Madison Cunnigham is coming to town!
See this Grammy winner during her first visit to Carrboro! She's playing Cat’s Cradle on Monday, March 30 at 8pm, with Annika Bennett opening.
Madison Cunningham composed her third studio album, Ace, as her marriage ended. Released in October, it features songs about heartbreak and non-linear healing. She reminds us, “Depending on the game, an Ace can be the highest or lowest card, zero or infinity. A breakup feels similar—one path crumbles, while all others remain infinitely possible."
Ace follows Revealer, which won her a Grammy in 2023 and was more observational in its lyrics than her recent album. Though deeply autobiographical, the themes explored and emotions revealed on Ace have universal resonance.
Her introspective lyrics describe the inner exploration that accompanies a breakup while her ethereal vocals guide the listener with alternately searing and whimsical notes. She gently prods us deeper into dark places while hoping, believing, that when we finally reach the floor of grief, we’ll look up to see a glimmer of light again.
While she plays both piano and guitar on Ace, she is best known as a guitarist, having worked with Lucy Dacus, Remi Wolf, Mumford & Sons, and Andrew Bird, among others.
We asked her about the new album and touring.
You’ve just released Ace. How does this new material shift the energy of your live set compared to your last tour?
Madison Cunningham (MC): These songs are far more spacious and lush than anything I’ve ever written and dive into the interior world of heartbreak. We designed the show very specifically to be able to flow with the spectrum of those emotions. It behaves a little bit more like a program or a ballet with a sequence we don’t tend to veer from for the sake of the story.
Is there a specific theme or 'mission' behind this current run of shows?
MC: To escape the world for an hour and a half is my mission for myself and the audience every night.
For someone who has only ever heard your studio recordings, what is the biggest surprise they’ll encounter when they see you live?
MC: I think maybe they’ll be surprised to only see two of us on stage.
What is your favorite moment in the set right now—the one where you feel the strongest connection with the audience?
MC: At the end of a song called “Goodwill” I can feel myself and the audience experiencing the same intensity. It’s like we all breathe at the same rate. It’s a wild feeling I get excited to experience every night.
What is the one 'tour essential' you can't live without while on the road?
MC: It’s always lip balm! I’m not myself without it.
Do you have any pre-show rituals to get into the right headspace before the house lights go down?
MC: One of my favorite moments is getting into stage clothes and brushing my hair in some quiet corner with bright mirror lights. It’s so cathartic, and private. Everything is close quarters on tour, “what’s mine is yours” is a code we live by. But instinctually everyone knows not to interrupt that moment.
Experience her music, live, here in Carrboro Monday, March 30 at Cat’s Cradle, 300 East Main St. at 8pm.
