Madame So is back with a stunning new single, ‘A Good Woman’, a solemn acoustic ballad on the ‘obligations and tribulations of womanhood’.

We caught up with Solange for a quick interview on the release …

Great to hear new music from you! How have you found writing and recording during *gestures generally* this weird past year? 

Thanks! Writing has been fine: with all this time on our hands, I did come up with a few ideas that will develop and unfold in the months to come. Recording-wise, I haven’t done much of it really yet, but I have started getting a small set up for demoing from home.

Tell us about the new single – what’s the story behind it?

‘A Good Woman’ actually started as a bedroom demo, I co-wrote it with my friend and drummer, Mariusz, way before lockdown 1.0. ‘A Good Woman’ is really a story of self-acceptance as a woman and all expectations, obligations and tribulations it encompasses; it’s about persevering through the hardships of womanhood. In the middle eight, it’s also about acknowledging one’s mortality hence the urge to keep on keeping on and make the most of life as a woman despite all its hurdles. It’s also addressed to my late mother, who was the ultimate good woman (but I guess I am biased! – she was, really. Too “good” for that matter).

A nice timely release for International Women’s Day of course! What does IWD mean to you? 
I see IWD as a celebratory reminder that we, women, do rule the world literally; we bring humans of every gender on this planet for a start, and are an intrinsic part of it whether the patriarchy likes it or not. And it is important to remind ourselves globally of that, and the festivities around it are also the opportunity to broaden one’s horizons and perceptions and be aware of womanhood as it is experienced differently around the world and a platform like the Women of the World (WOW) festivals is great for that.

Do you feel it’s still an important day to mark?
Well, yes. Given what it was put in place for i.e. 
“To celebrate women’s achievements
To raise awareness about women’s equality
To lobby for accelerated gender parity
To fundraise for female-focused charities”
, as per IWD’s mission statement, the mission is far from accomplished, isn’t it? And I know every day should be Valentine’s Day, every month should be Black History Month, every day should be Pride Day etc, and every day should be International Women’s Day, but the global conjuncture clearly shows otherwise telling by the belittling, violence and underestimation women are still being subjected to.

What’s next for Madame So? Any concert plans as we start to come out of lockdown in the UK?

I’ll be recording more music, and indeed definitely plan on hitting back the stage at some point. Since, I have put some new music in the recent months, I’ll be looking to perform it live and to take a new approach to my live set up.  

Lastly, as it’s IWD, what’s the best piece of advice another woman has ever given you? 

Focus on yourself: healthy mind, healthy life, healthy people around, and if you can’t be great, at least be good.