West Virginia-Bred Singer Songwriter Rett Madison Delivers Vocally Powerful New Single, ‘Shame Is A River’

We’ve got ourselves another one, folks. Back at it. 

The name: Rett Madison. Where: Some city in Southern California. Style: Singer-Songwriter.

Madison’s single, “Shame is a River,” which came out a couple weeks ago, is what caught our ear and prompted us to share this piece to begin with. The song, particularly Madison’s soaring vocals, hits hard with the power of a thousand anvils. She demands your undivided attention with her deeply emotional lyrics, and she’ll get it. And you’ve got to have some respect for an artist who puts obscure YouTube comments as testimonials on their About page.

“I didn’t know that Greta Gerwig could sing,” reads one.

“All i have to complain about are her shoes not matching her pants : – ) music is great!”

But in all honesty her voice is simply amazing. The phrase Golden Pipes exists for a reason, and I can’t think of a more fitting voice to earn that accolade. Aside from her solo work, Madison has also collaborated with the very unique and popular funk band Scary Pockets, who creates weekly YouTube videos with various other LA musicians and singers performing hit cover songs. She will be releasing her debut album later this year. 

So, we’ll keep this short. Enough of my babbling. She answered a couple questions for us, so here they are, coupled with “Shame is a River” and her other song, “Pin-Up Daddy.”

So what brought you from West Virginia to LA?

I first moved to Los Angeles to attend college, but after I dropped out I stayed for the local music scene. 

Your collaborations with Scary Pockets really caught my ear. How did y’all come together, and what was the process like for the covers you sang with the guys?

I’d met Ryan Lerman (Scary Pockets co-founder and guitarist) at a writer’s night in Los Angeles. We’d been friends for a couple years before he invited me to sing with Scary Pockets. I usually bring in a song that I love and then the band and I come up with an arrangement and record it in an hour and a half. It’s a really fun process and keeps us on our toes. 

What artists or songs are you digging lately?

I’ve been really inspired by my friend’s music lately. I currently have “Wolves” by Jensen McRae and Theo Katzman’s “What Did You Mean” on repeat.

If you could have a drink (doesn’t have to be alcoholic) with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would love to drink some tea with Prince and Stevie Nicks. They’re two artists that I’ve admired and looked up to since I was a kid.

Editor’s Note: Intro by Paul Howard, questions by Nina Kindrachuk