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Dallas-based singer/songwriter Juliana Madrid dives into the vulnerable, visceral depths of her self-titled debut EP, an achingly intimate and relentlessly raw coming-of-age record.
for fans of Holly Humberstone, Phoebe Bridgers, Clyro
Stream: “Pretend” – Astronaut
Aextremely intimate and unapologetically raw, Juliana Madrid’s debut EP is a vulnerable and intuitive indie pop revelation: luminous and tender, cinematic and thrilling, the self-titled Juliana Madrid EP delves deep into the depths of the singer/songwriter to reveal a unique artistry. Coming of age with a fresh voice, an open heart and an ear for irresistibly catchy hooks, Madrid is all but guaranteed to be paying close attention to her in the months and years to come.
When I come in, I know
I will stay alone
Then I got lost in your face
Although not my particular taste
I decided that if I went, I would catch my transport
with her, you know
I’ll get us out and in
Don’t worry, we’ll play pretend
The missionary is fine
Fear not it’s just tonight
I figured Mary had a ride
To where he’s going now
Released on August 29, 2022 via Neon Gold Records, Juliana Madrid EP is a dynamic, cathartic and deeply personal introduction. A 21-year-old singer/songwriter from Dallas, Texas, Madrid weaves indie folk, alternative, and pop influences together into enchanting songs rich with heart, melody, and perspective. Having only debuted earlier this year, this self-titled EP is really the first long-form expression of who she is and what she’s capable of.
“My EP is basically a giant journal entry,” says Madrid Atwood Magazine. “It touches on recent heartbreak, religion, loneliness and partying. All the ingredients are there to make me who I am today, and the story of me is the only one I was trying to tell with this record.”
“It was really just making music that I love and that feels true to who I am,” she says of the process. “That vision has never changed and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I feel like I touch all the bases musically, having some rockier songs and then the sadder, acoustic ones. Obviously, I’m a very new artist still figuring out myself and my sound, so having that flexibility early on makes me really excited about the future of my music and where it’s going to go.”
Used to drive south
Put your fingers in my mouth
We drank, seventeen
Now it’s rinse, repeat
Treat my body so routinely
Did you see him losing me?
If I’m too young to fall in love
Then tell me what the hell that was
You can find another hero for your cause
I am finished with my release from the cross
Don’t crucify me
It’s all so fascinating
And I want a refund
Because nothing really happens for a reason
I’m not a savior either
– “Savior”, Juliana Madrid
From the EP’s electric, hard-hitting opener ‘Pretend’ and soaring, high-energy tracks ‘Savior’ and ‘Peppermint’, to the more subdued emotional outpouring ‘Astronaut’, the stirring rejection of religion ‘Madonna’ and the contemplative acoustic closer ‘ Clover,” this EP has something for everyone: lovers of scorching rock anthems, tender pop ballads, intense internal reckoning and everything in between are sure to love it at least one of Juliana Madrid’s songs.
“Madrid wears its heart on its sleeve in song; she hides nothing in a confessional outpouring of raw, unfiltered and honest accounts,” Atwood Magazine wrote, adding Madrid’s hauntingly intimate track “Astronaut” to our 68th Editor’s Pick.
“Few songs handle real-time personal growth with as much emotional intelligence as Madrid brings to ‘Astronaut.’ In less than five minutes, she unpacks her mistakes and delves into the ramifications of her actions and behavior as she ponders the utter fragility of intimacy and love… ultimately coming to the poetic conclusion, ‘I knew I had athletics, but I didn’t know I would jump that high.It’s a powerful admission of guilt and exactly the kind of acceptance she needs to allow herself to grow and develop into a better version of herself. The “astronaut” does not fly into space; actually diving head first into the human depths. Despite staying firmly grounded, Giuliana Madrid soars in this song.”
I’m selfish as shit, and I’m concerned about perceptions
what would people think of me now
the nuance in the truth has been removed for your protection
it makes everything so one-sided and narrow
and if you ever meet a real astronaut
fear of walking on the moon
he would understand me very well
and why did i hurt you
For his part, Madrid cites opening EP “Pretend” as a personal favorite both musically and lyrically – though it’s definitely a tough decision. “Picking a favorite song is like picking your favorite child,” she laughs, “but I’ll say ‘Pretend’ is the most fun to dance to. My favorite text is “the missionary is fine” from [that] song… With the lyrics, I wanted to capture that feeling of walking into a party and knowing absolutely no one except your one friend who invited you. But you’re there, you find someone to sympathize with, and you choose to really have fun for once, even if you have to work your way through it at first.”
