Meet Madi almostmadi” Walter | Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Madi “almostmadi” Walter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madi, how do you think about risk?
Though I’ve been writing and performing original “sad grrl songs” since the wee age of five – I really started to pursue my career as a singer-songwriter at the beginning of the Pandemic in 2020 at the age of 24.

While in middle and high school, I performed mostly at local talent shows and school sponsored events. I did the same in college, but also started performing professionally at restaurants and bars, as well as weekly at a local open mic with friends. But all in all, I was more focused on graduation and figuring out what field I ultimately wanted to end up in, rather than pursuing a full-time professional career in music.

Prior to the beginning of the pandemic, I attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC as a Political Science student, and graduated with a Pre-Law degree in May of 2019. I thought that by studying law, a field I was generally interested in but not really passionate about, I would be able to head towards a “safe” career. Though songwriting truly is my life’s passion, at 22, I felt the risk of pursuing music and failing would be more devastating than never even trying.

After graduation, I felt like many of my peers do: lost and uneasy. I knew that I could pursue a career in “something respectable” (whatever that’s supposed to mean); but while I searched, I found no opportunities that made my heart sing. My mom has been a professional photographer for my entire life, my younger brother has been pursuing his career as a professional actor since he was 14, and my cousin has been a professional visual artist for her entire adult life. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by family and friends with such immense talent and drive. Watching them push towards their own creative callings has been so inspiring, especially considering the trials that present themselves for professional creators. To have a creative career, one must be ready to possibly fail, but use the momentum from that to propel you into the next challenge.

So a year post-grad, and amidst a Pandemic that was limiting access to physical performances and gigs, I decided to finally start performing… online. At first on Facebook Live just for family and friends, and then ultimately, I switched platforms to a website known primarily for the live-streaming of e-sports, Twitch. On Twitch I’ve found a vibrant, albeit small, community of musicians and creators that have been equally as inspiring as my family and friends have. Live-streaming led me to reassess my goals and ultimately begin performing at live, in-person events from 2022 onward. At this moment in time, I’m performing every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday online, while also performing in-person at venues on the weekends. Having the support of my friends and family in real life, and my friends and community online makes me feel so blessed to be able to do what I do.

It took major thought to redirect and end up on the trail that I’m currently blazing in my career. The risk of stepping out from behind a degree that I thought at the time was safe, but realized was not my calling, was daunting. Stereotypically, no family wants to hear their child with a Pre-Law degree say, “I think I want to reassess my trajectory to be a full time musician,” but I’ve found only support in my corner. I feel so lucky to be guided to follow my dreams by such driven, creative souls, online and “IRL” (in real life) – who have all taught me that you have to jump, and perhaps even fall a little bit, to fly.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The road that I have taken to arrive at where I am currently at professionally has not always been the smoothest of rides. The biggest lesson I have learned through it all has been to fail forward. There is no point in dwelling on “mistakes” – they are merely lessons to be learned in order to better understand how to try again. In the past, I’ve worried a lot about what my career path looks like in comparison to others – but I’m coming to realize that there is no comparison that can be made. I am unique in my experience, and that’s why people connect with my music. I write a lot of music about the idea that “rock bottom is the best place to watch the sun rise”. In my life, I’ve found myself looking at a lot of hurdles that seem world-ending. Those “this is the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced,” kind of hurdles. But, once I’ve made it through the experience, they look like anthills juxtaposed to what challenges are still coming up ahead. Each time I accomplish something that initially seems too daunting, I’m more and more equipped to handle what lies ahead – even if it is a bigger hill to climb.
I write and perform music that I hope connects with folks who want to be better. Whatever that means for their own individual experience. The sun will not always shine on us, but I know that we can all find a silver lining in the chaos that leads us to be better prepared for the next adventure.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Given the chance to visit Colorado, I think a spot I’d love to explore with a friend would be the Garden of the Gods. I attended college off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and was absolutely in love with the access to hiking trails and beautiful nature scenes. I always did my best songwriting while out and about hiking through the mountains. However, now that I’ve graduated, I haven’t gotten a chance to explore the natural wonders along the western part of the continental United States as much as I would prefer. So I would hop at the opportunity to do some traversing through this particular nature park. It would mean so much to explore a park named after such an intense feeling of scenic, natural beauty that it could only be assumed as a place for the divine to gather.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A big part of my method of creation comes from the experiences I have in real life. My tagline is “i write sad grrl songs” and that’s because very often I find myself experiencing the world through a lens of intense emotion and “angst”. I constantly joke about how I’ve been in a state of consistent existential crisis from a very young age, even going so far as to say my “quarter-life crisis” began around age 22 and is still going on as I approach 28.

And so, my shoutout goes to all those who have supported me throughout my creative crises; namely, my mother (Stacie Cheers), my brother (Wyatt Ray Walter) , my cousin (Heather Jo Divoky), my boyfriend (Jensen Kurki), two of my closest friends (Art Brennan and Gabby Thomas), and the plethora of kind and creative folks I’ve connected with through streaming and social media. There are truly too many people to name individually, though I’d love to list them all.

Each and every one of these folks have been there for me in so many ways: encouraging me by listening to new song ideas or creative endeavors I’m hoping to achieve, giving me feedback, and daring me to take risks and grow. They’ve supported me physically, artistically, monetarily, and in so many other ways. I’m constantly inspired by each of their perspectives and expertise in their own artistic and professional fields. Every day, they push me to be a better version of myself through demonstration of their own beautiful souls. I feel blessed to be surrounded by such fascinating, motivating, and loving folks.

Website: https://www.almostmadi.com

Instagram: @almostmadi

Twitter: @almostmadi

Facebook: https://www,facebook.com/almostmadi

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/almostmadi

Other: https://www.twitch.tv/almostmadi

Image Credits
Joseph Davis Studios