Don’t get too mesmerized by Madisyn Gifford’s stunning red curls—she’s already fixated on another hue: yellow. That’s right, the color of sunshine takes center stage in her fourth album, A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine. Across 12 lyrically golden tracks, she muses on warmth, light, and heartbreak with the kind of poetic flair that suggests she’s got a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote tattooed somewhere discreet. (Spoiler: she kinda does.) The album dropped last month, and naturally, we’ve been living in it ever since—surrounding ourselves with its glow via speakerphones, late-night tears, and repeat listens. So, we sat down with her to talk about all things sunshine and soul-searching.
We love the ‘Intro’ track—it immediately pulls us into this intimate, diary-like world, as if you’re speaking directly to us. What inspired the idea of opening the album with a voicemail, like one you might leave for a former lover or a close friend?
Thank you so much, I’m so glad you like it! That was honestly exactly what I was going for. I wanted to feel as though I was addressing the audience directly because to me, in this song, it feels like I’m referencing who I was in the creation of my previous projects while also stepping into the person and artist that I am now. We used a voice memo that I originally made with the intention of sending to an ex of mine in 2020. It felt right putting it in there because all of the songs on this project were ones that I wrote out of necessity. I had so many things to say to so many people that I’m unable to talk to anymore, including my younger self, so I just had to sing them out instead, and that’s pretty much exactly what I say in that voice note; “ok, I should just stop talking and start singing”.
‘A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine’ reflects on the need to reinvent yourself when the version of you that existed in a relationship no longer survives the breakup. If this album had a funeral, which song would serve as the dirge?
Oh my goodness, what a good question! Honestly, if I had to pick, I would say ‘A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine.’ That song means so many different things to me, but most of all, it’s a packing up of my younger self while still also paying homage to her and the things she went through. It’s me saying, “ok, you’ve felt all the things. You’ve done all the moving on that you can do; now it’s time to go live.”
What made this track feel like the heart of the album—the one that deserved to carry its name?
I knew I wanted the album to be called A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine before I even wrote the song! I had been toying around with the lyric “quietly I’ve been learning to contemplate sunshine” for a while, and I just felt as though it perfectly encapsulated the phase of life that I was in. I was finally learning to prioritize joy, but was also learning that joy doesn’t always need to be this big, crazy, dramatic thing. Instead, it’s often found in the quiet contentment of everyday life. I also knew that I wanted to make a more positive record that felt like summertime, but in a really sweet and organic way, which I think the title perfectly showcases.
In our interview last year, celebrating the release of ‘Seventeen,’ you said that if you were to get any lyric from the song tattooed, it would be “Dear God.” Did that ever happen? And if not, is there a new lyric that’s taken its place?
What a throwback; I completely forgot I was thinking of getting that! No, I didn’t end up getting that tattoo, but I did get my friend Aria to tattoo a little box of Saltine crackers on my back in honour of the song ‘Graceland Too’ by Phoebe Bridgers.
We love the bursts of unexpected sound on this record—from the youthful laugh in ‘Sisterhood’ to represent the dying of childhood, to the whistling in ‘Fast One.’ Do you have a favorite sonic moment on the album—one that still makes you smile or think, “yeah, we nailed that?”
I’m so glad you noticed that! My producer, Jared Manierka, and I wanted to get creative on this record, adding in different sorts of sounds to really encapsulate the feelings in each individual song. I honestly think I would have to pick the applause that comes in on the second to last line of ‘A Quiet Contemplation of Sunshine’ because to me, it perfectly finishes of the song and showcases the fact that more than anything, I wanted that song as well as the whole rest of the record to feel like a celebration.
“All my friends went running from the ghost you turned me into” is such a haunting lyric from ‘What Love Is.’ What’s something you’ve firmly drawn a line in the sand about—something you now recognize as the exact opposite of love?
