Woman 'Made'

In a soulful, personal new jazz record, Madeline Edwards offers a soundtrack for the Me Too movement.

Jhane Hoang
JH1_1007

On the most searing track off 25-year-old Madeline Edward’s self-produced album Made, which drops in July, she sings of a man who destroyed her with one move: I watch you walk away as you set fire to my home / Then you go on / I thought you were home.


In the brooding space between jazz, blues and soul that Edwards inhabits, this is a well-tread theme; for her, it’s a cut deeper: The antagonist in “Peacemaker (Go On)” isn’t an old lover but a man in a position of power — a former music-business colleague — who allegedly assaulted her. “It was probably one of the most horrifying things I have ever gone through,” she recounts matter-of-factly. “It broke me.”

A year-long healing process followed, dotted by solo trips to her hometown of Santa Barbara and one to Paris; counseling sessions; and encouragement from her family and band members. Two years later, she’s reemerged as a reflective, purposeful storyteller on Made, a chapter book of her experiences before and after the incident, backed by a rich band. Edwards is a potent performer, capable of infusing standard themes like cheating and first love with complicated layers and unapologetic vulnerability. In “Give A Little Bit,” she concedes she’s still learning the art of compromise in a relationship, but, she sighs over a horn section, at least she’s trying.

Edwards’ parents — her mom a Polish-Jewish American, her dad African-American — raised her and her four musically inclined younger siblings solely on jazz from Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone’s era. When finally exposed to the pop industry at age 13 — “I didn’t know who Britney Spears was,” she laughs — Edwards developed a palate for jazz-inflected mainstream artists like the late Amy Winehouse, Leon Bridges and even quirky genre-blender Kacey Musgraves, also from Texas. Edwards aspires to similar pop exposure, but with a dash of soul, as evident from her performances at favorite local venues Cafeze and Cezanne’s. One might attribute this to her nearly 10-year Houstonian status: “I didn’t even care about putting soul in my songs until I listened to people like [Houstonians] The Suffers,” Edwards says. “Houston gave me the soul of everything.”

Off stage, Edwards’ soulfulness melts into a youthful, curious energy. With big, honey-brown eyes and a slight gap between her two front teeth, she speaks openly about her Indian-American boyfriend Jason, also a local musician, and their escapades in managing a cross-cultural relationship. “I’ve spent my whole life preparing for this,” she jokes, referencing her own biracial upbringing, covered on the album in the politically tinged “Zebra.” The two turn to biking and “hammocking” in their down time. (“It’s very lazy. We need it.”)

As for that incident, the fuel source of Made, Edwards says it will remain etched in her artistry. “I want to use my experience to show other women that I understand. I’m not ignorant to this anymore,” she says. “These women are my blood.” In “Peacemaker (Go On),” Edwards’ example is clear, as the somber tempo gives way to an infectious groove. I will go on / I will be strong / You’re gonna watch my back all the way, she warns the antagonist twice.

Art+Culture
‘Culture of Service and Accountability’ Supports Mission of Orion EMS

Gerard O’Brien, President/CEO & Founder, and Sumi Patel, Vice President

HOW DID YOU get where you are today? The EMS industry, quite literally, never stops. Our staff and units are called to serve our community every hour of every day; there are no weekends, holidays, or “days off.” Obviously, the demands of EMS are not for the faint of heart, and we have established a culture of service and accountability that is different than nearly every other organization. Our leadership team sets this culture by exhibiting their passion for this industry daily. Their tireless dedication makes a better experience for our staff when they come to work and for our patients and clients when they call on us to transport their loved ones.

Keep ReadingShow less

David Adickes and Bun B

SOME OF THE CITY'S most influential VIPs gathered at Steak 48 in River Oaks District for the annual toast to CityBook’s “Leaders & Legends,” a recurring franchise for the publication whose past honorees have including a Tony and Grammy winner, a Nobel laureate, a member of Congress, an Olympic medalist, multiple billionaire business moguls, TV stars, artists and scientists of every sort, and the city’s most glamorous and generous socialites.

Keep ReadingShow less
Parties

Houston Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’

FOR THE HOLIDAYS and new year, Houston’s art scene is vibrant and alive. Make note of our hot list!

Keep ReadingShow less
Art + Entertainment