Maddy Carty is a multifaceted singer-songwriter. Depending on your introduction to her music you might initially think of her as a folk singer, a ska, reggae or pop artist, or an R&B vocalist. Truth is, she’s all of the above, while also being a committed political artist who regularly plays protest songs like her classic “Condemn Age” (from debut album ‘Come and Get It’) at benefits, political events and picket lines. The latter might surprise some who know her primarily for the reggae-inflected pop songs that predominate on her aforementioned album, but there’s no right or wrong way to mix politics and art. In fact, you can make a good case (with many historical examples) for the superior subversive potential of political messages in a mainstream pop context, compared to, say, the archetypal punk gig where everyone is already broadly in agreement.  Continue reading LW Politics & Music – Part 5: Maddy Carty