EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Maddie Regent Is Gearing Up For Her Debut Album

The moon is out, and the wolves are calling. 🐺

We’re howling with excitement because Maddie Regent just dropped a new track! Upon the release of Regent’s newest track, ‘the wolf,’ we just had to sit down with the artist herself and chat about the making of the song, building the tracklist for her upcoming debut album, and her love for the Studio Ghibli franchise.

MEET MADDIE

Welcome to The Honey POP, Maddie! We are so excited to welcome you into the hive. To start us off, share with us your favorite musical memory of 2024.
I’d say my favorite memory of 2024 was actually finishing the last song on my upcoming debut album! There was a specific day in November where we put finishing touches on the last song, and I couldn’t believe the process was over! Obviously the album roll out isn’t done yet, it still has to come out! But my favorite part of making music is the process of creating it, so it felt really bittersweet—but mostly sweet—to conclude that part of creating an album!

Rapid fire!
Beach or mountains? Mountains
Neutral tones or bright colors? Neutral tones, but I do like a pop of color!
Dine-in or take-out? Dine in. I love long dinners at my favorite restaurants.
Movie night or game night? That’s a tough one but I’d have to say movie night.

We know you love the world of Studio Ghibli – us too! Which film is your favorite and why?
Spirited Away is my favorite movie of all time! I identify so much with Chihiro, because at the end of the day, on the inside I’m also just a young girl who is anxious about everything… lol.

Your song ‘EGO’ has gone viral on TikTok. What is your relationship to TikTok and how does it form your music-making process, if at all?
I used to be quite resistant to it because it felt like such a shot in the dark. But through that moment, and even smaller other moments, I’ve been able to connect with people I never would’ve been able to had I not posted on TikTok. I think it’s great for discovery, and as an artist, I try to use it as a means to connect with others rather than a way to go viral.

‘THE WOLF’

Stream ‘the wolf’ here!

Your new track, ‘the wolf,’ has just been released, congratulations! What’s one part of this creative process that was unexpected for you?
This song is one where we actually kept in a lot of the lyrics from my original mumbling voice memo. When I’m writing and we have a production idea, I’ll just mumble some words to a melody, and the first line of the song — “I thought I saw you yesterday” — was actually the first thing I sang. Sometimes I’ll try to go back and refine the lyrics, but these ones came so quickly. It was weird, it felt like what I imagine rapping can be like. That’s not usually how it happens for me, but it was super satisfying to experience!

No song-writing process can be perfect. How do you move through hurdles that come your way in the studio?
Taking breaks or calling it a day. There’s no use listening to the same chords over and over and just racking your brain. If it’s not there, it’s not there. Instead, I’ll take a break, do something else, and try not to beat myself up about it.

For this track, what came first – the lyrics or the production?
The production came first for this track!

Speaking of lyrics, what is one lyric from ‘the wolf’ that you hope listeners resonate with the most?
“I don’t wanna be afraid of you” — I find it very cathartic, and I hope it’s empowering or relatable for other people too.

ON THE PHONE WITH MY MOM, DEBUT ALBUM

To say we’re excited about your new album, On the phone with my mom, is an understatement. Without giving too much away, can you share with us three adjectives to describe the new project?
Vulnerable, wholesome, and cathartic.

How many tracks are on this new album? How do you determine the order of songs and does the order hold any meaning to you?
14 tracks!!! We played around with the track list order, but the first and last song were very specifically placed. I think they really make the album feel like an album with a beginning, middle, and end. The order definitely does hold meaning, I wanted the pace to make sense and have the listener go through a journey that wasn’t too heavy on one emotion.

Here in the hive, we love a dramatic all-in music video. What does the creative/music video process look like for you? Can listeners expect any new visuals in this new era?
As a former film student, I loveeeee music videos. With this era of music I’ve really tried experimenting with how I can make impactful DIY visuals. The “Sleeptalking” video is a good example — we shot it all in one take, and it’s honestly one of my favorite videos I’ve made. It just unfolded perfectly and really set the scene for my new era, which is definitely centered on girlhood. I’m planning on having a visual for the album’s title track too, and I’m really excited about that one.

Lastly, do you have any final words you’d like to share with readers, both OG and new?
Thanks for the support. I’m so proud of this album, it’s really hard to start something and then actually finish it, especially when it feels like you might be the only person to really listen to it, haha. But through this process, I became so optimistic about how people who find this album will connect to it. It isn’t about numbers it’s about genuine camaraderie among the girls that get it, you know? If you wanna follow my journey you can catch me on IG @maddieregent <3

Thanks again to Maddie for chatting with us and giving us an inside look into ‘the wolf.’ You can stream the new song here, and pre-save her upcoming album here. Are you a new Maddie Regent fan? Let us know in the comments below or by buzzing with us over on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook 🐝

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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MADDIE REGENT:
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