Madz and Shaé Universe Talk Latest Collab 'Slow Jamz & Wine', How They Met & More
Author: Chloe Mykel | Tuesday 8th March 2022
We recently caught up with UK R&B sensations Madz and Shaé Universe to get the tea on how they met, their latest collaboration 'Slow Jamz & Wine' (which so far has been a huge sucess) and more...
Your latest release together 'Slow Jamz & Wine' is proving to be a hit! What’s the support been like so far?
Madz: It’s been really great. It's always nice releasing something you've worked on for so long but I've been consistently told about the quality of the song which means the most to me. Everybody is loving it and it means the world to me
Shaé: The support has been amazing honestly. It’s been getting added to playlists consistently and it seems to be a fan favourite.
What’s it like to work with each other again following on from your first track together 'Indecisive'?
Madz: I've loved every bit of it. I think because Shaé and I have a relationship outside of just music it all comes very natural and you can hear it in the quality of music. It surprises me that we haven’t collaborated more. But on a genuine level Shaé is easily the most incredible talent I've personally come across. Known her for almost 7 years and I haven't heard one bad note yet.
Shaé: I feel like you can really hear the growth in both of our voices since Indecisive. I’ve always loved Madz’s musical ear and writing ability and it's been a real privilege to witness him get even better.
How did 'Slow Jamz & Wine' come to be and at what point did you and Shaé decide to collaborate on it?
Madz: Slow Jamz and Wine was the result of numerous FaceTime production sessions I was having with Qisretired during the first lockdown. I loved those moments cause we were just trying whatever felt good. I saw it as an opportunity to show how strong my pen is and once I recorded my part I sent it over to Shaé. She loved it and we had a little back and forth. Then the rest is history. Modern classic!
So, a little birdie told me you two go way back…how and when did you guys meet?
Shaé: We both met at a music show back in like 2016. It was both our first times ever performing on a line up. Imagine!
Madz: Yeah it's crazy when I actually think about it now cause this was all off the back of releasing freely on Soundcloud. Real foundations for the two of us
UK R&B is really on the rise, how does it feel to be a female artist within this space, Shaé?
Shaé: I’d say, now, it feels great to be carving out my own lane within UK R&B and be recognised for that. However it did take me a little while to own that space as the support behind UK R&B has only come about in recent years. I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to rise and expand as a genre though.
Women in music definitely need more male allies like yourself, Madz - how important is it to you as an artist supporting women within the industry, not just in R&B but across all genres?
Madz: Supporting women can't be something that we as men only actively approach in industries or sectors. I think that is a very small part of a bigger picture and it should be a standard you set for yourself in life in general. Even though I'm not an R&B artist myself, it's evident how much I love the genre and the ladies are killing it right now across all genres. I just try to do right by my people without any ulterior motive. If women need celebrating or assistance we just need to be present however we can.
As independent artists, I know there’s great value in having a strong support system around you…what do both of your teams mean to you?
Madz: Can’t thank my team and my friends/family enough. Independent music life is very tough so you need solid people around you to keep you grounded and also remind you of how great you are.
Shaé: My team has been a crucial part of my journey thus far and I'm eternally grateful for them. We genuinely started from the bottom together with nothing but creativity, ideas and passion. That is priceless.
And finally, what can we expect from both of you throughout the rest of 2022?
Shaé: I have my first ever debut EP dropping in April, followed by my first solo headline show and hopefully some touring. I’m sure Madz has some tricks up his sleeve too
Madz: Not sure about all the tricks lool. From me, you can just expect more great music, more visuals and more vibes. I’m working on my project this year as well so I’m excited.
Check out the official video for 'Slow Jamz & Wine' below, and be sure to connect with both Madz and Shaé on Instagram @madzhalflife @shaesuniverse.
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