Tiffany Madadian – THE INTERVIEW
Hello Tiffany, welcome to Armenian Pulse, thank you for joining us today.
Hi, thank you! I’m happy to be here
We have followed your career in recent years and noticed that you have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, you have worked with Grammy Award winning writers and producers along with some of the most respected musicians in the industry. Only a talented person can grab the attention and the time of such people, how does that make you feel knowing you are surrounded by such talent?
It feels like I’m watching a movie and my life is not my own. Its quite strange to work with people who you’ve listened to and admired for many years. When I got an email from David Paich asking if I’d like to sing one of his songs for a Jerry Bruckheimer film, I felt like it wasn’t me in that moment. Moments like that with such talented people are amazing. I feel very lucky to have worked with the people I’ve been able to work with.
You were only 16 and 17 years old when you recorded the tracks for your debut EP, some of the songs sound personal, What was in your heart and mind as you wrote the songs or selected the songs on the EP?
Looking back on that time, I was so young and so unaware of what that EP could or would be. I had no intention of making something that would represent me for as long as it has, I didn’t think that those songs would be relevant to me at 20 years old, really I was just expressing myself as a young girl, the first boys in my life, driving in my boyfriend’s mother’s car to a record store to buy a CD, feeling like a little brat, thinking everything that came into my head and out of my mouth was important and blaming everybody but myself for my mistakes, all the feelings that I had at that age I still can relate to in my life today. I do believe that ignorance is bliss and I know so much more now about music and the business than I did then, and it was nice to sing a song about myself when I was completely unaware of certain things, although at 16 I was a bit of a know it all about music, I hadn’t yet experienced it for myself and that’s life changing.
Well, it seems like a normal way to behave at that age, you were surrounded by adults recording music, that environment can accelerate life experience. Growing up, you performed in front of family, friends and for school productions, but when did you get your first chance to perform in an actual club with your own band behind you? How old were you and which venue was it?
My first club show was in 2008 at The Knitting Factory in Hollywood. I was 19 years old and very excited to be playing in a real club like a real musician! Before that I had had a showcase, and had played a few other venues but not a club, so that was really fun.
Give us your experience that first time on stage with the lights over you and the sound behind you.
The first few times before hitting the stage, I felt like I was going to puke. I had, and still do to some extent, terrible stage fright but for some reason a few minutes into the show it would pass and it became this amazing zone I would fall into.The trick became to not call it a “performance” but a concert and soon enough it felt as if I wasn’t “performing” for a crowd but I was enjoying music and enjoying a moment with others, I just happen to be on stage and I really became addicted to the feeling I got while up there.
It’s interesting how one word could impact one’s state of mind, glad you worked through it, the live videos show absolutely no stage fright. As of today, you have several shows under your belt, how are your shows different today compared to the early days? How has your experience changed the way you do things on stage and/or in your set?
I think my shows today are a lot more powerful than they used to be. I used to worry a lot about my performance and I was very much a perfectionist but of course time and practice makes you aware of certain things and I learned to relax and let my voice do what it does and enjoy the moment, which made for a better show. I learned quickly that I had a job to do as a person on stage, and that was to entertain. Every minute I’m on stage now, I’m less aware of myself and more aware of if the guy in the back is feeling good and having fun because if he’s not then I’m either not working hard enough, or he thought the club was a library and hes in the wrong place.
hehe, that’s funny! What song from your set do you enjoy performing the most?
“Flame of Desire” . Its the first song I ever wrote and I feel like it takes you on a nice ride in 4 minutes, and vocally its really fun to sing, its very emotional.
That’s a real good song, I didn’t realize it was the first one you wrote. Your style is very unique on stage, I read somewhere that your mom is your personal stylist when it comes to your look, I find this really cool, can you give us the process of how you two come up with different looks and themes?
My mom used to be a fashion designer so I use her skills to my advantage! I usually have an idea of what I wanna look like at every show so what I do is draw it out for my mom or show her a picture of somebody on the internet or an idea from a magazine, and then we get to work on it. Sometimes the look is simple and we shop around for the perfect material and my mom will sew it and sometimes its a bit more complex so we buy some pieces and make the others. There’s a lot of laughing involved either way.
That is really cool! Speaking of getting the family involved, you have a very famous uncle, who is an Armenian/Iranian legend. Can you reveal who he is for our readers?
