We had a chance to sit down with Maddie & Tae a couple weeks back when they made their Canadian debut at Gone Country in London, Ontario. For those of you that made it to the show will know the girls know how to bring it. Here is our interview with the fabulous Maddie & Tae.
Corey: Girls, Welcome to Canada. This is going to be your first Canadian gig.
Tae: Oh, we are so excited. This is going to be awesome. The crowd looks great. We were just out there for a sec to kinda see things. And it looks really cool.
Maddie: And the weather is perfect because we won’t sweat our faces off. (laughs)
Corey: Lets talk get the big question out of the way, Girl in A Country Song, did the two of you ever think that the song would do what it did?
Maddie: Not at all, to be honest we didn’t even know if it was ever going to even see the light of day. When we wrote it we didn’t have a record deal at the time and we have been together for 5 years now and at the time we had been together for 4 years. We would just go into a writing session everyday and talk about what we were going through in life and what we wanted to write about. So for almost six months we would keep saying that we would hate to be the girl in that song or this song. It wasn’t really the artists we were poking fun at. It was more about the trend where the woman has to be this perfect barbie doll girl. The stereotypical girl that has to look absolutely perfect and we were like that is not realistic not all of us are tanned and long legs etc. So lets keep it real.
Tae: We don’t do well with disrespect, So that was kind of our way of saying we respect you so respect us please.
Corey: So when the song started to catch on, as in you started hearing it on the radio and that it was climbing the charts how did that feel?
Tae: It was kind of a validation for us that we were doing the right thing. We were so excited to release this message but obviously we knew it was a really bold thing to say and that there was going to be some backlash. But at the same time knowing that there were going to be a lot of people who love the song. So for us to seeing it climb the charts and seeing more and more people sing it during our live shows. So it was like, we are doing something right. It is true that we can say what we feel and people will still love it. So that is why we will continue to speak our truth.
Corey: I read an article not to long ago that Dan Huff said that you ladies have “Incredibly big talent” How does it feel when you hear about industry veterans like Dan make a comment like that?
Maddie: It’s ridiculous, it’s so nuts. (Laughs) we actually had a moment last night. We were just sitting at our dinner table and Man In The Mirror came on. And we are thinking the guy that produced our record played guitar on this song. This is ridiculous. Its crazy to hear those kind of comments from someone who has been in the industry so long. Its just so complimentary to us and what we do and to have someone that influential say those things is cool.
Tae: He has been around talented people forever and is a very talented person himself. But to have someone like that put us in that category is pretty cool.
Maddie & Tae – Gone Country – London, Ontario Photo: Corey Kelly
Corey: So your new album Start Here hits the public on August 28th. Maybe tell us how the album all came together?
Tae: We have been writing Start Here for the past 5 years. We met when we were 15 and we have just been writing what we have been going through over the past 5 years. So that is what you will hear in Start Here it’s our journey and what we have gone through. All the way from leaving home to going on awkward fishing experiences to bullies. The lead song is called Downside of Growing Up and its basically the last song that we wrote for this album and it says we are very thankful for the opportunities that we have had. But growing up is hard. So, it was real important to us to make sure the album was cohesive and told a story. Growing up we would listen to albums that told a story. Thats what made us fall in love with that artist. We are so excited that Start Here is finally coming out.
Start Here – Available August 28th.
Corey: Putting that album together can I ask what song you like the most now?
Tae: Mine right now would have to be Shut Up and Fish when you watch the show you will see how we perform it live and its just so much fun live.
Maddie: My favourite is the last one Down Side of Growing Up because its just so honest. We still live that song every single day. Its one of those every time I hear it I still relate to that song and I still know that moment when I felt that. And with every song on the record I still feel that but for this one especially its about the growing pains that all of us have to go through. No matter age or phase of life you’re going through. We have just gone through so much change in the past year. So that song really seems to have a special place. The same with Fly its something we can hold onto. On the tougher days we have our own anthem that we wrote ourselves which is really cool.
Corey: So your on tour with Dierks, Cannan & Kip Moore currently how is that tour going and what are you learning from a guy like Dierks?
Maddie: We are all like a huge family on this tour. We have all bonded so much on this tour. We get to learn every night from Dierks because we get to go out and watch the set. So just to brag on Dierks for a second. He has had thirteen #1’s and he has written 12 of them. Say You Do is the first one that he didn’t write. So to have 13 #1’s in a 90 min set is just unreal. It’s such a blessing to be out on the road with people we really enjoy and want to be around. There is no ego’s, nothing like that. We all get along really well.
Corey: So the Polar dip that Dierks took ya on, tell us how that went?
Tae: Ahhh, that was awful. Ok obviously we are woman and we kind of have an intuitive mind and whenever he called us he said we were going to go on a boat ride for a little tour bonding. We thought that was great so we asked just before we go on tour this summer. Dierks was like no, this month (January). So we were like no way you go on a boat ride in January and not have anything up your sleeve. And we knew that he did the Polar Plunge himself every year to rid himself of all the negativity from the year before. So we thought we would end up just going out on the boat and watch him do his thing and cheer him on. When we got out there and he said we were all jumping. I do need to note that we did jump in before Kip Moore so we were not the biggest babies.
Corey: Biggest musical influences?
Maddie: It changes for us I think depending on our mood but for me I would have to say Lee Ann Womack growing up and Dixie Chicks. But right now both Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves those records that just came out. And also John Mayer, I am a huge John Mayer fan . As a song writer those are the artist I listen to and make me feel like I really want to go and write an amazing song.
Tae: John Mayer has those lyrics that you kind of have to think about for a second and when you finally get it you go “thats genius”
Maddie: So ya guess that would be it but like we said it kind of changes for us.
Corey: Last question…. Social Media. How do you think it helps you be in contact with your fans?
Tae: We always try and favourite the tweets (The good not the bad) laughs… But we try and let people know that we appreciate what they say. And another way we really use it is we sign a lot after our sets and if I didn’t mention it on stage I would turn to Twitter and let everyone know via a tweet saying come meet us at section XYZ. It’s a really good way to get to connect to our fans.
Corey: Girls, thanks so much for taking the time to chat. I can’t wait to see you ladies back up in Canada for the Boots and Hearts show in August.
Maddie & Tae: No Thank you and we are excited to come back real soon!
Corey Kelly / @CoreyKelly76
Corey with Maddie & Tae – Gone Country Music Festival
Maddie & Tae Social Media Links:
Maddie & Tae Website
Maddie & Tae on Facebook
Maddie & Tae on Twitter
Maddie & Tae on Instagram
Maddie & Tae on Itunes
