Madeline Edwards on Her Mother's Musical Influence and the Secret to the Best Texas Ranch Water
Thomas Crabtree Madeline Edwards
About Madeline Edwards
Madeline Edwards grew up in a large musical family that relocated from Santa Barbara, California, to Houston, Texas, when she was in high school. The move had a huge impact not only on her life, but also on her music. Madeline's sound combines influences of country, jazz, soul, and rock, and is sometimes reminiscent of her musical heroes Ella Fitzgerald and Shania Twain. In this episode, Madeline talks about what finally made her take the leap to move to Nashville, and how she went from no prospects to performing with Mickey Guyton at the CMAs and touring with Chris Stapleton. Plus, she shares how her cocktail skills have made her some new friends on the road, and her secret to making the perfect Ranch Water.
What Madeline Talks About In This Episode
*Moving to Houston, Texas
*Breaking into the music industry
*Discovering her love of music as a child
*Her mother's influence on her music
*Music around the holidays
*Ella Fitzgerald and Shania Twain being inspirations
*Making the move to Nashville
*Performing with Mickey Guyton and Brittney Spencer at the CMA Awards
*Touring with Chris Stapleton
Her love for Texas Ranch Water
Quotes from Madeline Edwards
"The reason why I sing is because of Ella Fitzgerald. I remember hearing one of her songs when I was four...and I was so emotionally moved by it that I was like, I think I want to do music for the rest of my life."
My mom wanted us to listen to jazz. She wanted us to listen to classical. She wanted us to listen to old Country Western music. And I don't know if that was because she didn't like the music that was modern during that time, or if it was more of a, 'I want them to be exposed to the best first'.
—madeline edwards
"So the secret to Ranch Water is the lime juice. It's not just a little splash of lime. It's definitely fresh squeezed, fresh out of the grocery store, off the tree, or wherever you get fresh limes. And I always put probably an ounce of lime juice with tequila, and then with a Topo Chico. So in my personal opinion, it's not a true Ranch Water unless you make sure that the sparkling water that you add is Topo Chico. So you can have a tequila soda, but it's not the same in my opinion."
"To me being Southern means this deep appreciation for everything that makes the South, which is just this good old Southern appeal. Everyone is kind to each other here. The South has this way of taking a lot of pride in making sure everyone feels at home, whether that's with a good home-cooked meal, or inviting people over and listening to music with them, or being a part of the family. It's also this ability to accept the mistakes that the South has made and want to make them better."
About Biscuits & Jam
In the South, talking about food is personal. It's a way of sharing your history, your family, your culture, and yourself. Each week Sid Evans, editor in chief of Southern Living, sits down with celebrity musicians to hear stories of how they grew up, what inspired them, and how they've been shaped by Southern culture. Sid takes us back to some of their most cherished memories and traditions, the family meals they still think about, and their favorite places to eat on the road.
Download and listen to this episode of Biscuits & Jam with Madeline Edwards on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or everywhere podcasts are available.
