How Madison Cunningham went from heartbreak to writer’s block to ‘Ace’
Even if you aren’t a songwriter, you’ve probably experienced writer’s block, or a creative block of some kind. It’s that feeling where the blank page is just staring back at you, and nothing is coming out of you.
That’s where Madison Cunningham was before making her new album, Ace, but she kept a positive mindset.
“At some point, it will end,” she says. “It’s usually cracked open by a pretty bad song or two.”
Stylistically, Ace is a sharp departure from her guitar-forward 2022 album, Revealer. The songs sound delicate, but they’re powerful stories about falling in and out of love.
In today’s session, Cunningham talks about getting through that writer’s block, taking big emotional swings and how pivoting to the piano helped her work through her heartbreak.
This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.
A federal jury finds Milwaukee judge guilty of obstructing immigration agents
A jury returns a guilty/not guilty verdict in the case of Hannah Dugan. The Milwaukee judge was accused of allowing an undocumented immigrant defender to evade immigration agents
Suspect in Brown University shooting found dead in New Hampshire
The suspect in the shooting at Brown University Saturday was discovered dead Thursday at a storage facility in New Hampshire.
TikTok signs deal to give U.S. operations to Oracle-led investor group
The agreement aims to resolve a yearslong standoff between the popular social media platform and the U.S. government over national security concerns tied to China's parent company, ByteDance.
A family reunion to commemorate the Montgomery Bus Boycott
This month marked the 70th anniversary of the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott. The demonstration was catalyzed when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus. The boycott lasted over a year and is considered a spark of the Civil Rights Movement.
President Trump to add his own name to the Kennedy Center
The arts institution will be called the Trump-Kennedy Center. The president's press secretary said it comes after a unanimous vote by the center's board, which Trump took over earlier this year.
Mangione pre-trial hearing wraps, but judge won’t rule on evidence for months
After three weeks of testimony, a judge will now rule on whether evidence found in Mangione's backpack can be used in his state trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
