BELWOOD – Fergus singer/songwriter Madison Galloway is currently recording her first ever full-length album.
“I just feel like now is a really good time in my career to do a new album but also I just have all these songs that I just want to share with everyone,” Galloway said.
The 19-year old is recording her new record at Escarpment Sound Studio in Belwood with producer and fellow Canadian artist Ron Hawkins.
“I like the energy and I like her opinion,” Hawkins said. “That’s the important part … of an artist is that they have their own ideas and … we’re all going to be forever sculpting towards the so-called perfect thing and we’re probably never going to get there but we’re all on the same journey.”
Galloway’s album will have a range of songs and genres.
“I’d say the overall thing is it’s a rootsy, rocksy, bluesy kind of mix and … there’s one (song) that’s straight up rocking and then there’s another that’s very atmospheric and soft and there’s another one that’s more just stripped down and raw and it’s just going to be myself and a slide guitar, playing a kick drum and my harmonica, but it’s just myself versus the whole band, which is what most of the album is.
“It’s got this kind of blend throughout it.”
Galloway wrote 11 of the album’s songs; one is a traditional folk song and another is a co-write with Hawkins.
“We co-wrote a song which is actually oddly enough the first time in my entire life that I’ve ever done that,” Hawkins said.
“I’ve never co-written a song with anybody before so that was a fun experience and I think it’s a song that’s going to make it on the record and we’re both pretty happy with it so that was cool.”
The co-write was Galloway’s suggestion.
She and Hawkins met in September when she opened for his show at the Heritage Barn at the Wellington County Museum and Archives in Aboyne.
“I always try to listen to the opening band but she really sort of grabbed my ear with some of the open tuning things that she does and the fact that she was playing a suitcase kick drum,” Hawkins said.
“There were a lot of unique things about her.”
The progression to the producer-artist relationship was organic after that first meeting.
“I’m not the kind of producer who wants to walk away with it sounding like a record I made or my record or whatever,” Hawkins said.
“I want it to be her record and I just want to be there to help guide the process and hopefully bring 30 years of experience with that and help people not make some of the mistakes I made when I was starting out.”
Since completing high school in June, Galloway has made music her full-time job but producing the album isn’t cheap.
“I’m putting my entire personal life savings into this project and then I’m fundraising for the other portion and that is through Indiegogo so I’ve got a campaign up there and there’s lots of different perks.”
Her goal is to raise $13,000 by March 31. The campaign can be found at bit.ly/2TW0lZs.
The album is scheduled to be completed by the end of May and Galloway is planning a CD launch party at the Fergus Grand Theatre.
To keep up to date on performance dates and to purchase tickets to the launch party visit madisongalloway.com.