From end to end, Juliana Madrid EP is an exciting and very special introductory EP. Madrid sets the air on fire with her energetic beats and charismatic vocals, displaying a wisdom far beyond her years and ultimately igniting an inspirational fire in the audience that lingers long after the music ends. As she sings on the fiery “Peppermint,” “Ignorance is nice but never true bliss, is that you or am I missing all the chaos?Coming-of-age anthems have never felt so delightfully dramatic and utterly raw.
You look like a stranger
Thinks you dyed your hair
I know it’s not important, but I still care
Ignorance is nice, but it’s never true bliss
Is it you or am I missing all the chaos
Man, I wake up and pinch my skin
Yes, I’m watching the color come back
The scent of jealousy and mint
I can taste it, can you taste it when I look at you
– “Mint”, Juliana Madrid
“My only hope for anyone who listens to one of my songs is that it leaves them with a feeling, whatever that feeling is,” Madrid shared. “Even if they hate him. I prefer that to some apathetic attitude towards music. During the making of this EP, I think the most important thing for me was learning the balance between taking advice from others and trusting my instinct. Sometimes it’s really hard, when you have the opportunity to work with such great artists, to remember that you’re good at what you do, and that you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t.”
Experience the full record via our stream below and get a sneak peek at Giuliana Madrid’s film of the same name EP with Atwood Magazine as the artist goes song by song through the music and lyrics of her debut!
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:: stream/purchase Juliana Madrid here ::
Stream: “Juliana Madrid EP” – Juliana Madrid
:: Inside Juliana Madrid EP ::
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PRETEND
This song is really special to me because it was written completely remotely with my producer Ben. It started with this simple drum beat he had sent me. I immediately picked up my guitar and started playing this progression and melody with these lyrics starting to flow out. It’s SO rare for me (and I think for many musicians) to get that instant connection and love for a song that isn’t even fully written yet. With the lyrics, I wanted to capture that feeling of walking into a party and knowing absolutely no one except your one friend who invited you. But you’re there, you find someone to empathize with, and you choose to actually have fun for once, even if you have to fake your way through it at first.
SAVIOR
The Savior was written when I was in my first long-term relationship. It’s about that intense love that slowly fades after you realize how much you’ve given up on yourself all along. You know that there will never be enough to give to this other person, and it has worn you down. It then develops into an apathetic attitude towards this fading love, which ultimately leads to the ending.
MINT
In this song I wanted to convey all the feelings you can feel from just one moment. In this case – a brief interaction with an ex-lover – how strange it can be to suddenly see someone you’ve known so well, now almost a stranger. As for the writing process, this song started with the line “I pinched my skin just to watch the pigment rush back,” an old lyric of mine that I hadn’t been able to put into any other song. To me, this line is just a reminder that you are alive. Appreciating where you are and being in the moment is something I often forget.
COSMONAUT
Astronaut is a song about a young relationship, first love. Learning how to communicate and the ground rules of partnering with someone. Deeper than that is taking a step back and admitting your own flaws. The music really emulates this with the minimal production at the beginning which eventually leads to this crescendo of heightened emotion once the strings and drums kick in.
MADONNA
My producer Ben and I wrote all day and we didn’t get anything we liked. Towards the end of the night, he played this instrumental that he’d had for a while and we were both really excited about it at first – we went outside for a bit to get out of the studio, then we came back and started writing on it straight away. In general, Madonna has this subtext of rejecting religion, but also the way I see it is that this girl has a not-so-good significant other who keeps messing up and she gets over it, but the other person is still trying to win her back despite the fact that they know they are holding her back. So she kind of kicks herself in the head for that, but still chooses to stay as she slowly gives away pieces of herself, piece by piece.
SOAK
This song was written with my good friend Alex Winston and my producer Ben. Soak is probably the most anthemic feeling of songs on my EP, which is ironic because of the subject matter. I like to think of it as this great anti-social anthem that I’m sure most people can relate to in one way or another.
CLOVER
With “Clover” I had spent the whole day locked in my room writing and not really coming up with anything. Around 1am, right before I almost gave up, I started playing this progression. The melodies and lyrics just came out with him. Sometimes in songwriting, the meaning of the word vomit you spit out as you work isn’t always clear – and sometimes it never is until edits are made – but what many people don’t realize is that songwriters often attribute the meaning to -late, instead of continuing in the session with one already in mind. So now, going back to the lyrics of “Clover,” it really feels like this plea to my current self from my future self saying, “Hey, you’re actually doing well right now, let’s not screw it up. Can we PLEASE just stay like this?”
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:: stream/purchase Juliana Madrid here ::
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