Of course. My uncle is Andy Madadian or Andy as most people know him
Yeah, Andy is loved and idolized by most! He has done some incredible things with his career, has reached the highest plateau when it comes to legendary status, Describe to us how Andy has impacted your musical career?
Playing music wasn’t something that was accessible to me until I started to understand my uncle’s job. Music was a fantasy that I would watch on TV and listen to at home and dream about, it was never something that I thought I could do as a “job” until I was fourteen, fifteen and I began to understand my uncle’s life and fell in love with it. When we were kids, my cousins and I thought of my uncle as such a cool guy, and sometimes we were intimidated by him because we would stare at him on TV for hours and hours and dance and sing along to his music and then all of a sudden he would pop through the door of my grandparents house and sit down with the rest of us for dinner so it was so exciting for us to have a superstar in the family and it became very normal. We thought everyone had an Andy in their family who traveled the world and sang for thousands of people every night. When I became a bit older and thought about music for myself, my uncle was my deciding factor. Was I ok living the life he lives? I had seen him live it all my life and knew what he went through and in many ways I could related to his personality. I understood him in a way that was deeper than a niece would understand or connect to her uncle, that’s when I knew I could do it if I wanted it as bad as he did and if I worked as hard as he did.
Well, i can tell you, not all of us had an Andy in our family, I’m a little jealous lol. Fascinating story though, thanks for sharing that with us. Can you tell us the most important advice your uncle Andy has given you?
The most important advice he’s given me is to enjoy the ride. I stress more than I should sometimes, but I’m a closet stresser. I don’t let anyone know I’m anxious, I just get very quiet, and of course he completely sees through me and when I’m not feeling good about things he always tells me to enjoy the climb. He’s a very caring person, very nurturing, and especially because he understands the emotions I’m feeling, he’s very compassionate. I’m very lucky to have him as an uncle and as a friend.
You recently worked with the legendary rock band Bon Jovi and Andy on a recording and a video of the great classic song “Stand By Me”. It was a very touching and important musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran and the turmoil they have been subjected to. How did this collaboration materialize and how did you feel about being part of a global project that had such an important impact?
The whole thing started with an idea that Don Was had to work with my uncle on a track for worldwide solidarity and Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora were in the studio next door with John Shanks that day finishing their record and wanted to be involved. It wasn’t planned that way, it just happened, and I’m so happy that I was involved in such an amazing moment in time and for such a timeless message. It’s interesting because it was an exciting experience at the time but I watch the video now and get very emotional because its done so well and the message gets across so nicely and all it was was human beings standing by each other and loving and respecting one another, and that message, no matter who its for, is very touching. I’m very grateful to have been involved.
Wow, to think if they were in another studio, that song would never happen. The video is great and i love seeing and hearing it every time, well done to all who were involved. A couple of weeks ago, you wrapped up a performance at the world famous Kodak Theater. Do you prefer more intimate settings that smaller venues offer or are you more into the thunderous volume that audiences at venues like the Kodak produce?
I’m loving playing at small venues and clubs right now, I have amazing fans who scream and dance and make enough noise for a thousand people. I’ve only had the opportunity to be onstage in front of a large crowd a few times, 2 of them being with my uncle Andy, and I love the feeling of a big crowd. I’ve always loved the impact of a large audience. Even when I go see shows, I prefer a large show, crazy lights, things blowing up, theatrics, loud music, I’m a bit of a showman in that sense, the bigger the better. In fact I get very annoyed when I can hear the people around me chatting about their day, if I can hear the people next to me, its not loud enough, I like to be swallowed in the sea of sound.
You have turned down offers from major record labels due to creative differences, I know this is going to sound like a silly question, but are you still open for the right offer or do you prefer to go the independent route to keep your creative control?
I feel like if a label or management believes in you as an artist they will let you be you, whether they are a major label or not they wont be afraid of the risk, and if they don’t believe in your creative decisions then it probably wasn’t a match that was made to last. I don’t have a preference as to the kind of label I’d like to get signed to as long as they believe in me and give me the support and backing I need to make it to Wembley Stadium someday.
Awesome! What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Writing music is like having a baby to me. I’m sure I wont be saying the same thing after having a baby but that’s a long time away so I can sound ridiculous right now. It sounds crazy but every new song is like a new baby and I get so excited about it and hearing it come to life from a hum to a complete structured piece of music is so exciting. And I LOVE naming songs, a great label is important to me.
Describe to us a typical studio session with Tiffany? How and where does it all go down?
