Enjoy listening to the songs, and reading Madalyn's thoughts about her songs in her own words!This Side of Love
This song was incredible to record because it’s so real to me. I’ve seen so many people, including myself, search in the wrong places for happiness, for peace, for relief from pain. I’ve watched people resent the past…wishing, wanting, waiting for something different….something that will relieve the pain they’ve been through and someone or something that brings true happiness. Well, I’ve learned that the world doesn’t have that. The world doesn’t have real inner peace. Once I realized that I could love God, be in the world but not of the world, and hold my values never compromising …I was free. Life became beautiful and I realized that real love and real happiness is a choice.
Aiming for the Moon
“Aiming for the Moon” is probably one of my favorites on the album. Josh Kear is a celebrated writer who has written for many of my favorite artists and it was so thrilling to record one of his songs. The song is important to me because I’ve always been a girl that’s just gotta run and chase after dreams. I’ve always been a small town country girl with big dreams and a passion for singing and now getting the opportunity to share my heart through my music, adds just a little bit more light into my life. The world’s standards are low. The world says be comfortable….do what suits you….be realistic and don’t aim too high. It’s difficult sometimes to face that negativity but you have to aim high in this world and work hard or you’ll never get anywhere….with anything. Don’t put artificial limits on your dreams. And don’t let others impose their own limits on what you want to do. Your hopes and dreams are just as important as anyone else’s. You can’t look at life with anything but positivity, and work diligently at what you want to accomplish. This song I can sing with passion…because I never want to settle. I’m ready to fly!
Love Will See You Through
When I listened to the demo of this song for the first time I got really excited. The demo was nothing more than a piano and vocals by the writer Cory Edwards. But you could hear his passion and clear message of hope so beautifully written. It was exciting to listen to that beautiful, simple, piano demo transformed by the sound of a full six piece band. The words in this song are important to me because I think I can reach a lot of people with it. Everybody knows pain and suffering. Everybody can relate to this song. When I sing it, it’s almost like any regret or pain or sorrow just comes out of me because I realize what I really need to do. I need to love deep and reach out to the ones that hurt me and people who are in pain. Give, without expecting to receive anything back. You might lose everything and go through tough and terrible moments but it’s worth it in the end. I believe that everything is for a reason. We go through adversity for a reason which is why it is so important to never hold back. Tell your story, because maybe it will save someone who just needs to be loved. Maybe you have experienced pain so that your story will change a suffering life. God has a plan for everything and his love will ALWAYS see you through.
A Starting Place
This song was written by Karen Rochelle, and I loved it from the moment I heard it. When I sing this song, I think of everything from the past. There are good moments and bad and some that are hard to think about because they were so painful. This song is about someone who was hurt deeply and has closed themselves in trying to shield themselves from any more hurt. They give up on life and trust only what they can do for themselves. But then they take a small step and begin to reach out and get encouragement to keep going. Even though I haven’t experienced anything even close to what some people have experienced in terms of scarring pain, I have met people, and I know people, who have a rugged and tragic past. They have taught me that you have to look up and keep moving . It’s incredible to me that God puts just the right people in our life to guide us in the right direction toward rescue from suffering and scarring moments of the past. We have to take that first small step into God’s arms. Life is too short to remain stuck in the past and hold on to resentment and bitterness. It may not feel like much at first but sometimes one step in the right direction is all that someone can risk. It’s a Starting Place!
Hard Times
This song was written by Jamie Owens-Collins, one of my dad’s favorite contemporary Christian artists back in the early seventies. I decided to try doing a version of Jamie’s beautiful song with a faster tempo and a little bit grittier. Jamie Owens wrote this song when she was 17 acknowledging people’s pain and the difficult times they go through and encouraging them to look beyond their present struggles. It’s sort of like when you’re put in a really hard, intense exercise workout and the next day your muscles are really sore. A really intense workout breaks down the muscle fiber and then it heals itself and grows back even stronger. Sometimes you see signs posted in the local gym that say, “No Pain, No Gain”. The hard times we all go through on a spiritual level can be really discouraging and make you want to give up. But Jamie Owens has written a message of hope and encouragement that says, “Don’t fret, don’t worry, the hard times will make you strong”. I really believe that.
He Already Has
When you love someone so much, for so long, with all that you are…..you would do anything to take away their pain or get them out of a difficult situation. It hurts when you realize there’s only so much you can do for them. Ultimately, we can’t change other people or save them. We can influence them but we can’t save them. The Lord Jesus Christ gave his life on the cross to save us from ourselves and the world’s evil ways. I can love with all that I am, but our God HAS ALREADY SAVED YOU.
Come to Jesus
This song was written by Mindy Smith and my dad showed me her version of the song and I really loved the backwoods country sound of it. So we did a remake and made it even more backwater. I’m definitely a country girl and we couldn't have added enough unique sounds to this song to make it country enough for me. The musicians kept coming up with great ideas to add to the song. The sounds and instruments went from John Willis banjo and mandolin to drummer Steve Brewster's rhythmic clapping. The process of this one was definitely one of my favorites.
It’s You
This song is important to me because it holds a lot of meaning to my personal life. Sometimes, I tend to try to do things on my own and according to my own plans. But over and over again, God has showed me that its not me who ultimately accomplishes anything….its Him working through me. Life is not about me and He will use me maybe to bless other people or to show His love through me. When I open myself up and completely recognize that “It’s You” and not me, I can give God the glory and allow Him to use me in ways that I can only imagine.
Fearless
Fearless is a song about letting go and truly learning how to live. Fear plays a huge part in distress and pain in so many people’s lives. It’s so easy to get swallowed up by fear even on a subconscious level and not take control of our problems. But when we remember that God is always there and ready to direct our hearts and give true peace, we learn the real meaning of FEARLESS.
Stepping Stone
My sister, Mackenzie wrote this song and we chose it to be the title track of the album because this song sums up who I am. Home is where the laughing, loving, crying, smiling, hoping, wishing and everything else that molds a person take place. The time comes for all of us; however, to move on and step into the world of opportunity and new beginnings. Caro, is the place where my most precious and treasured memories took place. No matter where I go, what I do in the future, or who I meet; I will always remember how my hometown is the place that molded me and made me who I am. I learned how to live and love in Caro, Michigan and that’s just something that can never be forgotten and can’t be replaced. That little hometown was a stepping stone to the next road.
