West Virginia born Americana artist Rett Madison is already paving her own way in the music scene. At the tender age of 23-years-old, Madison has already cultivated the unique ability to evoke an incredible amount of emotion while keeping her composure.
Videos by American Songwriter
Her newest single, “Kerosene,” wraps the listener up with warm controlled croons and sweeping arrangements.
The single details the intimate relationship between two people who come from different lives and expect different things.
Madison sings, “If you lie here I’ll keep you warm / just until you find the one.” She never intends to devote herself fully to the other person, meaning it’s the kind of expendable companionship that burns up like paper on an open flame – quickly and with eager passion.
“‘Kerosene’ is a song from a time in my life when I wasn’t yet ready to accept healthy romantic love. I wrote it almost to caution potential partners that while I craved a fun fling to pass the time, I wasn’t in the headspace for commitment,” she shares.
Madison has never been ashamed to speak on her romantic endeavors and instead devotes much of her musical platform to being open about her own experiences being queer.
“I try to be open about my queerness and those experiences in my music now, so that kids who may be living through similar experiences that I once did, won’t feel as alone and will know there’s better days ahead of them.”
Somewhere between the raw lyricism of Phoebe Bridgers and the powerful production of Hozier, Madison is the perfect storm of intriguing yet relatable.
With the help of best friend and producer Theo Katzman, Madison was able to create a track that sucks listeners in from beginning to end. Commanding attention from the first line, the track builds with unparalleled precision and rides alongside her story effortlessly.
“Working with Theo Katzman on the production for this song was like finding the missing piece to the puzzle. He makes sure each layer and texture in the track best supports my song and story without ever overstepping my vocal just for the sake of bells and whistles,” she explains.
Just as her song compares the parallel lives of two characters in an intimate relationship, Madison’s vocals alongside the production are like two parallel and distinct lives coming together to create one combustible collaboration.
Check out “Kerosene” below.
