Description
When Jim Moray describes someone as “Leading the next generation of socially conscious songwriters” you surely sit up and notice. The judging panel of BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award did: Maddie won it in 2019.
They wholeheartedly deserves this praise. Blessed with a gentle, yet powerful voice, Maddie’s songs are bold, insightful and unique. When we set up Oak Folk, Maddie was on Em’s dream list of musicians to play in our bookshop. You’re in for a treat.
Maddie’s music explores the way personal narratives in song can hold political importance. Folk songs have always told stories, but Maddie makes their mark by turning storytelling into action. Their practice is rooted in the oral tradition: learning, sharing, and continuing folk legacies by listening, interpreting, and recreating. Their composition draws on tunes, melodies, and lyrics from British and Appalachian traditions, interwoven with their experiences as a trans, disabled person and stories gathered from communities they are part of. This meeting of tradition, personal identity, and community storytelling is at the heart of Maddie’s work—writing historically excluded voices and experiences into the canon so they’re valued and remembered.
Maddie released their debut album Skin to huge critical acclaim on the No Masters label. Skin was described by Tradfolk as “a folk fusion of personal tales, queer & feminist insights, and activism.” Passionately political yet gently understated, this is music that deftly treads the path between art and activism.
★★★★ “An insightful listen… Thrilling, glorious and inspiring.” – Songlines
★★★★★ “Morris is a powerhouse performer with a rich voice and a gentle way with a guitar. Their lyrics are poignant and playful. Maddie is not shy about what they have to say – personal and political – but they celebrate, even as they mourn.” – Folk London
