Meet Madison Paris, a young, up-and-coming musician based out of Slough. As is the case with thousands of young musicians trying to break it in the music world, the hurdles are plenty. Let’s Be Brief got to know Madison a little better, in order to understand the challenges of a modern musician in the digital age.
Q) Tell us about yourself and how you’ve become a musician?
My name is Madison Paris, I’m 22 and originally from Slough. I was in a band a couple of years ago and I was with them for a while, that got my foot in the door to an extent where I met really cool people, we disbanded last summer and that’s when I started off the solo journey. It’s been going well so far.
I started working with a management company, before then I had done nothing to do with music at all so it was a bit daunting to try and even get into the industry.
Q) What are the benefits and challenges of being an up and coming artist in the digital age in London?
Social media is amazing: You can do a lot yourself. The community of creatives coming up together [make it] an amazing support system — it’s really nice to be integrated into it. London is the hub for everything, it’s so multicultural and diverse. I feel like you can really be yourself in London. I feel like in Slough I can’t be as expressive as in London.
Q) You’ve released a single called ‘excuse’ how did you come to create it and what’s it about?
I’d just come out of a long-distance relationship last year. When you can’t see each other all the time and things fall through, it feels quite deflating. I wrote about that and excuses. I think with concepts and songs you take a small seed and blow it out of proportion. The funny thing is, at the time my boyfriend co-wrote half of it, so I was talking about him and then asking him what he thought and he’d tell me that’s great you should add this.
Q) Being a young artist how have you adapted with the commercial side of things?
I am quite good with budgeting. You have to tell yourself: “maybe I won’t go on holiday this year.” It’s all for my passion, and I never feel like I am missing out. I like to party when I can but I am happy to not party, not go on holiday and not do anything but completely focus.
Q) Do you have a strong family network that supports you?
Yeah, I live with my mum — she’s ridiculously supportive. She encouraged me to get a part time job so that I could focus on music. I think it helps a lot when your parents aren’t pushing you into working a 9-5 when you want to pursue this type of career.
Q) What are the next steps in your career? I am planning to shoot a video, drop the EP and focusing on keeping the ball rolling. Growing my fan base because I am relatively new and ultimately aim to do a headline show at the end of the year.
Follow Madison Paris on Twitter here for announcements on live shows