RB Exclusive Interview: Maddy O’ Neal Discusses ‘Locked In,’ Upcoming LP, and Phoenix Performance (Part 1)

DJ/producer Maddy O’Neal is a prominent figure in the Denver bass music scene who has been making music since 2011. She has had an illustrious career full of legendary collaborations with artists such as CloZee, Cofresi, and An-Ten-Nae and is still going strong. Consistently touring, performing at festivals, and crafting new music along the way. Her latest release, “Locked In,” a collaboration with Midwest rapper ProbCause blends old-school vibes with modern production techniques for a euphoric listening experience. Maddy O’Neal recently performed at the world-renowned Shambhala Festival in Canada and is slated for additional tour dates to close out 2024. Her newest project, the highly anticipated Vital Signs LP is set to release in October of this year. I am proud to present a Relentless Beats Exclusive Interview with Maddy O’Neal in which we discuss life, tour, and her artistic aspirations.

The interview took place over Zoom with a thunderstorm brewing in the background. We began with introductions and some ice-breaker discussion topics such as education, birthplace, and weekend plans. Maddy O’ Neal is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and fell in love with Boulder, Colorado in 2008. She stayed permanently, seeing “no point to go back to St. Louis from Colorado.” When asked about the intricacies behind the Denver bass scene (and discussing how fast it moves) Maddy O’Neal revealed that her solo work is her second musical project. Her initial project, a Denver-based group known as Krooked Drivers (2011-2018), reflects a lot of her future trajectory as a solo artist. Keeping to the funky grooves of the electro-soul genre and creating a kaleidoscopic tapestry of sound. And adding blues harmonicas for good measure.

This revelation left me speechless and led us into the questions portion of the interview.

Your biography mentions that you are a self-taught producer and DJ. What was it like learning how to make music and DJ from scratch? 

“It’s crazy to think about, actually, because I never learned music theory. I played keys and the cello when I was younger, but I never really stuck with an instrument. When I moved to Boulder, I was so blown away by what I was hearing, like, what was happening at that time in electronic music. And I was just so fascinated. And I just kind of started looking on YouTube for tutorials and trying to figure it out. And kind of immersing myself in the scene with other people that were DJing and producing. And then I started going to record stores and picking up vinyl. Learned how to sample it directly into Ableton and just started chopping stuff up and collaging and, like, reverse engineering how songs were made. Like.. Okay, this arrangement has an eight bar intro and goes into the verse. You know? I tried to wrap my head around every aspect and arrangement. You know, how things work together musically. Then I had to learn Ableton as a software in itself, which was, like, the biggest hurdle. It was WILD and definitely not easy by any means. But it was fun. And I’m still learning every day that I sit down and think. That’s like the coolest part. You can never master it.”

Maddy O’Neal has a great attitude regarding music production! It is refreshing to hear an artist be honest about the fact that they do not know everything and are still learning about their style and craft. The amount of effort that Maddy O’ Neal put into learning Ableton and proper sampling techniques from scratch is quite impressive. She also discussed reaching out to other Ableton users via Craigslist to “come over and nerd out with her,” undoubtably learning new production tricks and styles along the way. Her “grassroots approach to learning and experimenting” has resulted in an intricate and well-layered production style that is smooth as butter. Revisiting her discography with this knowledge is a definite game-changer.

“Locked In” is an incredible release that combines modern production with elements of classic dubstep. Which artists and eras were your biggest influences behind its creation?

How did ProbCause become involved in the production of “Locked In?” How did you originally meet and how long have you known each other?

“Prob and I have known each other for probably twelve years. So especially to get with him and to make that track kind of brought some nostalgia back for the both of us, you know? Looking back on our journeys and yeah. I kind of wanted to make an old school dubstep track-like feel. And I always love using like future bass synths. Some warmer tones in the place of the more aggressive tones, but with the same structure as a classic dubstep song. I just kind of brought myself back to the days of what I was inspired by and tried to put my own take on that. I guess, like, where I am now! That was the approach that I took because when I first started making music, Skrillex had just come out with Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites. So it’s like, that’s where I tried to take my brain back to. What hit when I first started hearing things.”

When inquired further about ProbCause’s involvement in the track, Maddy O’ Neal revealed that she “prefers to write with a vocalist rather than using samples for vocals,” and “sometimes writes a song and thinks of someone right away. And that’s kind of what happened with this track.” I always suspected that ProbCause had a fantastic work ethic based out his rate of output. Maddy O’ Neal confirmed this theory in the interview. Stating that “he is such a HUSTLER that he just started writing to it right away.” She also explained that she had to “rewrite the song around his vocals. It was way chiller when I first started it, and then when he sent the vocals back, I was like OH SHIT! I need to like, pump up.” Matching his hype and “evolving it into a more high-energy song that I would play live.”

The “Locked In” press release describes the song as “an apt tone-setter/worldbuilder” for The Vital Signs LP.  Is there anything else that you would like to share about the sound/world-building of the upcoming project?

“Writing a full length album is my opportunity to stretch a little bit. It’s very eclectic in that sense. There’s some drum and bass and dubstep vibes. There’s a little bit more downtempo. Definitely heavily hip-hop inspired. That was how I got into everything. Finding samples, chopping stuff up on a beat pad. I wanted to come back full circle to all the ways I was inspired in the beginning. I focused a lot on leveling up my sound design. Taking my original influences and mashing them together with everything that I learned up to that point. Setting out to write that record. You can hear a certain tone and be like, that is THIS artist. I wanted to carve my niche in that world with this album.”

Will the Vital Signs LP have a supporting tour?

“YEAH! We are actually working on finalizing them. The record comes out in October, so we are going to do part of the tour at the end of this year. Rolling it into spring as well because we wanted to let it breathe a bit. Everyone tours in the fall. We really wanted to be strategic in the way that we planned some things around my Colorado shows. Strategizing the way that makes the most sense. But yeah, I will dropping some dates very soon!”

What major life/world events inspired the “emotional waves” contained within the upcoming LP?

“Vital signs is focused around signs of life and focusing on how you feel in a certain moment. I think that technology and he way that we communicate with each other has changed a lot with social media. And there’s a lot of like, anxious energy in the world. I am a big advocate of yoga and meditation. Especially when I almost played 100 shows last year. I was constantly on the move and traveling by myself. I really had to drop in and take those moments in. Check in with myself and, you know, check your vital signs, like how you are feeling right now.”

Elaborating further, Maddy O’ Neal discusses the struggles of dealing with personal turmoil while still having to perform and have an effective stage presence. Choosing to sit with and handle her emotions instead of running away from them. “Feeling sad or however you are feeling is okay. That means that you are alive. You get to feel that spectrum of emotions, allowing yourself to feel those things.” Pushing past the urge to neglect tasks and persevere. “It’s just a constant reminder to myself and, subconsciously, I wrote a lot with that theme without realizing it.”

Have you ever performed in the Phoenix area? If so, how would you describe your experience?

When asked this question, Maddy O’ Neal discusses her experience headlining local Phoenix venue, Walter Where?House after a sudden withdrawal from Co-Headliner Wreckno.

“I was really nervous about that. People showed up like nothing ever happened. And it was one of my favorite shows of last year. The community in Phoenix feels very reminiscent of the similar values that I feel from like Burning Man camps, and that kind of community. Which is really awesome! I can’t wait to be back.”

GO PHOENIX!!

(Continued in Part Two)

Connect With Maddy O’Neal: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | SoundCloud