Blake Madison is gearing up for the release of her debut project in 2027 and with previous releases painted the picture of being an artist with humour and passable talent, latest single ‘Obvious’ was much anticipated and is out near the end of this month. We talked to her about her genre, influences, hopes, dreams, and achievements!
Hi! Could you introduce yourself, your genre, and your musical influences?
“Hi! My name is Blake Madison, I’m a 23 year old singer, songwriter, composer, and producer from Washington, DC. I’ve always found it difficult to define my sound within a single genre because my influences span so widely, and I’m drawn to pushing beyond traditional boundaries in music. At its core, my work lives in the world of cinematic alt-pop, but it pulls from elements of R&B, soul, and choral music. I was classically trained as a chorister at the Washington National Cathedral, which deeply shaped my ear for harmony, vocal layering, and storytelling through music. That foundation continues to influence my sound today, especially in the way I build rich, atmospheric arrangements and treat the voice as both a lead and an instrument.
Musically I find influences in many different spaces. I am Caribbean-American with a Jamaican mother and a father from South Carolina. So growing up I was heavily influenced by the Black American oral tradition taking influences from church, reggae, jazz and more. My parents realized my musical gifts extremely early on and supported me by putting me in choir. From there my influences expanded rapidly with me quickly gaining an appreciation of composers like Handel, Benjamin Britten, Mozart and more. As I’ve worked to define and distinguish my own artist identity I have found much inspiration in artists like AURORA, Kate Bush, and RAYE and have been deeply influenced in how they create immersive sonic worlds and emotionally driven work. I’m inspired by music that feels expansive, intentional, and cinematic, where every layer contributes to a larger story.”
What inspired you to start making music and what inspires you to keep going?
“I have been writing songs since I was 3 years old and have been singing since before I could walk. Music is a part of me. It is how I stay connected to the world around me and how I understand and comprehend my emotions and my understanding of the universe that I live in. Growing up, my parents instilled in me this idea that I could do anything, I grew up with full confidence, faith and such an utter, blinding belief in myself it was almost indomitable. As I grew up though and started to understand more about this world, somewhere along that path my faith wavered.
I started to see music as something that I couldn’t pursue professionally because it wasn’t “practical”. I felt the need to shrink myself and my courage in order to be more palatable. I decided to study Public Health in college and be a pre med student. I felt the need to neglect myself and my talent in order to fit more neatly into the boxes that I thought were made for me. I worked myself so hard throughout college taking 20 credits a semester and working overnights in the hospital as an ER tech. During this time, I stopped taking care of myself and my health. I am a type I diabetic so it’s important that I closely monitor and manage my health. I neglected that fully while overworking myself and one day, my junior year of college I collapsed due to exhaustion while on shift and ended up in the ICU for three weeks. The Doctors told me that my body was essentially failing me and that had I kept going how I was I would’ve died. I was so scared while I was in that hospital bed that I was going to die with regrets. I had a one of a kind gift that I had stifled for so long because I thought that was the right thing to do. So many saved recordings, notebooks filled past their seams, beaming with ideas, tunes, poems, endless ideas that would never be shared. I decided then and there that I get one life. One chance. I wrote my debut single “Eulogy” while still in the ICU hooked up to machines and released it two weeks after I came home from the hospital. From there it has been a journey of growth and discovery. Having a second chance at life showed me that nothing is impossible and that I cannot go back to hiding. I am inspired by my younger self who was so certain that she would do the impossible, I am inspired by the unhappiest version of myself who dug herself out of a self made hole to be who she was meant to be, and I am inspired by future me who will look back at all her past versions with gratitude. I am inspired by what I was put on this earth to do, and that’s to tell my story and shape my legacy through music.”
Where do you, in general, get inspiration for your music and song-writing?
“I get inspiration usually from my own life, mixed with the inspiration I find in art and literature. Music is an outlet for me to not have to shrink myself. In real life when something happens I find a response that is societally appropriate. When I am writing songs, I can be as grand and as big as I want to be. In real life, when an ex moves on, I ignore it and pretend it doesn’t bother me. In music, I can write an entire song about how “Love Runs Out” and process every little feeling I have of insanity, betrayal, loneliness and everything else. I also find a lot of inspiration in pain. Every negative, painful experience in my life, I have been able to create something beautiful through music.”
