Who’s Up Next? - Maddy Hatchett
We sit down with this lovely Austin-based singer-songwriter to discuss her music, upcoming projects and her favorite aspects of creating.
Joho: Hi Maddy! First of all I know you recently celebrated a birthday. Happy Belated!! Every year our lived experiences can add so much to our artistry. How do you think your artistry has grown over the past year?
Maddy: There’s two main ways I would say my artistry has grown over the past year. First, I would say focusing on deliberate practice of vocals which was new for me as a guitarist. It’s really cool to unlock your voice - it’s like adding colors to your paint pallet. For me, I used to be a breathier singer so learning to blend in my lower register has been key. It almost feels like a new voice (using chest) but I’m excited to continue exploring it! Secondly, I’d say learning to home demo songs. Tracking is vital because it allows you to flesh out creative visions before taking them into the studio (which can add up $s quick!)
Joho: You’re quite the guitar virtuoso. How long have you been playing and what/who inspires your playing style?
Maddy: I’ve been playing since sophomore year of high school and I feel like growth periods definitely come in spurts. Early on, my inspiration was Rory Gallagher, Jimi Hendrix, all the 70s guitar heroes, and 90s grunge. I’m still very inspired by those eras but I would say now I also am leaning into a blend of Briston Maroney-esque indie sounds and darker modern rock like Royal Blood.
Joho: I’ve seen the phrase “turning lead to gold” on a lot of your branding. What does this phrase mean to you and how do you apply it to not only your work but also your day-to-day life?
Maddy: This idea comes from the novel “The Alchemist”. In life we are often given lead - difficult events, jobs, situations etc. But it’s up to us to turn these things into something meaningful. Day to day it’s about appreciating the little things and finding meaning in what can seem like a chaotic existence.
Joho: Your single “Out of My Head” is driven by an absolutely gnarly guitar performance as well as a vocal performance that is at times fierce and energetic and at others gentle and delicate. What can you tell us about how this song came about?
Maddy: This song began when I was messing around on my acoustic guitar with some Spanish sounding phrases.. I followed the sound of the notes and a chord progression slowly began to reveal itself. It was actually a slow song at first and I was feeling a ton of anxiety at that time during college so the lyrics naturally followed as I started free styling over the chords. Then I played the song with my band at the time and my drummer, Omar Pérez, suggested kicking up the tempo and it turned it into this dancy, energetic rock song. It’s so crazy how things like that can make such a big difference. It went from this sad kind of slow thing into a burst of energy. Lead to gold you might say.
Joho: Your song “Lately” is an elegant, stripped back acoustic performance. I love when artists are versatile and can deliver bangers in many different styles. Which types of songs are your favorite to make?
Maddy: I think the variety is what I like. So I can’t exactly say I have a favorite.
Joho: Out of all the cities in Texas, Austin has one of the best music scenes. What can you tell us about how the Austin music scene has shaped you as an artist and who are some of your favorite performers in the community?
Maddy: I think what Austin has given me is confidence and a community. I remember feeling really isolated in high school because it seemed like no one else wanted to do music seriously. Moving here really changed that and gave me opportunities to perform and start meeting like minded individuals. The guitar scene also really pushes you because there are so many ultra talented players. There’s a lot of local artist who inspire me but off the top of my head .. Vision Arcade, Caelin, Jackie Venson.. and many more
Joho: I know there are many struggles that solo artists face in music scenes dominated by full bands, as well as for women in music in general. What are some challenges you’ve faced so far in your career and how have they made you a stronger musician?
Maddy: Funny you ask … “Maddy Hatchett” actually started off under the band name “The Caravan” because at that time I didn’t understand you can be a solo artist with a band (silly me lol). I also think back then I wasn't confident enough to ask people to join me under a solo name. I felt a weird guilt doing that even though I was songwriting. Covid ended up causing the band to move apart coupled with career moves, life changes, etc. so at that point I was like “well, guess I need to release this solo”. I realized I needed to be a fan of myself and that was hard because my self esteem wasn’t the best back then and is still something I work on. I think more recently I feel challenged by the volume of work that solo artistry requires - you basically are a creator and then on top of that running a small business. No one else will make it happen and working a 9-5 on top can frankly be exhausting. BUT I also cannot imagine doing this, it is part of who I am.
Joho: What can you tell us about the upcoming EP you’ve been working on?
Maddy: Yes! The EP I’m working on is a collection of some of my earliest songs; mostly those I wrote at age 19. It’s a sort of closure on that era of my life and definitely reflects my artistic development. You’ll hear a lot of 70s influence but also splashes of modern and indie rock as I absorbed some sounds from the local scene. Right now I’m in the process of home demoing before jumping into a studio. I’ve been learning my way around Logic better and also playing bass to help flesh out my vision.
Joho: Where do you want music to take you and what are your ultimate goals in this career?
Maddy: For me success in music is finding a way to continually create in an authentic manner. I am very focused on the artistic process and the music because it’s this spiritual process - and then you have the joy of getting to share all those feelings playing live with an audience. That feeling of connection is so special. To know we’re not alone in this human experience. My intrinsic goal is to create for the sake of creation. Now don’t get me wrong, I have extrinsic goals like playing Red Rocks or getting higher stream numbers but at the end of the day what matters is that I keep showing up to create something beautiful and promoting that the best I can. Beyond this, I cannot control the world.
Joho: What does your creative process look like when making new songs?
Maddy: It really varies but I’d say on average I start with the guitar. It’s like this close, intimate friend with whom I can share emotions that don’t even have words. It’s like the chords and notes enable me to speak sometimes before even my voice knows what to say. And then once I have a concept I’ll start free styling whatever comes to mind and building off of that. I have written more deliberate songs before but honestly I feel like the best ones just come out of this strange void - I swear it’s like they’re already written out there somewhere and it’s our job to hear them and bring them into our world.
Joho: What’s next for Maddy Hatchett? Any upcoming shows or exciting projects we should be looking out for?
Maddy: The number one thing is getting this EP professionally recorded and released! From there I expect to pickup my gig volume and start promoting it more heavily. And then it’s time to create again.. the cycle continues.
