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Madeline Edwards Flips The Script at C2C Festival 2023

By Jof Owen

March 12, 2023 11:35 am GMT

Last Edited June 9, 2023 4:35 pm GMT

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes and that Saturday afternoon on the BBC Radio 2 Stage at C2C Festival always has the best line-up of the whole weekend.

Last year, it was Robyn Ottolini who was mischievously mashing up genres on this same spot. This year, it was Madeline Edwards’ turn to flip country music on its head with her gobsmacking blend of jazz, soul, gospel and Americana.

The California-born, Texas-raised artist gave the audience a taste of the songs from her latest album, Crashlanded, including a belted version of the title track and set closer ‘The Wolves’, while she shared her own homespun wisdom with the crowd on the wonderful ‘Mama, Dolly, Jesus’ and a poignant ‘Hold My Horses’.

Cover versions of ‘Valerie’ are like buses at C2C Festival. You wait for ages for one to arrive and then two come along at once.

On the way over to see Madeline Edwards’ set, Tyler Booth had been blasting out a spirited version of the Amy Winehouse classic and then not twenty minutes later, Edwards was wrapping her powerful voice around the very same song.

Winehouse feels like a fitting touchstone for Edwards, both of them having the ability to take something timeless and classic and mould it into something completely fresh and unique.

Edwards still had one more curveball left in her back pocket though, pitching a version of Childish Gamibino’s ‘Redbone’ and reimagining it as a sultry slice of bluesy Americana.

Madeline Edwards isn't sticking to anyone's script and it's getting more and more exciting by the minute.