Maddie Zahm Releases Her Sophomore Record with Pop-Forward Single “Meryl”

Pleaser sat down for a chat with Zahm to discuss sophomore record Everything All the Time, queer joy and community within fan friendships.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARIANNE OLDER

Growing up, growing out of the church and growing into herself, Maddie Zahm has become a musical trailblazer for girls who just want to be accepted for who they are. I remember the first time I listened to “You Might Not Like Her” and cried, because when Zahm sang about crying the first time she had sex, skipping meals and how she learned to love her body as she grew into the most confident version of herself, it reminded me a lot of myself. She’s real and relatable in the way she talks about the gritty parts of womanhood, and she’s only getting stronger in her artistry. 

Ahead of her sophomore record Everything All The Time, Pleaser sat down on a Zoom call with Zahm to talk about her musical metamorphosis and the new soundscapes she’s created on this album. Although she’s still vulnerable about herself, her queerness and her newfound sense of freedom as an artist, she’s learned how to lean into different musical worlds on this record. In between chats about LA weather versus Nashville weather (newsflash: it’s scorching EVERYWHERE), we got down to the nitty gritty details of Everything All the Time and somehow became even bigger fans of Maddie Zahm in the process. 

PLEASER: You posted a TIktok about “Things you learned as the hometown letdown,” referencing your recently released single. You’re successful in so many ways, so what’s the idea behind the “Hometown Letdown” you talk about in the song? 

Maddie Zahm: For a while, I kind of saw my success as something that people in my hometown looked at as wrong. It was especially because the things in my songs are about leaving the church and coming out as queer. In Idaho, that’s not super kosher, especially in the groups that I was in. I have a tendency to focus on the opinions of people that I’m not trying to get advice from. When I wrote that, I think I was kind of going through this insecure phase of making sure that the choices and the life that I was headed towards was filled with joy. It was hard to admit that maybe people in my hometown wouldn’t love that. It’s funny, because I feel like I’ve met so many people in my hometown that have such similar journeys. 

Do you feel like there’s a different level of growth on this record as opposed to your previous project? 

MZ: My songwriting has remained hyper specific and deeply emotional, so I don’t feel like I’ve changed the outline of how I write my songs. I will say, though, I do feel like I kind of discovered my sound. This was the first album that I really felt like I was allowed to venture a little bit more out of the pop space. I feel pop, especially growing up having listened to Hillsong, Newsboys and sh*t like that, it was all very cut-and-dry, four chords. This was the first time I feel like I was allowed to add audible knicknacks. 

How did the name “Everything all the Time” end up being the title of the record? 

MZ: I went through this deep phase where I wasn’t taking my ADHD medication, and I was just watching Marvel movies and questioning if I should be a musician like two years ago. I just went through the wringer, and I was wondering what kind of artist I was. I really had convinced myself that I wasn’t an album artist. When I wrote that song, it really didn’t make a lot of sense. It was objectively a very odd song. It changes tempos, and it’s very dramatic. I didn’t know what genre I wanted this album to be, but I know what I wanted it to look like. So having something called “Everything All The Time” broadened it in a way that allowed me to give it a vision. It gave me so much room to explore who I wanted to be as an artist. 

What’s a song on the record you feel will resonate the most with your fans? 

MZ: I’m scared to say “Graffiti.” When I’ve sang that song live, I had the most in-depth conversations about it. Also maybe “Hometown Letdown.” Screaming that song has been a delight, except that it ended up on the wrong side of TikTok recently. People actually thought I was being homophobic in the song, and they didn’t know I was being cheeky. Which I think is so funny. Some lady commented that “Being gay is totally fine” and I was like, yeah totally, queen. You don’t have to tell me or my girlfriend.

We listened to the preview of “Meryl,” and we’re OBSESSED. Is there anyone specific the song was about, or is it just a direct commentary on the rollercoaster ride that a relationship can be? 

MZ: No, it is specific. I went through a few situationships with older women, and they’re just the best. I honestly thought I would end up with an older woman. I remember when I was younger, my mom would ask me if there were any hints that I was queer growing up. And I’d always say no, not really. And then I started to think about the way Meryl Streep made me feel during The Devil Wears Prada. Something physically happened to me that would probably be considered gay. And then when I started dating older women, I was like “yup.” I also just feel like older women need their flowers. Meryl Streep is my celebrity crush and my hall pass. 

You’ve talked a lot publicly about coming out and leaving the church you grew up in. Do you feel like there are any songs on the record that directly reflect the feelings that come with coming out? 

MZ: “Jezebel” is a big one, for sure. I feel like Jezebel really explores Christian guilt. I feel like I’m becoming someone that no longer adheres to this idea that I’m going to hell, and it kind of makes you rethink all the rules and mortality that you’ve been taught growing up. I’ve talked about how moral OCD is something I struggle with, especially being in the church. Doing the right thing and not being in trouble were really important. But getting in trouble and self discovery go hand-in-hand, and I think that “Jezebel” really explores that.

Has anyone ever reached out to you and said that your music has helped them in any way? 

MZ: Oh, yeah. I mean, honestly, I love my listeners so much. They love to make me cry. They love to leave me letters and DMs, and I honestly think of them as my pen pals. I just feel like they’re my community. 

In an ideal world, if you didn’t have to worry about money or numbers or streams or social media, and your music could just exist in the world, what would be your hopes for “Everything All the Time?” 

MZ: To be honest, I have this nice, awesome group of sweet, incredible humans that are our ride or dies. We’ve all become fairly close, and I would love it if we can just make that bubble a little bit bigger. I want to introduce people who need friendship and community, even at my shows, if we can invite 100 more people that need friends, that would probably be the hope.