Singer-songwriter and rising pop phenomenon Maddie Zahm announces her debut album Now That I’ve Been Honest, set for release October 20 on Dollgirl/AWAL Recordings. Her confessional, empowering new single about the pitfalls of growing up, “Where Do All The Good Kids Go?” is out now alongside a music video directed by Gus Black.

“Where Do All The Good Kids Go?,” a  vulnerable ballad  about Maddie’s past as a worship leader at age 13, where she had to be a wise adult at a tender young age, leading worship after her best friend’s mom had died. The song crescendoes with emotion as she recounts getting drunk for the first time at age 23, lost and trying to navigate her nascent queer experience. 

Says Maddie, “‘Good Kids’ is a bridge from the EP to the album in order to set my listeners up for the journey that comes with owning your truth. When I left the church and moved to the city I realized I had absolutely no preparation for the real world. ‘Good Kids’ serves as a question that hopefully, through these twelve songs is eventually answered. A messy, beautiful introduction to a messy, beautiful journey.” 
Now That I’ve Been Honest is a 12-song journey told in chronological order that covers everything from church trauma to queer sexual encounters, and tells the messy yet beautiful tale of what it’s like to be a good kid all grown up. Dancing between ballads about early relationships and dance-floor ready tracks about going on a public date with a woman for the first time, the songwriting is so intimate you might think you’re leafing through the pages of Maddie’s diary. 

Zahm launched onto the scene when her fan-favorite single “Fat Funny Friend” galvanized TikTok and became an empowering anthem for people experiencing fat phobia, societal pressure and body dysmorphia. The single came from her 2022 EP You Might Not Like Her, which shared Maddie’s story of leaving her hometown of Boise, ID where she was a worship leader at the tender age of 13, and eventually moving to Los Angeles where she came out as queer and did a lot of living to catch up fast. The EP was a beacon for many listeners, who have flocked to Maddie’s highly personal songwriting and powerhouse voice. Those fans – who sold out her North American tour in Spring 2023, and make up Maddie’s 175 million streams, her million fans on TikTok, and her 3 billion views and 250k videos created on TikTok set to “Fat Funny Friend” – quickly became a community.

Her voice will knock you out, her world class vocals will captivate as much in their hush moments as when she unleashes her show stopping belt. Maddie also flexes her dexterous song craft across an expansive spectrum of compelling modern pop, where haunting piano, and subtle acoustic guitar blend with soaring synths, and crunchy drum beats. Earworm bangers (STEP ON ME, Lights On Kind Of Lover), powerful ballads and intimate bedroom pop (Robin Williams, Dani), as well as electro-infused dancefloor magic (Lady Killer, Eightbal Girl) – are all stamped by Maddie’s singular signature stylings. 
Now That I’ve Been Honest is a door into the world of Maddie Zahm’s raw, triumphant, honest and refreshing personal story that signals the arrival of one of music’s most important new voices. 

Photo Courtesy: Gus Black