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XPN Welcomes James Maddock

Presented by WXPN at Tin Angel

February 5, 2010

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From James Maddock's Myspace:

When Columbia Records released Songs from Stamford Hill in 2000 it looked like James Maddock was destined for stardom. All the benchmarks of burgeoning success were there; a top 5 Triple A radio song, prominent placements in TV/Film, inclusion on the first Dawson’s Creek compilation, and extensive touring with the likes of Paula Cole and Train. Although James created a small base of rabid fans, he didn’t achieve the wide recognition he deserved. One of the burning questions in the music business over the last few years has been, “Whatever happened to James Maddock and Wood and why didn’t he ever make another record”?

The story of James Maddock over the last 10 years has been one of pain and persistence. The brass ring was within his grasp. He relocated to the U.S., got married, and made another record for Columbia. And then it all fell apart. His personal and professional life unraveled at a rapid pace. He found himself in a new country, divorced, and to add to the insult, Columbia decided to not release the follow-up to Songs from Stamford Hill. James was unceremoniously dropped from the label. A lesser man would have been broken by the experience, but James rallied on amid the ruins.

What James now has to show for the detour from major label to the present, is an extraordinary set of songs embodied in his new album Sunrise on Avenue C. In the age of the track, James has made a real album with a beginning and an end. Vin Scelsa of WFUV and Sirius/XM puts it this way; “I fell head over heels in love with James Maddock's music around the turn of the century when his band Wood released Songs From Stamford Hill. My heart broke when James seemed to disappear completely from the music scene without a follow-up. From time to time I would search for him on the Internet, to no avail, and play the songs from Wood's only album with a bittersweet ache that matched the mood of the music. Imagine then how thrilled I was to discover at the end of the decade James was living and working right under my nose in New York City, far below the radar, honing his skills, biding his time. Then understand how exhilarated and thoroughly gladdened I became upon hearing his new songs, heartbreakingly beautiful, exquisitely crafted, which pick right up where Stamford Hill left off. James Maddock's talent has a timeless quality he shares with the great songwriters. His music touches the soul. How happy I am to have him back on the radar screen ... the world at large needs artists like this.”

The burning question has been answered and it’s called Sunrise on Avenue C now available on Ascend Records.

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