Kekoas Korner has been in contact with Madeleine Rauch for quite a few months now. She’s not only a Marteria Girl no she’s a kickass singer who’s super friendly and very talented. Last Friday I got Skype with her since she’s currently visiting friends in L.A. on a well deserved holiday.
Let’s start with a bit of background. How did you get into music?
Good Question! 🙂 As a kid I sang in a choir and I started playing the piano when I was 7 or 8. My parents thought it would be good if I could play an instrument. Then it all took its course. I was in the school choir and started singing solos and when I was around 14 I started my own band.
What kind of music did you play with your band?
We covered rock and pop songs!
Later I really wanted to study music. A lot of people told me it would be unrealistic and it’s gonna be difficult to get accepted. But I managed to do it!
I have to ask now. You’ve been a Marteria Girl for 1 1/2 years now. How did you start working with Marteria?
Connections helped. Miss Platnum started to look for a replacement because one of the girls wasn’t able to continue. I know the bass player in her band and he recommended me. Henrik texted me: „Would you like to sing for Marteria?“ And I was like: „Of course!“
So she called me to invite me for a little rehearsing session with the other singers. No casting it was totally laid back without any pressure. I sang a few songs and a few solos and then Miss Platnum liked what she heard and said you’re in!
Cool! So how does your tour life look like?
It depends! When we’re doing the festivals we’ve got breaks in-between. Usually you do a few festivals during the weekend and then you head back. The longer tours we’ve done in December and in March we were gone for 3 to 4 weeks. It’s a very special lifestyle. We’ve got a tour bus in which we sleep and drive from one city to the next in one night. You’re always around people and you don’t have a lot of privacy. It’s good if you’re kind of like a tour family like we have with Marteria. They were very kind to me when I started. If you didn’t get along with the people it would be super difficult to do it. Sometimes you get an off day and you get some well needed rest. I really love it!
A few months ago you released your own music. Tell me a bit more about „Hands Off“?
I recorded „Hands off“ and “Stick to my plan“ three years ago when I studied at Berklee. I wrote them already and during my year there I organized some friends and colleagues to form a band and they helped me record, mix, edit and master it. It took me a minute until I was completely happy with the mix. So I was happy to release them last autumn.
Who would you say is inspiring you musically?
It always changes. When I was 13/14 I loved Christina Aguilera.
Uhh I understand that! 😀
And then Alicia Keys became my idol. Of course I listened to some other musicians too but those two were very important to me. Later during my Jazz studies in Weimar I got into Neo-Soul: D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott.
At the moment I don’t think I’m into anything particular. I’m listening to a lot of different music but it’s always a bit of R’n’B or Soulish. I did have some phases where I was into the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Incubus but the music that inspires me and I’d like to do is more in the R’n’B/Soul genre.
You are in LA now visiting friends. What are your plans for the next few months?
Exactly! A lot of my friends from Berklee moved to L.A. and almost every day I am meeting up with old study buddies. It’s quite cool to be off for a month 😀
I’ll go back to Berlin to teach voice lessons and play gigs with the Smoke & Soul Band. That’s why I’ve been so busy the last few months.
Sounds very cool! Tell me a bit more about your Smoke & Soul band.
It’s my pretty successful cover band that I have had cool gigs with for example at the Weimarer Opera Ball or at Innotrans – this huge trade fair in Berlin.
And what about your students? How old are your students?
That varies a lot. Most of my students are in their 20s. It’s super fun! I’ll keep on teaching and if something else comes up like a session or a gig I’ll try to combine it. That’s the life of a musician.
Fast forward 5 or 10 years where do you want to be?
Making enough money with my own music and to be able to live off it. Of course I would also like to have my own family. I’m very bad at making longterm plans. I try to reach my short-term goals and don’t put pressure on me with long-term ones.
I get that! 🙂
What needs to happen that you would say „Yup I made it with my music!“?
The question implies that it will stop at one point but I think it always continues to be a work in progress. But I guess getting a record deal, having your music in the charts and cool gigs is pretty much I made it. I’m assuming that your standards are increasing and you wanna do even bigger things. But yeah, the three previous things would be a big step for me.
Now I’ve got some fan questions:
Anna asked what’s your favourite dessert?
Oh oh. Nutella-bread! 😀 I bet my Marteria-family will start laughing now because there I’m known at the Nutella-Girl! I always eat it and on tour you can’t keep secrets.
I also really like creme caramel. My Mom is doing it perfectly. Good question!
Sue asked what’s your fav drink of the year?
I’d say Whiskey Ginger Ale is my go to drink at the moment.
Sarah asked how does a day off look like?
Depends! If I haven’t got much energy I’ll be chilling and binge-watch Netflix. If I got enough energy I love to spend time with friends. I’ll be probably doing music anyways – Playing the piano or write songs or sing. Sometimes I read too! 😀
You mentioned Netflix what would you recommend watching?
I watched Suits and White Collar a lot. I also just watched 13 Reasons Why but that’s very extreme.
Ohh I heard about it but I think I’m a bit afraid to watch it.
In any case that was it! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me even though you are in super cool L.A!
Check out her social media and webpage but most importantly her two amazing songs:
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