Weekly Women Wednesday Vol. XXIII - Maddie Ross

LA artist Maddie Ross isn’t just feeding our need for 2000s pop punk nostalgia, she’s changing the narrative entirely. Her perfected, reminiscent sound is like every movie from the era rolled into one with a deliciously refreshing twist; it’s queer. Her music is young, effortlessly capturing a time and place and arguably doing it better than the original. Ross explores love, sex and all things adolescent with her unforgettable hooks and tracks that could easily replace the soundtrack to every American Pie movie, Can’t Hardly Wait AND Mean Girls without missing a beat. And the best part? It’s gay. It’s the same story we’ve lived through a thousand times, but better. 

It’s not just the switch in perspective that makes Maddie unique; her songwriting hits you everywhere you want it to, each release flawless in its craft and concept. Maddie’s music is something you’ll be sure you’ve heard before. Her ability to tap into something that no longer exists and resuscitate it while breathing new energy into its lungs is more than just a clever niche. Explosive dynamics, lyrical angst and party starting hooks intertwine to bring Maddie’s vision to life. With elevating production coating each song in modernity, curtesy of Maddie’s partner and producer prodigy Wolfy, her music only continues to become more sure of itself. 

Maddie makes music for the queer girls that grew up listening to heteronormative pop punk gems, unable to fully relate as their teenage years swelled around them. Her EP’s Making Out Is Easy and Touch Hands, Touch Bodies are the new soundtrack for our teenage years, and for when we feel like remembering them a little differently. 

Maddie’s debut album Never Have I Ever is coming this May 10th, but you can stream singles Tell Your Friends and Miracle everywhere.