Madi Diaz, the Pennsylvania-raised singer/songwriter, has dropped her most recent album entitled History Of A Feeling (August 27). The 11-track record boasts poignant lyrics which lent themselves to the creation of folk-leaning ballads. “History Of A Feeling is like an exploration of the things that stick with you,” Diaz tells American Songwriter. “Specifically, for this album, I was going through a pretty transformative period. [I was] moving back to Nashville and ending a pretty prominent relationship.”
History Of A Feeling reflects on this life-changing transition, and Diaz doesn’t shy away from her difficult emotions. Diaz explains that she put a magnifying glass in front of her life to examine the why of her own feelings. “[I’m] trying to figure out why I’m feeling the way that I’m feeling and trying to walk myself through it and get to the next part. Or not even get to the next part, just talk about what it feels like to be in the middle of that,” Diaz says.
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“Rage” is the first track on the album, and it follows through with Diaz’s promise of unfiltered passion. The opener introduces the listener to Diaz’s wealth of feeling while also showcasing her experience as a songwriter. Another standout track, “New Person, Old Place,” spins her honest storytelling in another direction as she contemplates a pain that has now passed. What used to hurt/ doesn’t hurt anymore, Diaz sings.
Ultimately, Diaz’s latest album is the result of the artist peeling back the layers of herself to rediscover her perspective on life. Within this process, songs emerge from every corner of heartbreak and resilience.
“‘Woman In My Heart,’ we probably wrote in like an hour. It just fell out,” Diaz explains of the rhythmic Americana anthem. “It’s so interesting, I feel like with certain songs especially like the songs that just kind of write themselves… it doesn’t even feel like they’re necessarily coming from you. It’s just like a feeling that’s there that you’re catching. I think ‘Women In My Heart’ is that. It’s like the raw nerve of the thing.”
On the other hand, “Man In Me” took several months to finalize. “‘Man In Me’ took some time because there was just a lot of detangling that I think I needed to do myself to recount what was going on, what I was going through,” Diaz explains.
Check out Madi Diaz’s History Of A Feeling below, and watch a live version of “Forever” here.