It depends. I’ve spent many many hours at Henson recording music, recording vocals, playing around. If I’m writing new material, it ends up being more intimate, me another person, co writer, friend, producer, we start with ideas that I’ve had or chat about things that are going on and become inspired, dabble on the acoustic guitar and I sing along until I’m satisfied with the melody, then when we have a structure down, I sit with it and write some lyrics. I’m very opinionated and I know exactly what I like and dislike so its fun to work with someone who is just as strong willed as myself because it will make the end result that much better. I don’t like working with pushovers, I like people to push me around and make me a better artist.
Are you recording any new songs? Is there a full length CD in the works?
I go in and out of the studio recording music randomly. There isn’t a full length CD in the works but I have some material that I would like to put out on an EP next year.
Looking forward to that. Do you have any interest to ever record an album or a track in Farsi or Armenian or any other language?
I’ve actually never thought about it. Armenian being the first language I ever learned is very hard for me to sing! And I don’t speak any Farsi so that might be impossible. I think I’m gonna stick to English for now but you never know.
You have the look and the style that’s meant for T.V. Do you ever plan to release a music video? And if so, do you know of any plans as of today? Which song would be the one you would want to shoot first?
I don’t have immediate plans to shoot a music video but its definitely a possibility. I’m a very visual person so it will be very exciting for me to create a video. As for the song, that’s yet to be decided, definitely a new one though.
What would you be doing if music was not in your path, do you have any other interests career wise?
Not really. Music occupies most, if not all of me. If I wasn’t an artist though I guess I would be someone behind the scenes. Possibly a music journalist just so I could follow a band around for a few months and take their music in and then write about it. That would be fantastic. Otherwise I’m too crazy to have a normal job. I would get fired and be living at home for the rest of my life. Being an artist is the only way I get to live off of being weird.
hehe, that’s very interesting and funny… You have a show coming up at the Roxy on November 28, can you give us a little taste of what we can expect this time?
This show is all about fun, fun, fun. I’m writing out our set now actually, and its very happy, nothing slow, nothing down, were gonna have fun singing and dancing together, there will be a fun cover or two and our goal will be to burn off some Thanksgiving calories.
haha, well, i will be there, so thanks for the workout in advance… Ok, let’s get a bit personal with some fun facts.
You’re stuck on an island, which top 3 CD’s would you like to have with
you? (Assuming you also have unlimited electricity lol)
It would probably come down to these 3 records…
1. Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
2. By the Way by Red Hot Chili Peppers
3. Hot Fuss by The Killers
Those songs are my heart in the form of music. They take me back to different times in my life and sometimes when I listen to them I get very emotional. Its quite strange the effect music has on your memories.
yeah, i agree, music can be very powerful! What’s the saddest song you’ve ever heard?
“Alone Again (Naturally) ” Gilbert O’ Sullivan
Who and when was the first big named act you saw in concert?
Wow. I have to double check with my parents about that one. I know I went to a few great shows with them when I was little. My first would have to be either Kansas or Bon Jovi when I was about 4 or 5. Saw both bands but cant remember which one was the first.
Which celebrity were you madly in love with when you were younger?
Anthony Kiedis
Where do you see Tiffany Madadian in 5 years?
Hopefully traveling the world playing music for my many fans, making music I love, working with artists, musicians, and producers I admire and selling records, that’s always a plus.
That’s great, we want to wish you the very best on your career and your upcoming show at the Roxy. Thank you for giving us your time Tiffany.
Thank you very much
Make sure you all go out and catch Tiffany’s concert at the Roxy on November 28, burn off those Thanksgiving calories with an upbeat and fun set. Tickets are just $12 and all ages are welcome. Visit Tiffany’s website or myspace page for more details. See you all there!
Tiffany’s Website
Tiffany’s Myspace page
To purchase Tiffany’s EP or tracks, please go to her Itunes and/or CDBABY sites.
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we love u Tiffany keep up the good work
Hi Tiffany, your very talented, i loved your answerrs
very nice interview, Tiffany i have to come to your show one day, super
you have a really great voice, i checked out your videos on youtube, they all look fun, great job, keep up the good work
aawwww, i love Andy, i didnt know his niece was a singer, nice to meet you tiffany
Hi Tiffany, Enjoyed reading your entire interview, very interesting, being a Jersey Gal of course enjoyed the Bon Jovi part, I wish you continued success in the Music Industry, it needs more talent like you! Be on lookout for you in Atlantic City area.
very awesome just got some of your songs on itunes
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