I believe in what we’ve built creatively together as a band and I know it can last.
Madison Lucas
Singer Songwriter Musician
My first memory of being deeply entranced by music was hearing “Hey Jude” on an infomercial for a Beatles box set. The Beatles have always been a huge part of my musical history, and I’ll always mention them first. A very Beatles obsessed child. In the 6th grade I became part of the marching band playing trumpet. This was my first introduction to playing with a group of musicians, and it changed my life. My band director was incredibly talented and taught us how to truly listen and feel classical music. I played through my senior year, and it shaped everything about who I am as a musician.
I’ve been playing music since around 6th grade with classical trumpet. I did dabble with piano lessons from about 8 years old and up but didn’t get serious about the instrument until my 20’s. I wrote my first song my sophomore year of college on guitar, it’s called “Luckily” and it ended up on the first Modern Moxie album, Claw Your Way Out.
Describe your path to becoming a musician and how you ended up creating your band Modern Moxie.
I didn’t start playing guitar and writing my own music until sophomore year of college. Around this time period I was listening to a ton of Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor, Metric, and Bjork.
These artists inspired me so much and definitely shaped my songwriting at that time. I’m a bit of a late bloomer and always dreamed of having my own band.
I moved back to my hometown for a short period of time and kept writing songs. I had an opportunity to record a 5 track solo EP in 2011 (The Bedroom EP by Madison Lucas) at Archer Avenue Studio in Columbia, SC. This was my first studio experience and working with other players. I was hooked from then on.
“I truly feel like I’m just getting started.”
Since that first album all I want to do is write and record albums with my friends. It's my greatest joy in life.
I started playing open mics in Charlotte after college, and I was lucky to meet the right people at the exact right time.
I needed them to start forming Modern Moxie. It’s been a long journey to say the least, but I’m so happy everything went exactly the way that it did even though it felt impossible at most points. I truly feel like I’m just getting started.
What does the act of making music/performing do for you?
I’ve built my entire life around my love of making music and performing, so I have to say everything. It infiltrates every single part of my existence in some way. I’m not even sure I could separate my identity from music if I tried. I’m thinking about music or something related to music about 97% of the time.
It’s definitely an obsession but I don’t know how else to be.
“Songs are gifts from the ether, and I’ve been lucky enough to be a conduit is how I truly feel.”
Songs are gifts from the ether and I’ve been lucky enough to be a conduit is how I truly feel. They just pop into my mind and I don’t know where they come from but I’m so grateful. I feel this energetic buzzing and I know to go to a guitar or piano. I try to just get out of the way and let it happen. I’ve noticed it happens more often when I have some sort of intense emotion or experience I’m dealing with and/or near running water.
Where do your songs come from and how do you stay inspired to write/create new music?
Which comes first, melody or lyrics?
That initial experience is really hard to manufacture but once I have the skeleton of a song, that’s when I’ll really start working on the structure and dynamics with Harry or the whole band. I never have anything in particular in mind for a song. I just let it become what it feels like it’s meant to be. For most of my songs the vocal melody comes first, then I write chords to fit. I have experimented with turning poetry into songs but only one time. That song is called “Churning” from our last album, Tripping the Light Fantastic.
“I’ve learned I can turn any setback into a learning experience or a song.”
You’ve shared online about your journey with sobriety. How has it impacted your creative self?
I’ve been alcohol-free since August 10, 2022. No single choice has impacted my life so greatly. I could write an entire book about all the things that have changed in my life, all for the better. It’s a tricky subject to discuss but I need the world to know you don’t need it. I feel better than I did 10 years ago and I feel stronger every day. It has freed me in a way that I didn’t know was possible.
The first year was intense and not easy in any way but absolutely worth it. You get to find out who you were always meant to be without all the self-loathing. I was tired in a way that I did not even understand until reaching this point of clarity almost four years later. I was worried I would lose something because a lot of my songs were written hungover.
I lost nothing, and I feel more creative than ever. I’ve started so many new creative hobbies in the past few years, you have more time than you think.
Life has slowed down significantly.
What have you learned about yourself through making music and what’s an important lesson you’ve learned about forging a path in music/building community around your band?
I’ve learned I can turn any setback into a learning experience or a song. There are obstacles around every single corner in life and the music industry and you must build resilience or you won’t make it. I remember reading my first bad review about a song I submitted for a playlist and feeling absolutely destroyed for days and days. You could tell me my whole catalog sucks right to my face at this point and I would just write another song about it. I used to be so delicate, but I’m the strongest I’ve ever been at this point.
I believe in what we’ve built creatively together as a band, and I know it can last. I’m building a community one soul at a time and that’s where I place my intention. I want this band to be sustainable for all members long-term and that’s truly my biggest goal.
They’re my family and I want the best for them always, whatever that means at the time.
If you could meet any artist living or dead who would it be and why?
My answer is always David Bowie forever. He’s my hero - a soul I can look up to for the way he lived his life in love, art, and style. Even his death was a concept album. I also feel like an alien a lot of the time and I feel like he really captured that feeling in his lyrics. You can be so alone in a sea of people. His advice helps me so much, his quotes are what get me by. I try to never write to the audience because he believed in that. Here’s the actual quote: “I think it's terribly dangerous for an artist to fulfill other people's expectations. I think they generally produce their worst work when they do that.” He’s more of a god to me than an artist which I know he would not like, but it’s true. I’m not a religious person, but I do have David Bowie.
Describe Modern Moxie in 5 words.
Describe Modern Moxie in 5 words.
Introspective, eclectic, spiritual, existential, alt-rock
What’s next for Modern Moxie? What do you dream about for the future of the band?
Many more songs. I dream of us releasing albums until we’re old. I plan to do this until it’s not fun anymore. I’m still having so much fun every day so let’s keep going. I hope one day long after I’m gone somebody still listens to what we created while we were here on this Earth for a short time.