Ever felt like you didn’t belong in your hometown? Needed an escape? We’re using Maddie Zahm as our musical escape. Her new song, ‘Hometown Letdown!,’ explores themes of personal growth, reaching out to others who are struggling, and breaking free from the mold that others may put you in. We got the chance to chat with Maddie about creating the new song, what the messaging really means to her, and her upcoming album, Everything All The Time. Let’s dive in and get to know Maddie more!
Hi Maddie! Welcome to the hive; we are so thrilled to be chatting today. To get us started, please introduce yourself to our readers with four emojis you would use to describe your sound.
Hi there! 🥹👩❤️💋👩🦈🚦
Please briefly share with us your music story! How did you discover your love for writing songs, and how did that lead you to where you are today?
I was raised in the church and was a worship leader for most of my childhood/teen years. I discovered my songwriting through my time on American Idol. I ended up changing a whole lot during then and now, which meant writing songs about my sexuality and leaving the church. I think being brutally honest with myself through song helped others connect with me!
Congrats on releasing your new single, ‘Hometown Letdown!’ Talk to us about what the song means to you.
I found a Reddit thread about me a few years back after I had left my church and felt extremely sad seeing what people who were my friends thought of me. I decided to reclaim the insults, and although at the time I wasn’t ready to release, I am thankful now that it has found a home!
The whole theme is allowing other people who aren’t big feelers to know what it’s like to feel big.
Maddie shared
For any of our readers who can relate to the meaning of ‘Hometown Letdown’ – what are some things that helped ease the anxieties about moving out of your hometown and finding your true self along the way?
I think the largest thing was finding other hometown letdowns. Realizing that most of my favorite people had to let down others in order to become the fun, free humans I grew to love.
This song has been so well received by new listeners all over the internet! How does it feel to connect to strangers who relate to you in this very specific way?
Oh god, I am having a blast. The best part of releasing music is when posting about it doesn’t feel like promo. I quite literally just get to talk about the hilarious shit that happened to me in the church and connect with others through that.
You are headed out on tour soon! We can’t wait to watch you do your thing up onstage. What are some of the most memorable moments about traveling the country and meeting fans?
Oh, I am so damn excited. My favorite is when I realize a joke or comment with one of my listeners landed. One time someone brought me a tote bag with a rant I had gone on about chicken sandwiches and wanting a wife. I wear it to this day.
Your new album, Everything All The Time, drops on September 25. We can’t wait to listen! Until then, what can you share about the songs on this project?
I love this album so damn much. It’s been a collection of songs over four to five years that I just kept revisiting. It’s so special to know that each of these songs has remained so important to me. The whole theme is allowing other people who aren’t big feelers to know what it’s like to feel big.
If this is the first album new fans are hearing of yours, what can they expect to take away from Everything All The Time?
I hope you leave feeling seen but in a way that feels like whiplash(:
To close us off, do you have any final words for our readers and your fans?
Thank you for sticking around. And for those of you that are new, sorry I use my social media as though it’s my Google. I fear I really do spend an ungodly amount of time chit-chatting with everyone haha.
A very big thank you to the lovely Maddie Zahm for chatting with us! We’ve been streaming ‘Hometown Letdown!’ nonstop and are so eager to hear the new album on the way. You can pre-save it here! Let us know what you love most about Maddie’s music! Find us by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP! We are also on Facebook, Instagram, and Discord.
Explore more interviews with your favorite artists here, honeybee!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MADDIE ZAHM:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER
