Being chosen to support a pop star like Harry Styles on a massive stadium tour looks from the outside like a dream. Here’s a guaranteed payday and an opportunity to play in front of thousands of fans who probably wouldn’t normally hear your music. By choosing women from mainly the indie/alternative sphere Harry was continuing on his quest to appear both cool and inclusive, distancing himself from his reality TV, manufactured boy band past. All credit to him (or more likely his savvy management team) for giving out these opportunities.
However a little digging into the online fan culture would suggest these slots are not always groundbreaking for careers as they may seem.
Jenny Lewis faced online abuse from his fans that basically amounted to them deciding she was too old and her music too weird to support him. Despite Harry’s wish for indie credibility it was clear most of his fans were stuck in their pop lane. Typical of Jenny she didn’t give a fuck and enjoyed herself massively, making the absolute best of the opportunity despite the general apathy. Wet Leg and Wolf Alice reportedly got similarly muted responses.
Kacey Musgraves fared better since she is younger and poppier, even duetting with Harry at one point. She managed to win fans online and carry some of these over to her own shows, which began to skew younger around the time she opened for him.
So now you may be wondering what happened with Madi Diaz? She was chosen to support Harry as a solo acoustic performer, in massive stadiums when most people were probably not even in their seats yet. At least Harry was a definite fan of her music – watching her from the side of the stage, wearing her ‘Crying in Public’ T-shirt and then asking her to join his own touring band, elevating her to the main event.
Since releasing this new album Weird Faith last Friday, Madi has appeared on her first Late Night talk show, played Rough Trade and had a week that has left her ‘humbled and bewildered’. How much of this success is down to her being connected to Harry is hard to measure, but the increase in name recognition alone has been a driver in getting her music in front of a wider range of fans, myself included.
What also helps is that with Weird Faith, Madi has released the best album of her career. Despite her Nashville connections, Madi’s music and voice are firmly in the indie folk sphere, sounding eerily like Phoebe Bridgers at times (not a bad thing for me) rather than any Americana or country contemporaries.
Opener ‘Same Risk’ is a really devastatingly honest song, exposing herself and the damaging relationship she’s found herself in. ‘Girlfriend’ too deals with the insecurity of loving someone and their past. She offers no easy answers here, offering us her vulnerability instead.
‘Everything Almost’ is a more uptempo indie rocker, where she wonders how to find domestic harmony. How much of your self is sensible to give away in a new relationship? How can you build a family, or a life with someone? She sees the fragility and the struggle of being a modern woman – conveyed with a catchy hook and grungy guitars.
The first song I heard from the album was the brilliant ‘Don’t Do Me Good’ featuring Kacey Musgraves. They sing together beautifully, both resolving to let go of what’s causing them harm. Whoever or whatever this is about, most can relate. ‘For Months Now’ is another stunning heartbreaker about finding the courage and strength to leave someone, no matter how long it takes.
After the end, Madi looks inward, haunting the back pews of churches, searching for answers and solace. She’s not sure if she’s a ‘God Person’, but the song suggests she’s open to the spiritual possibilities of a higher power. She’s what Dolly might call a seeker.
And so on the title track she picks herself up from the floor, tries to find a new way forward with a ‘heart of gold’ and some ‘Weird Faith’ both in herself and a brighter future.
Final song ‘Obsessive Thoughts’ splits herself open and pours out her troubled mind. She asks ‘is it hard to love me? Cause I exist intensely?’ To answer her question I would say that her fans are listening because of her intense emotions, not in spite of them.
We all need some ‘Weird Faith’ sometimes, a belief in ourselves and a higher power guiding us to just the right songs, just when you need them the most. Time and space have aligned for Madi Diaz to break through this year, and this album really is a wonderful gift.
Highway Queens 
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