Cleveland Native Madeline Finn Revisits Roots on New Single, 'Ohio'

Singer-songwriter Madeline Finn. - Courtesy of Madeline Finn
Courtesy of Madeline Finn
Singer-songwriter Madeline Finn.
Despite the pandemic, singer-songwriter Madeline Finn, a Northeast Ohio native who now lives in Nashville, has continued to write and record new material.

She revisits her Northeast Ohio roots and shows off her evocative voice on her new single, "Ohio," a tune produced by Ben Cramer (Old Sea Brigade) and Owen Lewis (Phillip Phillips, Lady Gaga).

"The song pairs space-filled arrangements with cascading guitar lines, the occasional orchestral effect, and percussion that twinkles like a clear, starry night," reads a press release about the tune, which just came out today. "However, as 'Ohio' progresses, the song builds in volume and intensity — [Finn's] voice grows stronger and boasts more conviction, in tandem with robust guitar strums — before subsiding gently into a wistful end."

Finn wrote the song about relocating to Nashville.

"Moving away from home for the first time is an experience in itself, but moving away from home shortly before a global pandemic is another monster entirely," she says. "Before I moved to Nashville, I had convinced myself that everything would be better once I got out of town, I’d be able to leave behind all the toxic behaviors and views I carried with me while I built my life in Cleveland. Writing 'Ohio' led me to admit to myself that there was more work to be done than simply a change of scenery."

Finn says she has fond memories of playing Northeast Ohio clubs, and we bet she'll route her tours through town as soon as it's safe to hit the road again.

"While I am grateful for my new home and meeting my partner here, I still miss the comfort of my hometown bar and the people who so often brought warmth to snowy nights," she says. "I hope this song can bring you some of that warmth, wherever you are."

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Jeff Niesel

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 20 years now. And on a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town, too. If you're in a band that he needs to hear, email him at [email protected].
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