Not Folk Like You Know: Madison Cunningham Talks Expanding the Genre's Boundaries Beyond Her Grammy Win

Always introspective and often experimental, Madison Cunningham's music doesn't fit neatly into any specific genre. The Recording Academy, for example, nominated 2019's "Who Are You Now" for Best Americana Album, but recently awarded its "Revealer" the Grammy for Best Folk Album. This, in itself, is a little disconcerting for a project that leans heavily on alternative soundscapes and apparently owes more to Fiona Apple than Joan Baez.

It's not that Cunningham minds. "People like to have references," the 26-year-old told Variety. "But I would never categorize 'Revealer' as folk at all." When asked what she would call him, Cunningham pauses to think. "I had a hard time really generalizing what sound is," says the California-based artist. “He's electric guitar forward and he's a singer-songwriter. I guess I would put it in the alternative indie-rock category. »

Categories aside, Grammys recognition is a game-changer for Cunningham. When her name was spoken, she "just started running towards the microphone" and likened the experience to fainting. "I don't remember what I said," she laughs. "It was very surreal." The magnitude of the achievement did not escape him. "People describe [the Grammys] as the Super Bowl for musicians," she says. "It's wonderful to get this recognition from your peers."

There is usually a victory halo effect which involves a higher profile and more opportunities, but Cunningham has modest expectations. "I haven't seen the difference yet in terms of how it really plays out in the real world," she says. Her biggest hope is that more people will discover the album: "It's everything I could have wished for." After all, "Revealer" took over three years and a lot of heartache to make.

Cunningham describes "Life According to Raechel", a song about the loss of his grandmother, as the linchpin of an album that documents the mercurial effects of mourning.

"This song is the tarp that covers all ideas," she says. "When you lose someone, it changes you forever. It opens up parts of you and locks out other parts of you. The whole record is about the idea of ​​someone's absence and lack."

Although rooted in sadness, "Revealer" never wallows in it. The second half of the album, in particular, sees Cunningham express himself through wildly experimental songs like "Collider Particles" and "Your Hate Could Power a Train".

"The B-side is fun because it definitely goes a little off the rails," she says, before describing the first as "an excellent example of a track that breaks out of the record's sonic palette". It's an exercise she revisits on a new version of "Hospital" with alt-pop artist Remi Wolf.

"Remi and I had talked online," she says of the collaboration. "We hung out and had coffee." When they arrived in the studio, the creative chemistry was already there. “We were all guided by our curiosity; there were no rules about it,” Cunningham says. It's the kind of experience she hopes to repeat again and again. "I've always wanted to keep the soundscape wide. I'm not afraid to dig that a little deeper."

As ideas slowly begin to materialize for Cunningham's next project, she is currently grappling with festivals and live performances. "There's always something brewing," she says. "It's really easy to collect melodies, but keeping track is next to impossible. I never write full songs on the road, just take mementos from a sound check. She's got time set aside this year to write. "I really hope it's faster than last time."

There is a sense of tradition in the way...