“I’d rather skip the formality”: Madison Steinbruck Discusses Bluntness, Voice Notes, and Situationship Anthem “Could We Still Have Sex?”
- Joy
- Jul 24, 2024
- 5 min read
Nashville-based songstress Madison Steinbruck has taken a detour all her own with the release of her single, “Could We Still Have Sex?” Always a confessionalist, the track explores Steinbruck’s grapple with ultimatums, as she throws them away to provide the perfect summer situationship anthem. Set to steady drums and a swoon-worthy guitar, her vocals swirl over the melody as she confesses she knows, “we can’t be friends,” and poses the title’s punchline.
“There’s rain and there is shine/ And forever is a fucking long time,” she muses, injecting humor into her gutsiness. The question feels less like the plea of unrequited tropes and more like a newfound sense of self-assuredness, one Steinbruck relays in our conversation below. One that, unsurprisingly, develops with age.
The Yellow Light: We love a blunt title! What inspired the instant vulnerability?
Madison Steinbruck: Ok first of all - for some background: I was mostly in relationships in my early 20’s and when I hit 25 I was so tired of it. I had my little phase of casual dating and doing my own thing. Once that year was over I was like, “ok cool, I’m done.” I really wanted the next time I was with someone (physically and emotionally) to feel important and loving. I started seeing someone at the end of last year and I felt like I’d found a really significant connection and so I took that step further and it ended up being over after a couple months. I sat down to write about it and I kept thinking, “damn I just waited a year to give myself to someone and it’s over in a blink.” So I turned the hurt and disappointment into a song that was a little lighter, like, “ok fine I don’t need a relationship, but could we still have sex?” I feel like there are so many songs that toe this line and I just wanted to step right over it. It was a lot healthier for me to put this feeling into a song than actually vocalize it to that person - which I never did [laughs].
As for the vulnerability, I think I’m a pretty vulnerable person in general. What you see is what you get and I’m really okay with that. It took some time, but I’d rather skip the formality. If I feel safe with you, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. I was a little nervous to full send this song. I respect my parents so much and I hate to think that my music would ever embarrass them or hurt their image, but I think I’ve gotten to a really good place of putting my career first and they understand that. I couldn’t over think putting out “CWSHS”. I just had to do it. I felt so good about it. I think I’m honing in on my demographic and type of listener/fan. Everyone I love has loved this song and that’s all that matters. The girls who get it, get it.
YL: The voice note interlude is really striking - did you record it for the track, or was it plucked from your texts?
MS: I love this question. It was plucked from my texts!!! When we were recording the song I never had a formal bridge and wanted to sample something. During production I was like... wait I have one voice note I sent this guy.. should we use it? Bri (the co-producer of the song) loved it. We chopped it up and fit what we could in the song. It turned out so perfect! We were screaming as soon as we listened back.
YL: You released an album last year that focused on being in your 20s (you even have a song
called “24”). Is “Could We Still Have Sex?” a departure from that work, or a continuation?
MS: I’m still in my 20’s, but I feel so removed from the first half. When I listen back to Australia’s Lonelier it feels so different, so young and sad. Like I just needed a place to put all of those feelings and now I want to share more than that. I think Australia’s Lonelier carries the listener through a lot of lessons I had to learn about love and life and death. It ends with “Safeword,”which is basically just a plea for gentleness. I think that record closed out a really innocent chapter in my life. There have been two versions of myself and this one is all grown up. I’m super excited to pour my personality more into these newer songs rather than just every horrible thing that’s ever happened. So I would say “Could We Still Have Sex” is part two.
YL: What was the production process like for this one? How do you typically record?
MS: The production process for this song was SO different than my previous record. I recorded “CWSHS” with Briana Tyson and we co-produced it at her home studio. I came in with the song and had a playlist of inspiration tracks that we listened to for a vibe check. I wanted “CWSHS” to be more pop leaning than the others. I had the voice memo idea and wanted a really huge chorus at the end - which we accomplished. We added the instrumentation bit by bit, starting with an acoustic guitar. The process of recording feels different every time. Each song is unique and special to me, but it starts with me sending my producers a rough version of the song and us discussing ideas. The biggest difference now vs. then, is my participation in producing and having the courage to voice my ideas. I really really want to put quality over quantity, so I’ve been recording with that in mind.
YL: How do you interpret the yellow light of your 20s? Have you been speeding up late, or
slowing down?
I don’t think I’ve been slowing down, but I have been taking into consideration what helps me get what I need to done, and what to prioritize. I’m realizing how valuable sleep is. I try to get outside as much as I can so that my mental health doesn’t plummet, and I’ve significantly cut down on drinking. So in some ways I’ve slowed down on going out and partying out of consideration for myself and my music. I think I’ve been pretty full steam ahead my entire life. I used to prioritize knowledge and travel over everything, and now I’m prioritizing my career and building my team. I enjoy a yellow light - I would define that as time when I’m able to rest, but for now I’m trusting the process and looking forward to all the shifts along the way.
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