We got to chat with singer/songwriter Maddie Glass about her new song “Livin in 2021” and what she learned during her time at Tisch.
When did creating music go from a hobby to a passion for you?
Music went from a hobby to a passion for me when I instinctually started to write songs everyday. It became almost therapeutic for me. I have so many thoughts and feelings about what goes on in the world around me and music is my form of self expression.
I love how in your Instagram bio it says “mess w me and i’ll write a song about it.” It reminds me of that Czeslaw Milosz quote, “When a writer is born into a family, the family is finished.” Before you were writing songs did you ever write short stories or poems?
I love this question so much!! Along with being an actress, I have always written stories growing up, which led to me being a screenwriter too. I really love the art of storytelling and taking little aspects of my life and putting it into my work. With that, it gets me into some sticky situations sometimes, so having it in my bio shows that I wear my craft on my sleeve! Haha!
Tell us about “Livin in 2021.” How much did you pull from your own life experiences to write the lyrics?
“Livin in 2021” was an extremely vulnerable song for me to release. All of the lyrics are derived from some truth and even though that was scary for me to put out for the world to hear, I spoke on universal topics that I knew others would identify with too. The response I have gotten from it has truly been amazing and I plan on sharing more of myself in my music to come!
“Livin in 2021” covers topics like mental health and body image, a lot of topics that we see discussed online. Do you find that internet culture also serves as inspiration for your music in general?
Internet culture definitely serves as inspiration for my music because it is so prevalent in today’s day and age. Social media is also a huge part of what I do with acting and music, so I have definitely seen the good and the bad that can come of it. Even though there are so many good things, personally, I find it so hard to feel like you are meeting the world’s beauty standards. I have learned that everyone is beautiful and I do not need to compare myself to anyone else because I am so content with who I am and how I present myself.
What have you learned during your time at Tisch that you take with you in your career?
I learned that friendships are so important and finding good people in your field can be difficult. I met my best friend in the world at Tisch and I am grateful for her every single day. Also, I learned that you don’t get anywhere in life by looking sideways. Always focus on yourself and moving forward rather than comparing yourself to others because you are only your own competition. The more people that you cheer on for their successes are the more people that will be happy for you!
What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
My best advice is never to stop writing or creating. No matter what happens in life, if you have a passion, you need to see it through and not give up even when times are hard. It can be so scary to put yourself out there but just know that it will be worth it in the end!!!