Joanna Gabrielle
Her Story
Joanna Gabrielle (Madamba) is 15 years old, a Northern-California-born, Alexandria, Virginia-raised singer/songwriter. Her musical journey began on Instagram, when on a December day in 2018, she uploaded a short cover of Lady Gaga's soulful "Always Remember Us This Way" from A Star is Born to her music account. Six months later, in June 2019, Nashville-based music producer, Shannon McArthur, producer of the famed band Dashboard Confessional's latest album, discovered the cover, liked what he heard, and offered her the chance to record an EP (extended play).
Over the next six weeks or so, they co-wrote two new songs and Joanna chose three of her original songs to come up with a compilation for the 5-song EP. In late August 2019, she flew to Nashville for the very first time to record, spending five days in the studio to complete with ease five radio-ready songs. Shannon was both producer and musician on all tracks, playing electric and acoustic guitar, keyboard, and percussion.
Joanna's first master recording showcases a sampling of her innate writing ability, informed by memorable experiences in her young life. Her musical influences are wide and varied - the styles of Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift, Sara Bareilles, and Billie Eilish, to name but a few - and she describes her music as a happy medium of indie and pop.
It's a very exciting time as she begins releasing her original music! A high school sophomore, she tries to find a balance between academics, her close friends, her continuing commitment to Choir and Musical Theatre (she is also classically trained in voice), and consistently creating a steady flow of music and lyrics when she can. She loves being able to cross over between the different genres of music that are so much a part of her. With the release of her first single, MAYBE, on October 18, she hopes that you, her audience, will enjoy listening to it as much as she enjoyed creating it!
READ JOANNA'S FIRST PRESS ARTICLE FROM BUZZ MUSIC LA!