About me
Madeleine May is an 18 year old singer songwriter from North Yorkshire. She only picked up a guitar for the first time in 2022 and began writing songs shortly after.
She’s an indie folk artist, inspired by the likes of Lizzy McAlpine and Joni Mitchell and her songs are packed with vulnerable and retrospective lyrics complemented with catchy melodies.
Madeleine was able to buy her first guitar after launching a small jewellery business, she taught herself the basics using YouTube tutorials before more formal learning in 2023.
She released her first EP in April 2025 titled ‘all i wanted was time’. The five-track collection features a range of songs created as a way to process her feelings, with half of them produced professionally in the studio, while the others were recorded in her bedroom and mixed with her collaborator/guitar teacher.
Despite a relatively low-key release, the EP caught the attention of a number of outlets and programmes including BBC Music Introducing. The closing track - ‘i wish’ - a song written about her fears of how ‘life can easily dismantle itself at any given moment’ was featured as the show’s Track of the Week and has received significant airplay since.
Madeleine was also invited to record a live acoustic session and talk about her influences, songwriting methodology and aspirations. The show has subsequently picked up on a second track from the EP – ‘force of nature’ - a track about feeling stuck in a place or a situation yet blaming a larger ‘force’.
She has been gigging for 18 months at local venues, having started out at an Open Mic night with some memorable and haunting cover versions, while building her experience ahead of demo’ing her original compositions. More recently she has performed at a number of charity events supporting a range of causes close to her heart and support slots at venues such as Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds.
This summer, Madeleine has been back in the studio working on new material for a second EP (release date TBD). These latest songs have proved popular at gigs and talk to her changing feelings as she moves on to the next phase of her life. The tracks include a full backing band and organ creating a richer sound complementing her unique vocal.
