Maddi jean’s “Young in love” is a saccharine pop tune that seems perfectly designed to evoke memories of teenage butterflies and first kisses in the garden at house parties. The 21-year-old’s debut single is an ode to naïve young love, and the first to be released off her upcoming EP.
Maddi jean chats to Bee Beardsworth about finding her feet in the music world, being inspired by her life experiences and what’s coming next for her.
What’s your name?
Maddi Jean Waterhouse
What do you do and where are you from?
I’m born and raised in London, and I’ve just finished my second year studying Asian History of Art. I’m a singer and musician.
I know you’ve been modelling for a few years – that’s actually how we know each other. Is that something you enjoy, and that you feel has helped your career?
I love modelling when it’s like making art. When you can make something creative and inspiring, it’s great. It’s definitely helped me to grow as a person and helped me to grow in confidence. Working from a young age has helped me to see the world in a different way and taught me about making money.
Have you always wanted to make music?
Yes, ever since I can remember if I’m honest. Only in the last 5 years did I seriously think about putting out music, so I put two covers on SoundCloud and one got 35,000 streams. That was the thing that made me think, “Okay, I can do this.”
How have you found your sound?
When I first started making music, I was definitely more singer/songwritey but then I decided that I wanted to move towards pop. I love sad music, but I felt like I want to make music to make people dance and feel happy. In terms of my sound, I reckon it will change as I grow and learn new things and have more experiences. You’ll see on my EP, but some of the songs are quite sad but I make them sound happy, so it’s a weird mix.
What or who inspires your creativity?
For me, it’s very much based on experiences or feelings and emotions that I’ve felt. I take life experiences and put them into a story. I think Lana del Ray and Taylor Swift do this really well, like you can see the story in their songs. I hope that when people listen to my music, they can relate to it and connect over shared emotions.
You just released your first single “young in love”. How does it feel?
It feels strange because I’ve had this song in the works for a really long time, and I don’t feel those emotions anymore. It’s a funny knowing that I’ve been through that whole breakup and I’m looking back on it now and being able to reflect on how I felt when I wrote the song. It’s quite nice knowing how much I’ve grown.
It’s also exciting knowing how much more I have to say and do, so it’s a funny point in my life. I’ve put out a song about a time that I’ve definitely moved on from, but I have so much ahead of me now.
So, do you know when are you releasing your EP?
Yes, I’m releasing a few more singles and then the EP is out on the 6th October.
Do you have any dream goals for your career?
Honestly, if people just listen to my music and connect with it, that will make me so happy. That’s my goal.
Maddi Jean: @maddijeanwaterhouse
Interview By: Bee Beardsworth