Feature: Madame Psychosis Decodes “MP3”
How does 'MP3' reflect your musical journey and growth as a band?
First, we want to say thank you for featuring us on Punk Head. ‘MP3’ is unquestionably our most ambitious and emotionally charged project to date. It represents our evolution both musically and personally, resulting in an album that takes our sound to new heights. We've grown not only in how we collaborate and write music but also in the themes we tackle, such as mental health, systemic issues, and resilience. We also made the deliberate choice to collaborate creatively with our producer, Alex Gamble. This definitely deepened our understanding of composition, dynamics and production, making this our most mature and polished record yet.
Were there any challenges or breakthrough moments during the songwriting process for this album?
One of the biggest challenges we encountered was working through the pandemic and staying focused - we’re sure most artists would feel the same way. It made the creative process much more difficult with fewer opportunities to explore ideas and develop them as a band, especially in those early pandemic days. However, this allowed each of us to rethink, refocus and come back reenergized for ‘MP3.’ We also went through a lineup change - and while that was unfortunate, it also became a breakthrough moment for us. We introduced Paul Silvestri to the band as a result and he’s been a game-changer for us. He’s an exceptional guitar player and a true professional. He also took the lead in writing one of our favorite tracks on the album, “Nightmares”, a six-minute epic that holds a special place in our hearts. We’re unquestionably excited about this song and our new collective dynamic now that Paul’s in the band.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on the album and what makes them special to you?
This is a very difficult question to answer for obvious reasons. Collectively, though, there are a few that standout. As mentioned before, “Nightmares” is hands down one of our favorites because of everything we were able to accomplish with the song. It elicits a lot of emotion and takes you on an epic journey musically and thematically. Our new single, “Lucky” is also a standout track. It’s a super catchy, guitar-driven banger that quickly grew on us after we got the first mixes. Finally "Charlie’s Story" and "Anywhere With You" are also very close to our hearts. "Charlie’s Story" addresses mental health struggles, a topic we care deeply about in the band. It’s also a lot of fun to perform live given its intensity. Lastly, "Anywhere With You" was the first song written for ‘MP3’ - its anthemic nature and our sentimental attachment to it shaped it into the album’s anchor track.
What role do you feel emotions play in your music, and how do you channel them into your performances?
Emotions are everything in our music. They’re what connect us to listeners. Whether it’s the frustration in "Revolution" or the vulnerability in "Hopeless", we strive to channel raw feelings into every performance. Music is a way for us to process personal experiences and social issues, and when we perform, we try to relive those emotions to give the audience an authentic and immersive experience.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
What we love most about performing live is the energy exchange between us and the audience. There’s something incredibly powerful about seeing people connect to songs that were born out of our personal, lived experiences. Each performance is a moment to be vulnerable, to share our journey and our music, and to see that resonate with the crowd in real time. It’s a reminder of why we do what we do.