DJ Ron Slomowicz: So where am I talking to you from today?
Madelin Zero: I am in freezing New York City.. <laughing>
RS: Your music is so electro-based and European that it's hard to believe that you are from the US. Who are your influences?
Madelin: Early influences are Terri Nunn/Berlin, The Alarm, The Cure, Gene Loves Jezebel, Echo & the Bunnymen, Pink Floyd and the Doors.
RS: Weren't you in a rock band for a while? How did you discover electronic dance music?
Madelin: Yes, I was in a band. I wanted to play live but really I am a songwriter so I think of it like painting my songs with certain colors. If you choose a guitar and live drums everyone calls it rock. If you use a computer, it’s electronica. To me, it’s about the songs. I have always loved electronic music, dancing to everything from the Pet Shop Boys to the Sneaker Pimps, Lamb to Underworld.
RS: Was "Destroy She Said" your first foray into dance music? How did you meet up with Circ?
Madelin: Kind of. I worked with Bill Hamel and Sam Mollison a few years before I worked with Alexander Perls (Circ). Oh god, you don’t want to know how we met…
RS: Well.. when you say it like that, I have to ask. How did you and Alex meet?
Madelin: Apparently we met at a Sonic Youth concert, although I've never been to a Sonic Youth concert.
RS: The first two lines "Like the tower fallings down, like a bomb blast in your town" caused a bit of controversy. When you wrote the song, what inspired that imagery?
Madelin: Alex wrote “Destroy She Said.”
RS: Ah, so what is your songwriting process?
Madelin: I usually come up with the song concept, writing the lyrics first and then the melody, sometimes I use a piano or a drum loops. Then I drop the lyrics out and see if the melody is cool enough to sound good by itself. After that, I drink some coffee and take a break. When I come back, I am ready to listen with fresh ears and make sure the song tells the story.
RS: Was most of the album recorded in the US or Europe?
Madelin: Most of it was recorded in Germany, except for “I Saw Your Video” and “Anything Perfect.”
RS: Between New York and Germany, how did you hook up with Indecent Media?
Madelin: My manager introduced me to Jurgen (Korduletsch) when Radikal signed CIRC. Indecent Media is Radikal's sister label.
RS: I popped in your CD when I got it and its incredible. It's like the CD that I wish Madonna had released. What was your vision when you started on this album? I ask because the album feels very personal, like you put it together yourself.
Madelin: Well, Jurgen and I started this project almost 2 years ago. I said to Jurgen, I am very inspired by everything I’ve seen, the time I’ve spent traveling, and the people I’ve met. I want to write an album that will sound like all of this has felt. Jurgen is an incredibly talented guy and he understood my vision. Every week, I mailed him my new inspirations and we collectively found producers that we liked. I trust him so much because he will always tell me when I suck, so I believe him on occasion when he says I’m brilliant.
