The latest single “Me Plus You” demonstrates how love is hard to define and uses the line, “It’s not a mastermind calculation.” “This is a one-to-one situation,” to explore how love combines simple and complex elements. Madam Bandit’s most recent project sees her coming out of a period of faith deconstruction and into the creation of an electro-pop alter ego. Her music explores themes of sexual liberation and feminism. From bold, tongue-in-cheek tracks like “Punch You in the Face” and “At the Disco” to the darker parts of learning to breathe again after loss in “Punctured Lungs” and the melancholy fantasy confessional “Lie to Me.” We had the pleasure of interviewing Madam Bandit, and here is what she had to say:
Q: I love the groove for your new release “Me Plus You”, what is the story behind the song?
MADAM BANDIT: I find that “love” is the most difficult emotion to define in the human experience. It is both simple and complicated – a true paradox. “Me Plus You” was my effort to write a song that somehow encompasses that paradox. The lyrics express:
It’s not a rocket science equation
It’s not a mastermind calculation
And there is only one explanation
This is a one and one situation
And that equals “two” –
Me plus you
But then the chorus lyrics immediately begin spouting off the most complex and irrational mathematical number that we know – “Pi.”
3.14159 – Infinity baby, it’s a long, long time . . .
(Aha! Maybe love isn’t as simple as “1+1!”)
I lyrically juxtaposed the number “Pi” next to the concept of “me + you” as a symbolic metaphor for the paradox of love’s simultaneous irrational and infinite complexity next to its innocent simplicity.
Q: Please describe your sound/genre?
MADAM BANDIT: My genre is “Indie Pop,” and my sound is largely inspired by the vocals of European female-fronted bands in the 90’s like Nina Persson of The Cardigans, Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays, and Bjork.
Q: I noticed you wear a mask. What does this mean to you as an artist?
MADAM BANDIT: I wanted to wear the mask as a prop that acknowledges the ways in which we all wear metaphorical “masks.” Without the mask as part of my persona, it’s harder to make a point of the presence of “masks” in our lives, whether we put them on ourselves or feel that others have tried to put them on us from the beginning.
Q: Your latest EP “Punch You In The Face” makes a bold statement. What is your creative process for songwriting/ where do you get your ideas for upcoming songs? New album/concept influences.
MADAM BANDIT: Feminism and sexual empowerment are both inspiring platforms for me and the lyrics I write. I grew up in a very strict, patriarchal religious environment where both “feminism” and “sexual empowerment” were basically considered to be sinful and evil. Madam Bandit is the part of my psyche that is reclaiming those things and defining them for myself. This is without anyone else’s opinion in the matter – because my voice as a woman, as well as my body and sexuality, are mine.
Q: You have some amazing designs for your apparel line. When did this all begin and how do you balance this with being an artist?
MADAM BANDIT: Madam Bandit started out as something I was just planning to pitch to TV and Film. I never planned on releasing the songs publicly and creating visuals or products for the project. But BECAUSE I NEVER intended to market it publicly, there was no pressure. Instead, it became a creative playground for my imagination to dream up a persona, with songs and eventually . . . apparel and jewelry! During the pandemic, it all began. In early 2022, I started to do “Get Ready With Me” reels and TikToks and my own clothing designs and jewelry started to make their way into my imagination. I just released my first drop at the end of 2022.
Q: As a feminist any message you want to give to your fans?
MADAM BANDIT: I think the most significant thing I could say about “feminism” is that it’s all about empowering yourself to matter as a woman on this planet. Not all women have a clear understanding of what feminism means. So it can be tricky. But I think the act of women trusting themselves and their voices is still SO NEW in the history of the world. This is why it’s not yet comfortable for all women to wrap their heads around. Keep defining what it means for you. You deserve the exact same respect, treatment and rights as anyone else on this planet.
Q: As a feminist any message you want to give to your fans?
MADAM BANDIT: Of course. When I started out in music, I auditioned and tried out for musicals, plays, and groups for FIVE YEARS without ever making it into anything. During that time, I was building skills and strengthening “muscles” as a musician that I couldn’t see. I was also building a network of colleagues and friends in the arts community. Those failures also helped me explore different parts of the entertainment industry. This allowed me to realize what parts of the industry I didn’t want to spend more time pursuing and which ones I did. I’m still learning by trying and failing at things all the time. Somewhere in the mess of that journey, I have also experienced many successes. You can’t have one without the other. There’s that concept of “paradox” again!
Interviewed by Shertara Brazil
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