwriter roots with her latest album 'What Came Before', released on 16th March 2012. The result of two years of writing, producing and recording, the album is a breathtaking and bittersweet reflection on life and loss, full of texture and nuance. Oh, and there's a Duran Duran cover version too. This time it was completely independent as she not only wrote and performed but also engineered and produced. "Having my own studio has given me the time and space to explore all the ideas that have inspired me over the last two years, both musically and lyrically, and to really challenge myself to be a better artist," says Maddie
Proof, if proof were needed, that Maddie is “a creative force to be reckoned with” Net Rhythms and continues to create the kind of music that “could find itself resting proudly on a million coffee tables worldwide.” Decode
www.maddiesouthorn.com
User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.