* En anglais uniquement
Madge is the edgy, experimental synth and electronic pop project of Los Angeles singer/songwriter Cat Leavy, who's also part of the Provo, Utah dream pop duo
New Shack.
Madge debuted their ethereal, surrealistic sound with 2018's Fight or Flight Club EP and have continued to expand their approach, as on the 2019 covers EP Madge...Just a Girl and her 2020 EP Ethanol (Multiverse, Vol. 2).
Growing up in a Mormon family in Utah, Leavy began playing piano competitively at a young age and started writing and recording their own songs while in grade school. However, this highly structured routine caused them to burn out on music, and they took a break from it in their teens. It wasn't until they met
New Shack's Eric Robertson while working on their master's degree in art theory that they began to explore music again. Leavy's need for expression led them to create
Madge -- a name that comes from a witchy figure in Celtic mythology -- as a reflection of their rebellious streak. After learning audio engineering skills through the Women's Audio Mission Sound Channel program, Leavy released
Madge's first track, "Red James," in mid-2017. The track was included on her official debut EP, Fight or Flight Club, which arrived in February 2018. A covers EP, Madge...Is Just a Girl!, followed in 2019 and featured imaginative reworkings of songs by
Weezer,
No Doubt, and
Sum 41. In March 2020
Madge released a third EP, Ethanol (Multiverse, Vol. 2). They also collaborated on projects with PeZ and Coral Bones, and with production duo Mr. Tape, the latter of whom joined them for 2021's "Whatify." ~ Heather Phares