How did you develop the stage name “Madam Who?”?
Great question. This is one of my favorite. Once I decided that I couldn’t keep my music to myself and needed to share, I started thinking of stage names. I wanted something memorable and unique. My given name is Audra Coldiron which is unique and Coldiron is a great metal band name, but it isn’t especially memorable. Plus it get butchered regularly. I also wanted something that could be a character of sorts.
I imagined what I would wear because that has always been very important to me. Ever since the Steam Punk aesthetic became a thing, I’ve said that if I were still in my rock-n-roll days, that’s what I would wear. Suddenly back in the game, I imagined myself wearing the top hats with goggles and everything that comes with it. Then I thought, “What would women have been called in those days?” That’s where “Madam” came from.
But I didn’t want to be just Madam. It sounded too stodgy or flavorless. I started trying to complete it the name and the vibe I had in mind. Madam Love? Too sappy. Madam Hope? Didn’t want to be pigeon holed. Madam Rock? Too much like Kid Rock. When I pictured myself onstage with black and white striped knee-high socks, the image of Mrs. Whatsit from the book, A Wrinkle In Time, popped into my mind. Madam Whatsit? No, but close. Madam Which? Too confusing and possibly controversial with the Santanic Panic crowd. Madam Who?? That’s it! When the domain name was available that really sealed the deal… lol.
What message or emotions do you aim to convey through your music?
Hope. Empowerment. Resilience. Love. I want to convey what I’ve learned on my trips around the sun. I want downtrodden people to know that they are not hopeless. I want everyone to know that once you learn to love yourself, you will be freed from your self imposed chains that hold you back. Of course, I do have a silly side too that loves to laugh and have fun. (See Peter Meter which will be released in January.).
How has your musical journey evolved over the years, leading to the release of “Reclaim Your Power”?
Let’s see… how has it evolved? I started on piano when I was 7, then learned guitar and started writing songs at 12 after watching The Complete Beatles documentary and used the Beatles songs as my songwriting templates. I did a few recordings in Nashville at 13 and 14. Started programming drums at 16 then did more recordings of my original songs. At 19 I went to college in Nashville to study Music Business and formed my first band – Merry Madness – which got selected for the first season of Star Search’s reboot with Martha Quinn of MTV. T
hen I formed Audra & the Antidote which got flown out to Los Angeles to perform our mp3.com hit, Jenny’s Got A Boyfriend, with Creed and Godsmack on Jimmy’s Iovine’s Farmclub music show. The next year we got nominated for the very first AMA’s New Music award and were to perform it in NYC at the Bowery Ballroom on September 13, 2001. The events of the 11th derailed that opportunity which in turn caused us to miss out on other opportunities. Despite being named one of the top 5 unsigned bands in Nashville by Music Row Magazine, that band broke up.
Heartbroken, I stopped all together and moved away to a town near Ocean City, MD. I vowed to leave music behind too and never had any desire to start again. Until…
What’s the story behind your song “Reclaim Your Power”?
After two kids, one business, and one bout with brain cancer, my emotionally abusive Ex dumped me via text while I was out of town. He had our two kids put all of my belongings in the kitchen of the home I literally helped build. I thought I couldn’t feel any lower, but I was wrong. Nine months later after starting my own business out of need and desperation and moving to a neighboring town, my daughter and I had to be pulled out of the ocean by kind strangers. I had rushed in to rescue her from a rip tide then got washed away in it too.
That night, while emotionally drowning and almost actually drowning, a song came to me. I told it to go away. I was done with music and songwriting. However, it was persistent and wouldn’t leave me alone. Finally, I relented and got out my dusty old guitar that I wasn’t sure I knew how to play anymore and wrote the song. To my surprise, it felt good. Really good. Even better than talking with a therapist. I decided to write another about the breakup. That felt really good too!
Then I played the first song to my daughter. “Do you like it?” I asked. She shrugged and said she did like the 10-year-old she was. Then she added something I will never forget: “But WHY do you want to remember that?” In that moment, it dawned on me that writing songs about despair wasn’t going to help me out of my deep dark pit. It would only reinforce it. But maybe if I did the opposite and wrote a song with affirmations in it, I would start to believe them and help me OUT of the pit. So I did. And it did!
