This is an interview done with @madeleinemaymusic_, read her story below! If you, or anyone you know, would like to be highlighted in The Zillennial Zine, shoot us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!

Q: Tell us your story! Where did you begin and how did you reach the caliber you’re currently at?

A: I ran a small business in 2021/start of 2022 and saved up the profits to buy my first guitar (despite having never even touched one before). I taught myself how to play and then started writing songs. It soon became one of my favorite past times and I just kept at it, bringing me to where I am today!

Q: What makes you love what you do? How long have you been making music? Would you call it your passion?

A: Music, for me, has always been a place to connect with others even in periods of isolation—whether that be through listening to music, going to a concert or making my own. That’s why i love it so much—it helps me feel so understood and writing songs is my outlet for my feelings. I’ve been writing for 2 and a half years and it’s my favorite thing in the world.

Q: What are some accomplishments or milestones you’ve reached lately?

A: I put out my debut EP a month ago, which was super wild. I wrote all those songs between February and May last year, while we produced them between June and November, so it was crazy to see other people listening to them, especially as they’d been mine for so long. The best part though is that people connected to it in the way I’d hoped and the way those songs provided comfort for me when I wrote them. Also, I made my debut radio play on BBC introducing a couple days after its release with my track ‘I Wish’, which was so incredibly surreal, and then got invited to do an interview and live session which was even more rewarding and crazy.

Q: Tell us all about your latest project!

A: My debut EP ‘all i wanted was time’ came out last month! it was my first time releasing music so it was so incredible to see so many people supporting and listening. It’s a collection of songs I wrote in my bedroom to process my feelings and half even started to be produced in my bedroom. to me. It feels very retrospective, while also gives whoever is listening feelings of comfort at the same time. It’s in the indie-folk genre and I definitely recommend you listen if you like artists such as Gracie Abrams and Lizzy McAlpine 🙂

Q: Do you have any advice for someone who might admire you? What do you think is the key to success?

A: The best thing I can say is to do your best to put yourself out there. At first, it’s so incredibly daunting (I put off releasing my EP for a couple months due to the fear nobody would listen or interact with it), but in the end, that’s how you’ll meet new people and receive new opportunities. If you’re an artist/songwriter, keep writing because practice makes perfect, but remember that not everything you make needs to be perfect. Make art for yourself before other people.

I think the key to success, as cringey as it is, honestly is to be yourself. You know who you are better than anybody and that authenticity is key if you want people to feel connected with you and your work.

Find Madeleine May on Social Media!

Instagram: @madeleinemaymusic_

TikTok: @madeleinemaymusic_