James Maddock in the Loft

A Rock ‘N Roll lifer, James Maddock has been carving his unique path since the 1980s, when the British-born singer-songwriter kicked off his career with a raw, soulful voice; a storyteller’s sense of narrative; and the ability to blur the lines between Folk, Classic Pop, and Rock.

Since those early days in London, he’s ridden the wave of a music industry that’s ebbed, flowed, peaked, and crashed. Maddock has stayed afloat throughout the entire ride, enjoying a brush with commercial success during the late 1990s — including a major-label record deal, a Top 5 AAA radio hit, and a song placement on Dawson’s Creek — before transforming himself into an independent solo artist during the decades that followed. Bruce Springsteen is a fan. So is David Letterman. Listening to Maddock’s newest record, Insanity vs Humanity, it’s easy to see the appeal.

James Maddock’s boldly vulnerable songwriting, honeyed rasp, and distinct Folk and Americana aesthetic have garnered acclaim from icons, peers, and taste-making outlets like NPR, American Songwriter, Relix magazine, and CMT Edge. Relix notes, “James Maddock possesses the kind of lived-in, craggy voice that would sound authoritative if he were singing the sports pages. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to do that because his compositional skills are a match for his delivery.”