Midwife

Madeline Johnston is a self taught multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer, currently based in Southern Colorado by way of Denver, where she spent the last decade+ developing her sound and focusing on her artistic community. Midwife began while Madeline was a resident of the beloved DIY space Rhinoceropolis in 2014. On stage, Johnston is known for her sparse, emotionally charged experimental pop music that can silence a room. On record, she produces intricate and lush sonic environments in her own little corner of the heavy music scene. She describes her sound as “Heaven Metal,” AKA emotional music about devastation: catharsis. Johnston writes primarily about grief, and the many faces it can inhabit.

Superfan

Superfan is the songwriting veil of Kali Priya Flanagan, Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist and producer. Initially imagined as a solo act, ambitious string arrangements crafted in collaboration with cellist Omeed Almassi have come to define Superfan’s noisy and magnetic pop soundscape. Having just signed with London based label AD 93 (Joanne Robertson, YHWH Nailgun, Dagmar Zuniga), the three recent singles — “Miss W Jones,” “Apeiron (Fantasy Football),” and “Picture Of Return” — mark the birth of “Acousticello.” With newfound security and unencumbered vision, Kali trades literalism for fragmented, impressionistic lyricism, channeling love-torn ballads through obscured imagery and literary fluency that reflect a deeper confidence in both his words and his voice.

Kali cites albums such as Ryuichi Sakamoto’s 1996, The Sea and Cake’s Parasol, Cat Power’s The Greatest, Low’s Trust, Sigur Rós’s Hvarf/Heim as inspiration, alongside the vocal stylings of Elizabeth Fraser, Beth Gibbons, Rufus Wainwright, and Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays. His signature guitar tone, brooding voice, and knack for impactful live arrangement have led to co-writing/production, covers, and live performance cameos for the likes of Operelly, Jordan Patterson, and Quiet Light. In addition to having opened up for The Strokes at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, via direct invitation from superfan Julian Casablancas, Superfan has played shows with Quiet Light, Knifeplay, Kath Bloom, Horsegirl, Userband, Samba Jean-Baptiste, Zoh Amba, PARKiNG, Brittle Brian (of @), Tiberius B, Autobahn, untitled (halo), voyeur, Birdfeeder, Racing Mount Pleasant and countless other tastemakers.

Photo by Carsten Nahum

ideasforconversations

The two musicians are opposites in many ways, but that's one of the things that makes a duo so powerful, especially in electronic music, where you can basically make anything happen. It's the beauty of modernity, often abused, but so, so, harmonious when treated with care.

Their first solo EP, No Bad Words, is one such project, both purposeful and chaotic as it moves between manipulated vocals and frequencies in ways that are almost entirely unfamiliar, but still somewhat nostalgic, with a vast sound catalog and truly unconventional ways of fusing together ideas.

No wonder they're booking so many gigs. The city is going crazy for them, and pretty soon, it's going to be many cities.