Who would you like to work with in the near future and where would you like to perform in the next three years?
“I would love to open for or collaborate with Raye! Raye is one of my favourite artists and has been for years. I first discovered her on YouTube in 2017 with her song “Sober”. She was sitting at the piano singing and I have been so excited to watch her journey ever since. I think we’re very similar in storytelling through music so it would be so cool to work with and learn from her. I would love to write for Leon Thomas! I am a songwriter at my core and because I have such a wide range of genres I write for, I would love to ghost write for other artists. I have a lot of RnB songs that would fit him and his vibe so well. Ludwig Göransson is another person I would be so honoured to work with. He is so talented and versatile in his work. I have been in awe of him for years, a lot of my songs are very grand and orchestral so I feel like it would be an incredible collaboration. I would love to collaborate with Aurora. I feel like we’re both pretty whimsical in our artist style so it would be so cool to bring different perspectives into a creative space. Working together would be a dream come true.
In terms of venues, I’m drawn to spaces that feel both iconic and immersive, places where music becomes an experience. Performing at venues like Royal Albert Hall, The O2 Arena, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, Apollo Theatre, and the Hollywood Bowl would be a dream! I feel like each one carries a legacy of artistry and performance that I would really like to be a part of.”
Which musical achievements are you most proud of?
“I am most proud of the release of the whole project and vision surrounding “Wait my Dear”. I am proud of the song itself, I think it’s such a rich, emotionally driven song that really represents the type of music I make and the type of artist I am. I absolutely love the music video for it as well! I think the visuals are so strong and it tells such a compelling story. “Wait my Dear” is really testament to my love of song writing, but it also pulls so beautifully on themes of loss, growth, danger, sadness and the music itself takes the listener on that journey. No matter if you pay attention to the lyrics or not, “Wait my Dear” is a song that forces the listener to pause. They feel something powerful even if they can’t identify exactly what that feeling is.”
What do you hope to achieve by releasing music with followers old and new?
“I hope to build a world that my audience can enter and interact with. I hope to create characters in my music that my audience can see themselves in and recognize scenarios that they go through as well. I want my music to feel larger than life, like a soundtrack to the lives of my listeners. I hope to build a community around my music with people who are looking to dive deeper and who see music as art.”
What are your plans for the new year and what are some of your goals and dreams?
“My biggest goal in the coming months is to move to New York City after graduating in May and fully commit to pursuing my career in music at the highest level. I’m at a pivotal moment where I’m ready to expand both my musical output and my presence as a live performer. A major focus for me is building a stronger live performance footprint, stepping onto more stages across NYC and beyond, I would like to develop more of my artist identity and build the world that my audience will be a part of. Using intimate venues I want to build and translate that identity to larger showcases, ultimately working toward opportunities at music festivals. I want to create performances that feel immersive and intentional, translating the cinematic nature of my music into a live experience that resonates deeply with audiences.
In parallel, I’m very focused on sync and placement opportunities. Securing a placement for “Wait My Dear” is a top priority, I really believe in its potential to live within film or television. My long-term goal is to build a career not only as an artist, but also as a songwriter, contributing to soundtracks, and creating music that enhances storytelling on screen.
I’m also continuing to grow as a songwriter, with the goal of writing for and collaborating with other artists across genres. Whether through artist collaborations, ghost writing, or contributing to larger creative projects, I want to expand my reach while maintaining a strong and distinct artistic identity. Overall, this next chapter is about expansion of my audience and of creative opportunities. I’m focused on building a sustainable, multifaceted career that spans live performance, recorded music, and visual storytelling.
Aside from music, what are some of your hobbies and interests, we’d love to know more about you as a person!
“Outside of music, I’m currently a graduate student studying public health. I was part of an accelerated program where I earned both my B.S. and MPH in five years, so I’ve spent a lot of time balancing being a student during the day and an artist in every other moment. My friends like to call me their real-life Hannah Montana. I’m also a huge film lover. My best friend and I have an AMC Stubs membership, and every week after class we pick a movie to see completely blind, no trailers, no spoilers, just whatever’s playing. It’s one of my favourite rituals, and I especially love paying attention to film soundtracks and scores, which definitely influence my music and how I think about storytelling. I also love trying new restaurants with my friends honestly, a good drink and a long conversation will do it every time.”
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