“I remember sitting in the studio, starting to write this song and had been tired of pretending to hide bad days,” explains Kamloops, BC’s pop-infused singer-songwriter Madison Olds about her effervescent new single “Best Part of Me” which is released today via DSPs and online streaming services. She adds, “I think my exact words were, ‘It feels really good to just sit on the floor, cry and give into an anxiety attack.’ This song is meant to make the listeners feel reassured with taking a moment to just feel sad. You don’t always have to be happy or even okay all the time.”
Produced and mixed by award-winning producer Ryan Worsley (Dear Rouge, Nuela Charles, Mathew V) at Echoplant Studios and mastered by Chris Gehringer (Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Drake) at Sterling Sound, “Best Part of Me” was created from a “moment of mental disparity.” It all started when Madison took her first extended solo trip to Nashville to write. After some difficulties with an initial writing session including a $300 one way car ride due to a massive storm, the meeting was rescheduled (this time, the car ride was only $45!), and she took the leap. “I think because I was already feeling scared and was in a heightened state of mind, writing a song about anxiety kind of just felt like the only thing I could write about that day,” she explains. “I know it’s so hard to see a moment of mental disparity as a good thing, but I attribute my low mental state as a blessing that trip.”
While “Best Part of Me” was specifically written for acknowledging your mental health and making time for self-care, Madison thinks the lyrics can resonate with a lot of people struggling to cope with the current state of our society. “I can only imagine the anxiety, depression and anger people are feeling right now and I think ‘Best Part of Me’ can help to reassure that while it feels like the world is burning or even ending, it’s okay to take a day, cry it out and then get back in the saddle and kick some ass the next day.” On a larger scale, she hopes that her music can “empower people to feel comfortable with their discomfort.” She adds, “My music comes from personal experience where I had to learn and grow on my own. My hope is that people can hear my story and relate to it by reflecting on the uniqueness, and their own story.”
“Best Part of Me” Artwork
Illustration: Zainab Zahid Ali, Design: Jeff Ojeda, Photography: Kaylee Smoke
In 2018, Madison released her debut album Blue to the world and it opened many doors, including support slots for Willie Nelson, Kacey Musgraves, Neon Dreams, Scott Hellman and more. Her feature single “Moments in the Mountains” (written for Kamloops’ 2018 BC Winter Games) was selected as the soundtrack for the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, BC. Her follow-up single “Thank You” launched Madison up the Hot AC Radio charts in Canada, placed her within the Top 10 of CBC Searchlight 2019, and helped garner several international showcases with Music Matters in Singapore, Fall 2019. Blue now has over 2 million audio streams collectively.
