Maddy Little, the talented indie artist hailing from Toronto, Ontario, is making waves in the Canadian music scene. Having initially delved into the indie-folk realm with the band We Wander, Maddy has become a fixture in the Toronto Indie Scene, gracing iconic venues like The Opera House, El Mocambo, Adelaide Hall, Lee’s Palace, and more.
Immersed in the rich musical landscape of the city, Maddy draws inspiration from notable artists like City and Colour, Dizzy, and Phoebe Bridgers, infusing her songwriting with captivating storytelling. As she embarks on her solo journey, Maddy is currently crafting her inaugural EP. Her latest single, "Attention," serves as a poignant exploration of vulnerability and emotion, showcasing her evolution as a formidable solo artist. Stay tuned for more from this promising Canadian indie sensation.
How did the project start?
When I released my first singe “Six Feet Under” I originally planned it to be a song for my band, We Wander but I think that song had a special meaning for me and I wanted it just be mine which my band was fully supportive of. As I continued working on the song I was excited be branching out with different musicians who had different ideas and from there I decided I wanna keep making with different people and learn from them and grow with them.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
For a long time I started out as a solo artist just playing local gigs around town. It wasn’t until I was in college and playing with other musicians that I realized how much fun it was to play with other people, and that’s where my formative band We Wander came about and still occasionally playing show with them! They’re some of my favourite humans and I’m so glad they all support trying out my solo stuff.
First concert that you ever went to?
I feel like I was late to the party in some way and didn’t attend my first concert till I was 14. It was a free concert at Dundas Square in Toronto, with City and Colour. I remember it being the middle of winter and being so cold, but it was so worth it and really inspired me to work on my goals as musician.
What's your writing process like?
For me when I write I’m usually focused on one word and that can inspire me to write a whole song lyrically, with chords I usually sit there and play the same chord progressions over and over again until I come up with a melody, honestly it usually all happens pretty simultaneously.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
When I started writing attention, I knew exactly the vibe of how I wanted the song to go. My all time favourite band “Dizzy” has really inspired my music as of late and I always look to them for reference.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
I love playing shows it’s one of my favourite things, and the idea of a bunch of people coming together to support artists is a great thing. I think these It’s hard to have things sound exactly like the recording unless you’re playing to tracks just because so many things are layered constantly, but I do thinks it’s imported to have constancy from the recording to live, and making sure your on the same level as you record in the studio or as you’re playing live.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows?worst shows?
I have not toured as a solo artist but I did have a mini tour with We Wander over the spam of a couple weekends and it was great, to play a bunch of shows in city’s I don’t get to go to too often.
One of the best shows I got play was a sold out show at Lee’s Palace opening for Foxxing with my friend Matthew Fuentes, under his band FXRRVST. It was a super last minute thing their original singer and friend Holly got Covid. So I ended up filling in! Very cool experience and had a lot of fun.
Worst show was a shitty bar in Toronto that I can’t fully remember the name of, but I do remember it being super late, we were on at like 1 am and the sound guy was so drunk he couldn’t work the sound system to my bassist had to basically to do sound for us while playing also.
What's up next for the band?
I’ve been very fortunate to be working with wonderful producers and musicians including Matt Snell, Christian Turner and Konrad Commisso, over the past year and have a handful of songs ready to release over the next year that I am so excited for.