Madaila Release New Single, "Where Do We Go From Here?" | Live Culture

Madaila Release New Single, "Where Do We Go From Here?"

by

Madaila - BRENDAN MCINERNEY
  • Brendan McInerney
  • Madaila
Tonight, President Trump will outline his vision for America in that most hallowed of hollow traditions, the State of the Union address. The supremely orange leader is expected to riff on all his greatest hits: immigration,  tax breaks, stripping children and the elderly of health insurance, and which countries presently are or are not shitholes. In essence, he'll address the question: Where do we go from here?

He's not the only one pondering that particular topic at the moment — or every effin' day for the past effin' year. In Burlington today, ahead of a trio of regional tour dates this week, Technicolor popsters Madaila released a new single that also ruminates on the uncertain state of our union — or perhaps, disunion: "Where Do We Go From Here?" (Spoiler alert: Madaila and Trump arrive at slightly different conclusions.)

The single is part of what front man Mark Daly refers to as "a LOT" of new material in an email to Seven Days. So much new tunage, in fact, to necessitate both an EP and a full-length in the not-too-distant future.

"Where Do We Go From Here" cover art - JER COONS
  • Jer Coons
  • "Where Do We Go From Here" cover art
Daly couldn't divulge potential release date details  for either recording just yet. In the meantime, the band had plenty to say about the inspiration behind the new single in a lengthy statement published on their website. Here's the opening salvo:

Alongside being thankful for many privileges and gifts - including a child born into our band family in 2017 - we can’t ignore the scary happenings of a world that seems to be accelerating in all directions. In America, our country elected a president who forced us to take a hard look at who we are and what we do. For some, this was an incredibly new and incredibly jarring experience. For others, it was an illumination of pain that already existed outside of the mainstream eye. Where do we go from here?
The statement goes on to address the polarizing ideological divide in America with a plea to not simply acknowledge our myriad individual differences but to embrace them. According to Madaila, that process starts with recognizing that the way you might experience the world is probably pretty different from the way many others do — especially if you are, say, a bunch of bearded white dudes in Vermont.

As a band of middle class white men we, especially, need to think about how things have fallen into place for us in a way that is not universal - especially in areas of race, gender, class, nationality, and disability. We aspire to be vigilant in that work.
Still, Madaila continue, while understanding our differences is key, it's equally important to appreciate all that binds us together. 

We believe that the way forward is to recognize our shared identity and come together through love. That, in one sentence, is what our new song “Where Do We Go From Here?” is about.
And indeed it is. The unabashedly hopeful new track is chock-full of Madaila staples: falsetto vocals, multilayered harmonies, slinky grooves, exultant hooks and a nifty jam break. Also, horns!

In the end, Madaila arrive at a predictable but nonetheless affirming conclusion. "Where do we go from here?" asks Daly in his airy falsetto as the song draws to a close. Sing it with me, Donald: "Looooo-oooove."


Related Stories

Speaking of...

Tags

Comments

Comments are closed.

From 2014-2020, Seven Days allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we've appreciated the suggestions and insights, right now Seven Days is prioritizing our core mission — producing high-quality, responsible local journalism — over moderating online debates between readers.

To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.

Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.