![[INTERVIEW] Brittany Cairns ‘I have no idea what is ahead of us’](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ae27bee365f02e732d57bdc/1537704307045-6KVI4L0NW36J77CTO53J/Brittany-Cairns.jpg)
n the 3 years since Brittany Cairns graced the stage of The Voice, the singer has achieved a #1 single, released two EP’s, toured internationally, and acted as the brand ambassador for fashion labels Paint It Red and Pink Stitch. So is there anything left for the 21 year-old to achieve? Well yes, there is. Because now, she is taking on a whole new challenge and has joined the band MADDISON.
“MADDISON is a newly formed mixed group who are ready to take on the world. We all have our different strengths and have come together to incorporate all areas of entertainment on one stage,” shares the Sydney local. “The group was formed at an artist development school, JMA. We were all at the studio doing our own thing and were put together as fun to see if it worked. From then we only grew stronger and decided to give it a go being a group.”
Named MADDISON because all five members have dreams of performing at Maddison Square Garden, Cairns and her band mates took the bold step of auditioning for the upcoming series of Australia’s X Factor, making her one of the few artists daring enough to test out the waters of such a competition for the second time. “Auditioning for X Factor was wild, being our first ever performance together we can only go upwards & onwards from here! Our aim, if we progress through the competition, is to make every performance a complete show for whoever is watching. Exciting times!”
Joining the band hasn’t changed Brittany’s desire to pursue her own solo music though. “Solo will always be my core. I’ve worked for quite a while developing my solo career and I don’t intend on chucking my work in the bin. But when I’m older I want to look back at the opportunities I jumped at, the risks I took and the memories/experiences I made.”
With this new risk comes the learning curve of working with the ideas and talents of fellow MADDISON members Nadine Roberts, Dean Waetford, Aleksija Mirkovic and Jordi Webber. “It’s completely new for me to be in a group but it excites me to be at a place where I have so much to learn. It’s one thing to realize the talent within you, but it’s another to acknowledge the talent around you and work together.”
Following on from her quick rise to fame, which stemmed from a cover of Jes Hudak’s “Different Worlds” topping the iTunes charts during her stint on The Voice, Cairns is learning to navigate the transition between the competitive world of the music industry and her normal life. “It’s very difficult going hard out at your music career only to have normal work life and structure catch up to you. But it’s a juggling act and you learn to balance it when different seasons come,” she says. Ideally, the singer hopes both worlds merge into one. “For me I hope that one day my career in music becomes my normal life.”
Cairns’ drive as she pushes forward in her career has made her stand out in the international music scene, and whether she is performing the Dylan Aiden remix of “How Can I” or rehearsing with her band, she embraces the change of each season and uses it to boost her creativity. “My inspiration for one gig might be completely different for another. It keeps it fresh and new,” she says. “My desire to heal and move on was what drove me to write Tales of the Desert, whereas my desire for new exciting memories and bigger platforms with a community was what drove me towards MADDISON.”
Her second EP Tales of the Desert was released independently in 2014, and contains some of the singer’s most personal work to date. “Tales of the Desert for me was a complete soul expression. It was written about a difficult time of my life where I felt writing a song about each specific area was the only way I could heal and move on. I would always say when I handed a cd out, “be careful with this, my soul is in there”.”
Containing songs that address heart break, struggles in her personal faith and a desire to find true love, the encouragement her music is to fans makes it all worth it. “The recording process with Jeremy Fowler (New Empire) and the outcome of it all was the biggest blessing I have ever experienced. Still to this day when anyone mentions that a song on that EP spoke to them, I tear up.”
In fact, Cairns consider these personal interactions with fans one of the highlights of her career so far. “Travelling with Qantas holidays as part of their conference to Vietnam, LA and Las Vegas was the most incredible few months of my life and I still can’t believe I got the opportunity to do that. My personal highlights though are always meeting people who surprise me and tell me stories of how their lives and my music crossed paths. I’m always taken back when someone wants a photo with me or out of the blue recognizes me. It is the most humbling moment ever.”
Despite the short time that has passed since she appeared on The Voice, Brittany’s development as an artist has been exponential. “I feel like I have aged ten years since the voice even though it was only three years ago! My artistry is now more polished and I feel I know my style and my abilities. I’m confident in what I can do and what I can improve on.”
Looking back though, she still treasures her time on the TV show. “The Voice for me was so much more than a TV show, it was literally my starting block, the beginning of a crazy adventure that I never dreamt I’d be a part of.” And just as she has grown and changed since she performed Sarah Bareilles’ “Gravity,” causing all four judges to turn their chairs, she anticipates this will continue in the future. “I think overtime as life happens and experiences are had, my voice and music style will adjust accordingly. It’s like adding stickers to a guitar case or badges to a sash, the character of my music will be built and added to.”
While the future is still unknown for Brittany Cairns, it is undeniable that good things are ahead. And just as she has changed people’s lives through her solo work, she will do the same as she enters this new chapter as a member of what could be Australia’s next ‘it’ band. “The exciting thing for me and this new adventure that is MADDISON, is that I have no idea what is ahead of us. All I know is that we will be working hard, hopefully making an overseas trip and seeing where it goes from there.”