This is such a good question! Funnily enough, ‘What Love is’ was a song that I wrote back in 2021, and it sounded very haunting in general, nothing like what it does now! Jared and I wanted to take one of my old sad songs and make it into something really fun, that felt more confident and sure of itself. As I’ve grown into that confidence over the last 4 years since writing it, I have drawn a lot of lines in the sand when it comes to love, one of the main ones being “no yelling.” Disagreements and healthy conflict are, of course, so important, but I don’t think good resolutions ever come from a screaming match, and I refuse to fall into a pattern of those sorts of arguments ever again.
‘Sisterhood’ might be the most heartbreaking track on the record—not because it’s about romantic love lost, but because it dives into the complexities of family, specifically a fractured sibling bond. That line, “Wonder if I’ll know your kids’ names from you or if I’ll hear it through the grapevine,” captures such a deep, quiet ache. What was it like writing that one?
That’s my favourite line in the song as well! It was one of those lines that just sort of came pouring out, and as soon as it did, I literally thought “ouch that one stings!” Writing that song was really interesting for me. It was one I had been literally pulling teeth for months trying to write because I knew I just needed to get those feelings out of me. Once I actually got to writing, though, I was able to finish the whole thing in about 20 minutes. It simultaneously felt like a song that took forever to write, but also one that kinda wrote itself.
Then comes ‘Father’s Day,’ right after ‘Sisterhood’—arguably the most emotionally charged one-two punch on the album. The opening lyrics are some of our favorites, especially the way you talk about savoring moments. Looking back on making this record, is there a moment you’d want to “eat on a spoon”—something so special you wish you could relive it again and again?
Oh wow, what a question!! Gosh, there are genuinely so many. Jared and I not only wanted to make a record that sounded fun, but also one that was really fun to make, so that energy would organically come through in the tracks, and we definitely did just that! One of my favourite days in the studio, though, would probably have to be when we had one of my good friends, Mia Jones, come into the studio and track strings as well as sing some harmonies. She is so talented, and the three of us have such a fun dynamic together. It was also so cool to get to bring a friend into the studio with me and share that part of my world with them!
It’s poetic that the closing track is called ‘The Colour Yellow,’ especially considering how it echoes the shade of sunshine in the album’s title. Was that connection intentional?
Yes, absolutely, I’m glad you picked up on that! This record isn’t one that explores a single romantic or impactful relationship from my past, but instead, I spent it exploring almost all of them. A few of the songs on this album aren’t even about any one person, but rather a collection of experiences that I’ve had in my past romantic life, and I wanted to write a song that reflected not only that but also the theme of the whole record. It’s about choosing to look at your past relationships through the lens of optimism, appreciating them for all of the good things they had, no matter how they ended or what conspired within them. One of my best friends, Shaughnessy, and I will often describe our favourite memories as being tinted the colour yellow, and I wanted to explore and also recognize those moments rather than try to tuck them away or forget they ever happened. It’s an album about being grateful for your trials because of all they brought you, and as much as heartbreak can be so painful, that’s only because you’re losing something that was once so sweet.
“We were for a time the color yellow” is such a poignant final lyric. Now that the album is behind you, what color would you say your life is—and why that shade?
I’m so glad that lyric connected with you! This is such a good question, and honestly, something I think about often in my day-to-day life. One of my favourite quotes came from Emerson when he wrote, “Life is a train of moods like a string of beads, and as we pass through them they prove to be many-coloured lenses which paint the world their own hue, and each shows only what lies in its focus.” I try my best to live as many yellow-tinted days as possible, but also recognize that if it weren’t for the blue or grey ones in between, they wouldn’t feel nearly as sweet when they come around.
Did you enjoy our Madisyn Gifford interview? What’s your favorite song off the album? Don’t leave us in the dark—share your top track and add your own favorite shade of yellow to the color wheel by hitting us up on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. We’re dying to know (and yes, we’re judging based on taste… lovingly, of course).
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