The young New York City-based singer, songwriter, model and Instagram ‘It’ Girl proves in this day and age, having it all means doing it all
Madison Paige belongs to that category of personality best known as impish. She’s smart, and clever, and knows just when to dangle the air of personal boredom before roping in that same audience with another unexpected twist to the already, she’d say, many unexpected twists in her life.
The Denver-native has hopscotched on her personal journey from her birthplace to Los Angeles to, now, New York, which, to the locals, captures her rougher, better edges. Paige is a gender-fluid model with Soul Artist Management and a singer with a new EP, 444, which brags the silky “Shovel,” “Gold,” my personal favorite, the Chris Isaak-influenced “Silhouette,” “Club Kids,” and “Telepathy.”
This past March, she gave a desert-shaking performance at The Dinah, one of the largest lesbian events in the world.
Actually, we wanted to run this story early and hoped to but due to Ms. Paige’s schedule, we are only able to bring it to you now but with no less of an alt punch.
Madison Paige is a wonderful singer, I find. She has that “smoky” sound that seems a birthright and a gift to the sorts of songs Paige sings: optimistic or sad or hopeful. She’s a singer that thinks about her songs. There’s nothing half-cocked about her musical style. It’s soulful. Like her. The old soul. So we were pleased when we did catch up with Madison to find out the ingénue’s thoughts on a range of topics.
San Diego LGBT Weekly: Are you having the best time of your life or what?
Madison Paige: It’s ineffable. The feeling of comfort and freedom I felt on stage was something I’ve yet to experience. I’m addicted. I’m really happy with the way music and modeling have somehow molded nicely together in my life, bringing opportunities from one to another.
How did your gig at The Dinah go? What songs did you perform?
I remember when it hit me that I was really killing it. About halfway through the set of my EP, 444, I look down while I’m performing this random song of mine called “Club Kids” and this woman – had to be in her mid-50s – knew every word to it. My words. It was the craziest and best moment.
Who are your musical influences?
The musical influences in my daily life are ever-changing, but a few of my core influences I’ll take to the grave would have to be Queen, Sia, Ben Howard, James Blake, the Weekend, Frank Sinatra, Coheed and Cambria, Pierce the Veil, Miguel. The list could go on. Yes, Daughter, Nirvana, The Traveling Wilburys, honestly that’s not even a taste. Or in any order. Ha ha.
You’re about to depart a spaceship for a concert in space. You have one last duet you can perform on Earth. Who would you pick and why?
Tom Anderson. His annunciation is legend. And his voice is like butter.
Your modeling style is routinely called ‘gender-fluid.’ I’m old enough to remember the first go-around in pop culture with gender-fluidity – or, to a lesser extent, androgyny – back in the ‘70s. Do you feel any special connection to that time and space?
Honestly, no. Although I feel fluid, that doesn’t dictate my opinions on eras. I feel mostly connected to the ’80s. In fact, I have a quote from The Breakfast Club tattooed on my feet. From the pop music to the fashion, I dreamed of being John Bender as a kid.
Without burdening you with the responsibility of speaking for the entire fashion world, how is gender-fluidity playing out in the modeling world? Are designers and buyers receptive?
I believe they’re receptive, because if you think about it, sometimes taking gender binary away from certain clothes opens people’s minds up to different forms of self-expression and comfortability.
Do you volunteer any of your time or work with any LGBTQ organizations?
When I was in Thailand last year, I spent a lot of time volunteering at this orphanage shelter for hundreds of children and run by monks in Chiang Mai (a city in mountainous northern Thailand that dates back to the 1200s). We provided food and I got to dish it out to each child, one by one. It opened my eyes to how impactful even the tiniest of actions are.
Do you encounter discrimination in your travels whether actual or implied?
There were times of discrimination, yes. But nothing in comparison to what some face in their own home every day. Seeing the oppression in certain areas of the world firsthand makes anything I had to go through in my coming out seem breezy.
Were you out growing up?
I didn’t come out until I was 19, although my mom knew all along. I just didn’t fully understand the need to explain myself or “out” myself as if what I was doing needed to be hidden. It wasn’t until I fell in love with a girl that I was like OK, OK, OK, shit I’m gay, I’m in love blah, blah, blah. And then judgement came.
The post-millennial generation is the most diverse yet. They have more access to an open and tolerant society than any previous generation. Still, discrimination and hate crimes are very much a part of our culture. What advice would you give some struggling teenage girl (or boy) in Little Falls struggling with her identity and/or sexual orientation?
This isn’t for just a teenage girl. Or a teenage boy. Or a teenager. This goes out to all of the he’s, she’s, they’s, it’s, we’s and them’s – I’m not going to tell you to fight because some of you are in positions where that could be as serious as death. I’m also not going to tell you that it’s better to come out or stay closeted, or that it’s important that you figure out who or what you are; but I will say that I love you, whoever and whatever you are. And I can promise I’m not the only one. And as long as you love you, you’re not living in a lie. You don’t have to know all the answers, but just know that you are in control of your own temple and you can decorate it however you want.
Where’s the best place to go for a burrito in Denver? Los Angeles? New York?
Well we all know Chipotle is the best burrito unless you’re a Qdoba-queso-burrito-er. But I can tell you the best wings in Denver are at the biker bar Piper Inn, the best Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana milkshake is at Fred’s 62 in Los Angeles and the best fried (or grilled) chicken in NYC is Sticky’s.
What’s one question you would have liked me to have asked and how would you have answered it?
Since I’ve been focusing on modeling and music, I haven’t been asked much about the acting projects I’ve been doing. My friend, Emmy Pickett, directed a film I’m featured in called Hard Pack and its being submitted to festivals right now. I play a trans boy named Quinn on his road to a hormone overdose.
