Living Proof by Madaline Collins
Out today, a new artist for you to follow.
I love listening to Madaline Collins in both her solo/duo work and as part of the band Screamer. Every song is different and every one is memorable. I have previously compared her work to both Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, so she is a student of the absolute cream of British rock legends.
At times Madaline sounds like Antipodean goddess Kate Miller-Heidke too. There's literally nothing to not like. She generally performs her own tunes in a duo with guitarist John Wilkerson. Seeming most at home on keyboards, both instruments are to the front in her work.
You were all American
Never short never generic
And we all saw how the stars would shine for you
Madaline's strong vocal delivery really cuts through and makes a lasting impression. She's a singer whose voice is genuinely an instrument, capable of haunting words, and shrieks and screams that defy description.
One of the things I love about reviewing indie artists is getting even closer to the music and, sometimes, the artists themselves. They even read my reviews, sometimes. Gen Z like to think they invented the idea of the parasocial relationship because of social media but guess what? It's a boomer idea from when TV first hit the big time in the 1950s. I am sure there were some teenagers in Victorian England who felt a close bond to Emily Brontë too. If you want to get closer to the music, you can start here, today.
"Living Proof" is the most memorable of Madaline's recent songs. It is understated and features her trademark vocal riffs. It's quietly powerful, full of controlled emotion.
Madaline Collins, together with John Wilkerson, have been full-time professional musicians for a year or so. I think their bravery and confidence speaks volumes. They're totally focused on making a living out of music, and I know they are only one tiny coincidence away from a big break. They've settled into the musical community around Fayetteville, AR and you can catch them most weekends in the local venues.
I always find a couple of lines to convey a flavour of the lyrics but Madaline's words are all so punchy and memorable that I give you the whole bridge below. The hot piss mention is particularly notable!
Round here you run with the big boys or they’ll cut you down
Oh god it can feel so strange when they all wanna break you down
And you just can’t be a part of this
The clichés it all just smells like hot piss
Never is it lost on you
That a soul it is meant to be moved
It’s all in what you say and do make changes grow the world within you
Find beauty on a common day
It’s all in what you do and say
So what is Living Proof about? This is not a traditional narrative song. It's more than that, or different anyway. There is anger beneath the surface, and sometimes on the surface. Is the you a guy or is the you really all of us? Well, it's both. Take your pick. It is sad or tragic in places. At some points the lyrics remind me of The Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys, because it's about someone for whom the stars will shine. But then it's like Back in the High Life Again, because there are downs in life as well as ups. Be sure to admire the guitar licks and piano too. There's a lot to take in.
Madaline Collins is active on Instagram and Facebook. You can still grab a couple of older tunes on Bandcamp.
Overheat by Madaline Collins (June 2025)
I first wrote about Madaline last summer when I reviewed Overheat, which you can read about below. I followed that up last September with a review of Screamer's Dead Head, also below. This week's song, Living Proof, reminded me favourably of an earlier track called Forever Valentine.
Overheat really grabbed my ears, not least because of its appropriateness to the current heatwave which I might have mentioned. It's deep and varied. It's loud, and a great way to kick off any playlist. But after quite a few listens it started to remind me of one of my favourite live artists anywhere, the Australian goddess Kate Miller-Heidke. Her song, Words, when performed live, has echoes of Overheat. I have been listening a lot to Madaline on the recommendation of a friend with impeccable tastes, and every song of hers is different. Madaline is also in a band called Screamer. Everything she does is eye-opening and I cannot wait to see what she does next.
Paul Dettmann
Comments ()