Madison Cunningham (born October 14, 1996)[2] is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Rolling Stone described her music as "a new spin on West Coast folk-rock, with classical tendencies, electric guitars, jazz-school chord changes and alt-rock strut all living under the same roof".[3] Her second studio album, Who Are You Now (2019), was nominated for the best Americana album in the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.[4] Her third studio album Revealer (2022) won the Grammy for Best Folk Album in 2023.[5]
Madison Cunningham | |
|---|---|
 Cunningham performing in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 14, 1996 Escondido, California, U.S.[1] |
| Origin | Costa Mesa, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Labels | Verve Forecast |
| Spouse | Austin Lack (m. 2018 div. 2024) |
| Website | madisoncunningham |
Life and career
editMadison Cunningham was born in Escondido, California, and later moved to Costa Mesa, where she grew up.[1] She is the daughter of a pastor at a local church, and she has four sisters.[6] Influenced by her father and grandmother, Cunningham started playing guitar when she was seven years old, performing in the church.[7] As a teenager, she met producer Tyler Chester, with whom she made the self-released studio album Authenticity (2014)
She removed Authenticity from streaming services in 2021 because she felt it was no longer relatable.[8] Cunningham has said of her faith that "Christianity looks different to me all the time. The phrase that I use with my husband is 'I’m becoming more and more of an agnostic every day.'"[7]
After graduating from high school, Cunningham discovered many influences, such as the Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan.[9] Other inspirations include Radiohead, Fiona Apple, Juana Molina and Jeff Buckley.[10][7]
In 2017, Cunningham joined the cast of American Public Media's show Live from Here, presented by Chris Thile, of whom she became a frequent collaborator.[10] She also toured with multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird, being credited for vocals in his twelfth solo studio album, My Finest Work Yet (2019).
Who Are You Now, released on August 16, 2019, earned her a Grammy nomination in the following year for best Americana album.[4] In 2020, Cunningham released her third extended play (EP), Wednesday, covering songs by Tom Waits, Radiohead, John Mayer and the Beatles. She is currently based in Los Angeles.[6]
On August 3, 2022, the artist made an appearance at NPR's Tiny Desk, playing four songs from her upcoming studio album Revealer. NPR music contributor Jewly Hight states that Madison was an "audacious guide, steering us toward exploration with the shrewd parts she played on three different guitars over the course of four songs".[11]
On September 9, 2022, Cunningham released Revealer, her third studio album. Consequence's editorial coordinator Paolo Ragusa writes about it: "With each song on Revealer, Cunningham is proving that she can satisfy and surprise her audience all at once, and it’s one of the most delightful albums released so far in 2022."[12]
On October 18, 2024, Cunningham and Andrew Bird released a new studio album, titled Cunningham Bird, which features covers of the entirety of Buckingham Nicks (1973), the only studio album by the duo of American rock guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks, both of whom later joined Fleetwood Mac.[13]
Discography
edit
Studio albums
edit- Authenticity (2014)
- Who Are You Now (2019)
- Revealer (2022)
- Cunningham Bird (2024), with Andrew Bird
Extended plays
edit- Love, Lose, Remember (2017)
- For the Sake of the Rhyme (2019)
- Wednesday (2020)
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | "Beauty into Clichés" | For the Sake of the Rhyme |
| "All at Once" | ||
| "Last Boat to Freedom" | ||
| "Last Boat to Freedom" (piano version) | non-album single | |
| "All at Once" (solo version) | ||
| "Location" | For the Sake of the Rhyme | |
| "Location" (solo version) | non-album single | |
| 2019 | "Pin It Down" | Who Are You Now |
| "Something to Believe In" | ||
| "Trouble Found Me" | ||
| 2020 | "No One Else to Blame" | non-album single |
| "Giraffe" | ||
| "Coming Back" | ||
| "In My Life" | Wednesday | |
| "No Surprises" | ||
| "The Age of Worry" | ||
| 2021 | "Broken Harvest" | non-album single |
| "Song in My Head" (reimagined) | ||
| "Plain Letters" (reimagined) | ||
| "Poses" | Wednesday (expanded edition) | |
| 2022 | "Anywhere" | Revealer |
| "Hospital" | ||
| "In from Japan" | ||
| "Life According to Raechel" | ||
| 2023 | "Hospital (One Man Down)" (featuring Remi Wolf) | Revealer (deluxe edition) |
| "Inventing the Wheel" | ||
| Live in Studio | non-album single | |
| "Subtitles" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Grammy Awards[4] | Best Americana Album | Who Are You Now | Nominated |
| 2022 | Grammy Awards[14] | Best Folk Album | Wednesday (Extended Version) | Nominated |
| 2023 | Grammy Awards[15] | Revealer | Won | |
| Best American Roots Performance | "Life According to Raechel" | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | Grammy Awards[16] | "Inventing The Wheel" | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ a b "Inside the Musician's Brain: Episode 29: Madison Cunningham on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2022-06-15.
- ^ "Mini Masterclass Featuring: Madison Cunningham". YouTube. 2020-04-27.
- ^ Beaugez, Jim; McKenna, Brittney; Gage, Jeff; Moss, Marissa R.; Menconi, David; Crawford, Robert; Parton, Chris (2018-07-25). "10 New Country Artists You Need to Know: July 2018". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ a b c "Winners & Nominees". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ "2022 GRAMMYs Awards: Complete Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
- ^ a b "Madison Cunningham ‒ Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
- ^ a b c Scherman, Tony (9 September 2022). "Madison Cunningham Interview: "To Feel Irreplaceable"". Tidal. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ Fechik, Mariel (27 August 2019). "SINGING TO YOURSELF: AN INTERVIEW WITH MADISON CUNNINGHAM". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ Eric Krasno (3 May 2021). "Madison Cunningham". Plus One (Podcast). Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ a b Borders, Lindsey (2019-08-21). "Madison Cunningham talks about falling in love with guitar, her latest album 'Who Are You Now,' collaborating with the Punch Brothers, and heading out on the road". Guitar Girl Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ^ Hight, Jewly (2022-08-03). "Madison Cunningham: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
- ^ Ragusa, Paolo (2022-09-07). "No One Is Holding Madison Cunningham Back". Consequence. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
- ^ "Cunningham Bird, by Andrew Bird". Andrew Bird. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
- ^ "Grammys 2022 Nominees: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
- ^ "Grammy Nominations 2023: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
- ^ "2024 GRAMMYs: Meet The Nominees For Songwriter Of The Year | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
External links
edit
- Official website
- Madison Cunningham at AllMusic
- Madison Cunningham discography at Discogs
- Madison Cunningham at IMDb