Tomboy Tuesday: Madyx
Madyx (AKA Michelle Blanchard) is a musician living in Southern California. She’s an accountant by day and a rock star by night (like a certain Miley Cyrus character, but significantly cooler), she’s 7 years sober, and she’s all about changing lives through human connection.
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TomboyX: What/who is Madyx?
Madyx: Madyx is kind of like P!NK– I play guitar and sing, and I have a drummer who plays live with me. It’s an alternative pop group. We make a lot of noise for two people.
Madyx isn’t necessarily just the music. For me, it's a movement. I want to be the voice for the voiceless because growing up, I felt like I didn't fit in. I think that that's something that everybody can relate to. Having people love you is great, but for me, really, it's the human connection. I craved that when I was a kid, and I crave it now as an adult. I get to meet so many people that I would have never met if I wasn't doing music.
TBX: When did Madyx come to life?
M: Before Madyx, I was in a band called Life Down Here. We opened for Paramore, we were on the Warped Tour, we did some pretty big stuff. That was primarily during my drinking years. I also lost my dad when I was 18, and Life Down Here really revolved around that. I got sober and formed Madyx in 2015, and I felt like I could finally let go of that pain and become who I was supposed to be.
TBX: Who are your musical influences?
M: Melissa Etheridge is my girl. I've seen her live so many times. I pull from the pop world too: P!NK, Katy Perry. But also, I toured with Paramore, so I'm very much a rock kid too.
TBX: Have you always been a musical person?
M: I started playing music at age 8. I started writing when I was 13, started singing when I was 15 or 16. I’m 30, so it’s been half my life.
TBX: What's your writing process like?
M: I notice that when I sit down and say, “I'm going to write a song,” I never do. Sometimes I'll pick up a guitar, write something cool, and then I'll write some lyrics, or sometimes I'll write lyrics and then add guitar. A lot of my ideas come in the middle of the night, so I'll wake up and sing into my phone. The name Madyx also came to me in my sleep. I always like to say that it's my dad talking to me.
TBX: What’s been your favorite show you’ve ever played?
M: First of all, opening for Paramore with Life Down Here. I always said I wanted to open for Paramore, and then I got an email from Hayley Williams’s manager saying she asked for us. I was like, “this isn't real.”
Playing San Francisco Pride back in 2013 was a really cool experience. It was just a sea of people.
TBX: How do you balance your daily life as an account with the life of a rock star? How do you manage your energy?
M: The gym. I'm addicted to spin class. I'm also in AA, so that keeps me grounded.
I always say this: go where the love is, not where you think it's supposed to be. I surround myself with people that love me. Sometimes I want to give up; the rejection gets really hard, living two separate lives gets really hard. Then I get that message from a kid on Instagram that says, “your song saved my life.” That's what makes it worth it to me. Even if Madyx is never as big as I want it to be, I'll never stop doing it because of the lives that I touch.
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Follow Madyx on Instagram and TikTok @madyxmusic, and check out her latest single, “Young Love”, on Spotify and Apple Music.