About Madame Z
Over the years, singer-songwriter Madame Z tapped in and out of her music career. During that time, she raised three kids while going back to school for a master’s degree. Today, her kids are nearly grown, Z’s education helped her land a great job, and she’s more prolific than ever. In fact, Z never leaves home without multiple notebooks to jot down song ideas.
“I had an epiphany that every scar or wrinkle is a trophy. To be alive and release music is a huge privilege,” the Sacramento, California-based artist says. “This is my third coming—it feels like a rebirth—and I feel more inspired and empowered than ever. I’ve also come to realize how timeless music truly can be; I’m not just creating music for myself now, but to connect with future generations. My children, and their children’s children.”
Z is a writer, lyricist, singer, and producer who has cultivated a sensually dark, genre-fluid aesthetic. One constant throughout her creative wanderlust is her love of electric guitar which lends her music a rock edge. As a lyricist, Z is equally emotionally eloquent writing from an inner perspective as she is writing from an outer one. “Everything inspires me. Experience, mother nature, everyday life, self-evolution, and my family,” she says. “Music is where I can be my authentic self and not play by anybody’s rules.”
Since 2019, Z has released 50 songs, including a studio album, a reimagined covers album, and numerous singles and collaborations, and she shows no signs of slowing down. Z will release a series of singles this spring. She is mulling over ideas for another one of her unique cover records. She plans to start a livestream music performance series. And Z will be hitting the stage, singing in a variety of musical contexts.
Z grew up in a conservative evangelical household. She does remember her father’s past as a hippie musician, playing drums and writing songs on the guitar. She also knew where he hid his Led Zeppelin records. But Z felt like a pariah at home. She had a deep longing to know a life outside her strict household which resided in what felt like the middle of nowhere. Z escaped through voraciously reading, and passionately writing. “I have always been the black sheep of the family, asking questions that shouldn’t be asked, pushing the limits. Writing was a way for me to say what I wanted to say without repercussions,” Z says.
Music was also a source of comfort, but Z’s family didn’t have money for lessons. She found her way through the high school musical theater opportunities available to her. Over the years, Z would evolve into a diversely gifted singer, equally at home onstage in Nashville, Tennessee performing with metal and jazz bands.
Z ended up enduring some wilderness years away from music. When she returned, she became active on BandLab, a digital audio workstation-plus social media platform. There, she became an in-demand writer, singer, and producer, collaborating all over the world.
Z will release her next single, “Save The World,” on Earth Day. The aptly-titled track exudes a theatrical, dark wave aesthetic with its plaintive piano passages, moody synth textures, taut beats, and chiming electric guitars. Z’s vocals here are a showstopper—her achingly beautiful vibrato and emotive phrasing have a weight to them that is both sensual and ominous. The perfect delivery for such lyrics as: Everywhere I look I see/The symptoms of catastrophe/We’re poisoning the waters/And there’s plastic in the sea/One may often question/The footprint of humanity/Yet the illness of our planet/Well, even the blindest man could see.
Her followup single, “Black Sheep,” is a cinematic ballad with mournful guitar figures and towering powerchord passages. This is an anthem that feels directly aimed at little girl Z. “That song speaks for itself,” Z confirms. “It’s about being okay with being different, and feeling self worth without having to join the mainstream.” The “Black Sheep” outro is particularly poignant when Z sings: What they couldn’t kill/If they tried a thousand times/A thousand times/A thousand times/A thousand times.
These days Z makes music because she has to—it’s therapeutic for her, and she sees its purpose in healing a brokenhearted world. “Everything has been feeling so bleak. I got to the point where I realized we need light,” Z says. “I had to fight through a lot of self-sabotage and negative voices in my head, but I feel like we artists need to hold a candle for everybody else.”
Follow Z on Spotify to keep up with new releases.
Down the Rabbit Hole
Conceived, Written and Performed by: Madame Z and The M Project
Also featuring: Steve Keith, Mauro Scarsellone, Riot Craig and Summer Flu
Art & Photography by Madame Z and Amy Jo Designs.
Produced by Madame Z, The M Project and Steve Keith
Executive Producer: Steve Keith
Engineered by The M Project
Mastered by Steve Keith, Baselines Designs
Stream Down the Rabbit Hole
Madame Z reaches deep into her personal journey for inspiration from those who impacted her life, both in a good way and a bad way. This realness bleeds from the speakers on the 15 track album.”
Keith Profeta, Indie Band Guru
Madame Z has a beautiful sound with a one-of-a-kind vocal flow, and it is apparent that she sings from the heart. This talented artist is deeply connected with her material, and as a result, you can really tell how much excellent work went into bringing her songs from an idea, to a fully-finished track that has a special feel and tone.”
The Bandcamp Diaries
Down The Rabbit Hole is a stunning record. Madame Z is a mind blowing performing and creative talent. Musically, it is a terrific journey into the artist’s masterful composing, stellar singing, and intense lyrics that remain compelling even after repeated listening.”
Tuneloud (Magazine and Radio)
Each cut is intensely unique…as overused and abused as that word can tend to be, it applies here. Madame Z could have easily played any record so much safer than this based on the skills & talent you’ll hear from her…that becomes known just about instantly – it’s the fact that she DIDN’T and chose to challenge herself in such compelling, artistic, and exciting ways that have me giving her the gold star!”
Jer, Sleeping Bag Studios
Resiliently spunky. Charmingly unpredictable. Sultry yet boundaried. Madame Z’s long time in the making debut solo album, Down The Rabbit Hole, checks practically every box on the color pallet, leading us through a tour of the many different singer-songwriter genres including everything from jazz-lounge to soul, rock to R&B. Taking in all of these influences over the course of this 15-track project feels almost like a concept album, or perhaps the soundtrack to the next Spike Lee joint.“
WHOSE LOVECHILD…?
Noah Hittner, The Ark of Music
Pink meets Norah Jones…
Often blending alternative pop tones with expressive, near-theatrical vocal performances, and consistently unique soundscapes, Madame Z’s music provides instrumental escapism and provocative lyricism in one swiftly melodic and seductive strike.”
Rebecca Cullen, Stereo Stickman
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