That’s when I realized by sharing this song, I could help others to begin to climb out of their own personal deep dark pits. Hence, Madam Who? was born.
What challenges did you face while creating “Reclaim Your Power,” and how did you overcome them?
Mental health and financial struggles aside, I had to learn how to work GarageBand on my iPhone. At first the production was more of a hip-hop flavor because I wanted to try something new. The verses came to me as a rap but I resisted it for a while since I felt like I’d come across as a rap poser. I really really wanted to find a melody instead that I could sing but couldn’t find it. Speaking the verse didn’t really fit. So I had to convince myself that my “rap” was just speaking in an exaggerated rhythmical way and it would sound fine as long as I could do it with confidence.
Then the pandemic happened. A friend who I worked with in Nashville mixed it and I made a lyric video with some BLM protesters interspersed in it. When I upgraded to Logic Pro and got a proper mic, I rerecorded most of it. Then I tried my hand at mixing it. Then rerecorded it again. Then mixed it again. Then did a new video. Then Animal Farm heard it and wanted to remix it. I thought it was such a good and important song that people needed to hear, I couldn’t give up on it. Now it is out for all to hear!
Can you share any interesting behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the song?
The line in the second verse that goes, “You never thought you’d feel so weak inside or so powerless,” was almost a direct quote from a friend. That summer her husband left her so we instantly became tight, able to bond over our shared trauma. She basically inspired the verses.
Oh, and when I had my friend mix the song the first time, I accidentally gave him an old file with crappy takes. After finishing he was like, “you should spend more time on perfecting your takes. It’s really hard to disguise mistakes.” I instantly knew what I did wrong and apologized profusely after I wasted his whole day. I still feel bad about it. Ugh. Sorry again, Void!
How do you approach your songwriting process in general?
I generally start with an idea for a song. Then I’ll wait for a catchy chorus to come to me. If that doesn’t happen, that’s where it stays. If it does happen, I’ll record that chorus. Sometimes it is while I’m doing other stuff so I’ll sing it into my phone before I forget it. Sometimes if I have time, I’ll go straight to my computer and find a beat then sing it. In my first go-around I would pick up my guitar and find the chords that matched my melody. These days I have songs I don’t even know how to play on the guitar because I went straight to the computer and the recording process. Also, I take my time with it, waiting for the perfect lyric or melody or whatever. Sometimes I’ll have three songs going at once then finish an entirely new one in a day. I was never like that the first time. The creation process was painful. Now it is enjoyable.
How do you find the balance between your personal life and your music career?
Wait. You mean there’s a balance out there somewhere to be found???
Can you talk about the role of empowerment and self-discovery in your music and life?
Gosh, what else is there to say? Yet there is so much! Empowerment is everything in life. It is the freedom and confidence to be who you truly are and not care what other people think. You do you! I let that get away from me when I wasn’t doing music. Coincidence? Maybe. Probably not. Self-discovery is essential for well being and growth. Keep learning and having new experiences. Otherwise you will wither physically and mentally.
Finally, how do you see your music evolving, and what can fans expect from you in the coming years?
It is hard to look into the future and predict how my music will evolve. I love to dabble in so many genres that I have been labeled an eclectisist (or however you spell that word). I regularly try new things and ways of doing things. I love to step out of my comfort zone. It is thrilling and scary. I do have enough songs written right now to do at least 5 more EP’s, so we’ll see. I have plans to do different versions of songs I’ve already put out there, like I Am Enough. Originally I made it into a electro-pop dance tune, but I think I’ll try some sort of indie pop retro version.
Also, I’m considering forming a charity organization to tour women’s/family shelters, mental hospitals, and the like, to be a motivational singer of sorts. It brings me great joy to offer hope and an hour or so of fun to people in their lowest moments of their lives. I know I would have loved it. If anyone out there is interested in helping me make this happen, hit me up at [email protected].
