Madison McFerrin returns with “Try”.
Madison McFerrin – yes, Bobby “Don’t Worry Be Happy” McFerrin’s daughter – is an independent singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY. In December of 2016, she quietly introduced her soulful take on a cappella to the world when she self-released her debut EP “Finding Foundations: Vol. I”. After one listen, tastemaking DJ, Gilles Peterson, snatched up her standout track, “No Time to Lose,” for his Brownswood Bubblers compilation.
Leading up to her sold out debut show at Joe’s Pub, the New York Times remarked how her sound “shows wonderful vocal dexterity, deftly swerving from sharp, clearly enunciated staccato bursts to fluttery, free-form melismata”. In February of 2018, she gave her listeners more of her distinctive sound that Questlove dubbed “soul-appella” when she self-released “Finding Foundations: Vol. II”. Her SXSW 2018 debut led legendary KCRW DJ Anne Litt to remark, “there’s some sort of joy and beauty in the way that she performs that really drew me in all that much more”.
Pitchfork Magazine followed this up by declaring, “Madison McFerrin is making a cappella cool again” in a Rising Artist profile. She subsequently performed at Pitchfork’s Rising Artist showcase at Northside Fest, OctFest, Paris Avant Garde showcase and inaugural Midwinter Event at the Art Institute of Chicago. Beyond the stage, Madison’s one-of-a-kind vocals can be heard in episodes of Broad City and Random Acts of Flyness. This year, Madison plans to build upon this momentum by pairing her timeless voice with modern production on her new project “You + I”.
Her new single “Try”, the first from the forthcoming EP, deals with the backlash from her performance of the national anthem at Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign rally. The video, directed by Madison herself, uses Twitter abuse comments that she was subjected to as well as a video of Snoop Dogg’s disparaging comments about her that were streamed online at the time. “Try” is about rising up and moving on as well as acknowledging those who took to social media and confronting her critics. “You + I” is due out in November.
Stay in touch with Madison through her WEBSITE and her FACEBOOK page