With her soulful melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics, Bekka Madeleine is a force to be reckoned with.
“Music itself is something I’ve always been doing,” she said. “The very first choir I was in was a choir called Freiburg in the second grade.”
Her background in music has allowed her to make the music she makes now, as well as participate in other music spaces such as the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale.
Madeleine has been making and releasing her music on YouTube since 2022 and recently released her first song, “Jar of Sand.” Jar of Sand is a beautifully composed piece, combining wistful, Americana lyrics with a painfully nostalgic sound. It allows the listener to reminisce about what could’ve been in a bittersweet way. Madeleine sings “You look and smell and act and breathe/Like someone who is planning to leave” which beautifully puts the feeling of wanting someone who isn’t planning on staying.
Throughout her journey in music, Madeleine has collaborated with her sister, Hannah Port, to aid in the songwriting aspect.
“My sister has influenced my music so much–it’s hard for her not to when she literally writes the lyrics,” said Madeleine. “ I am forever grateful for Hannah. It’s kind of a surreal feeling to know I’ll always have this with her. If my career really takes off, the idea that we could be working together for the rest of our lives is just wow.”
Madeleine recently started performing her music live, starting at the deeply historical Ark, and later at the relaxed North Star Lounge. According to Madeleine, both experiences were amazing, but they were certainly different.
“The North Star Lounge is a much more intimate space, while The Ark is a more intimidating space, but the fact that they are so different is how I’ve already acquired so much experience,” she said “It’s important to familiarize yourself with lots of different settings, and people, and acoustics. It’s the only way you can improve!”
In terms of plans for the future, Madeleine has tons.
“I haven’t really talked too much about this but I am currently recording a song of mine called ‘Love in the Time of Climate Change,’” she said. “If all goes as planned, this song should be coming out sometime in April, so stay tuned.”
She also plans to continue performing live. Her upcoming gig will be held at the North Star Lounge on April 13 from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.
