Conversations with Maddi St. John

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddi St. John.

Hi Maddi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today. 
I grew up gravitating towards pen and paper. When my elementary school music teacher said she was moving schools to teach big kids, I wrote her a song as a goodbye. When I was waiting for too-long summer visitations with my dad to be over, I would write poems. In middle school, I would take pop songs and write parody lyrics over them for my friends. Eventually, I started writing original songs, not knowing what I was doing. I had no idea that songwriting was an actual career until the end of high school. Still, I went to college studying music business, I dabbled in managing local Philly bands, I turned my basement into a venue and booked shows, I worked at a radio station and helped with show production, I worked for the Recording Academy, I tour managed, and I did sound for concerts and festivals in the area. To sum it up, I tried a lot, and when COVID hit, I didn’t miss any of it. So, I moved to LA during the pandemic because, honestly, there was no better time. The last three years I’ve spent in LA have been filled with watching, learning, and sharpening the tools in my toolbelt. I am so lucky to have a small family of producers and songwriters that have taken me under their wing – Tim Anderson, Ant Clemons, Scott “Robot” Carter, Dilemma Thomas, Dyshon Penn – I probably would be living in a treehouse in the PNW if I wasn’t blessed with their support and advice. But, alas, I stay in LA, and I work every day towards worldbuilding my artist project, writing a fantasy book, and figuring out how to share as much magic as I can with the world. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s not a road; it’s a hike up a mountain. It’s not paved, so sometimes you trip on rocks and stumble, sometimes you almost step in dog shit, and sometimes you have to leave one earbud out so you can listen for snakes/bears/scary men. I mean that, pretty literally. It’s hard to find good mentors and people to trust, guys are always on their BS, so I have to be sober and smart in every session I’m in, and LA Wildlife is on one; I’ve walked outside and seen a bear, even chased by coyotes in downtown Glendale (I’m short but damn)! Anyway, not to be cliche, but it’s really easy to deal with all the BS once you step back and realize how beautiful and lucky you even are to be on the hike.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a songwriter, audio engineer, vocal producer, singer, artist, and (newly) an author. It all stems from songwriting – that’s why I write, sing, learned how to be an audio engineer, and vocal produce. All those tools came from one passion. I can confidently say I’m a beast at tracking vocals because I know what the singer is going to want to hear and what they’re going to want to do next. It’s always a great feeling engineering a new artist because I don’t think they’re ever expecting this 5-foot girly in biker shorts and an oversized sweater to slay so hard in Pro Tools or Ableton. Also, I am very, very proud and excited that an alt-jazz album I worked on all last year with Julius Rodriguez and Tim Anderson will be coming out in June. This is the first album I’ve worked on, so I can’t wait until it’s out for people’s ears! 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Showing up is 80% of the work. Also, reading A New Earth by Echkart Tolle taught me so much, and it’s my go-to book for all my [frequent] existential questions. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddistjohn/

Image Credits
Caitlin Davi
Nevada Tyler