PBG 3 Question Interview with Kat Madleine “Taormina" Single

Produced by a Girl™
Jul 13
3 min read

Updated: Jul 14

Kat Madleine’s new single, “Taormina,” is an acoustic pop-rock ballad that swaps the high energy of her earlier songs for a warm, nostalgic feel inspired by '90s radio. She wrote it as a love letter to the beautiful Sicilian town of Taormina. The song features soaring vocals, real instruments, and vivid storytelling, exploring themes like inner peace, wanderlust, and starting fresh. With her “Vocal Kinship” vision, Madleine brings together the romance of classic pop-rock and a genuine, modern style. With its cinematic feel and universal message, “Taormina” shows how Kat Madleine’s heartfelt songwriting connects with listeners everywhere.

1. “Taormina” feels like a sunlit love letter to Italy, filled with ancient stones, silver light, jasmine, Mt. Etna, and that deep sense of peace you describe. What was it about Taormina that moved you so deeply and made you want to turn that place into song?

When I first visited this beautiful town and stepped into the ancient amphitheater, I was completely speechless. Having studied musicology, music history has always been a massive part of my life. I’ve always been fascinated by historic venues, but actually standing there myself: seeing a place where music history becomes tangible, was truly unique. I felt an instant, deep connection to the past.

Beyond the history, Taormina overwhelms the senses. The warmth of the sun, the smell of jasmine and countless flowers, the ocean breeze, and the incredible Italian food, the whole place feels like a living dream. It completely makes sense to me why people in Paris back in the late 19th century thought Otto Geleng’s paintings couldn't possibly show a real place when they were first exhibited. Taormina has a magic that you just have to capture in music.

2. This single shows a softer, more acoustic side of your artistry after a series of driving rock tracks, leaning into a warm 90s pop-rock ballad feeling. How did it feel to step into this more elegant, open, and nostalgic sound world?

Pop-rock and music in general have always been the heartbeat of my life. When I look back at the great rock legends, so many of them created these incredibly beautiful, soft, pop-inspired ballads alongside their heavier tracks. To me, it proves that there are no real borders in music—just like there shouldn't be borders between people. At the core, we are all connected, we are all one.

Stepping into this softer, more acoustic sound world felt incredibly natural and intimate. It wasn’t a forced stylistic shift; it was simply something deeply personal that I needed to 'say' and express at that exact moment. It allowed me to strip away the heavy production and let the pure emotion of the story breathe.

3. You’ve described “Taormina” as part of your Vocal Kinship project, blending soaring vocals, organic instrumentation, and emotional storytelling. When you are building a song like this, how do you balance vocal power with intimacy so the listener feels both the grandeur and the tenderness of the moment?

For me, the process always starts with a pure emotion. I let the music flow through that feeling, and once the initial framework is created, I just sit back and listen. In that moments of listening, the words come naturally because they are deeply connected to the emotion I felt at the very beginning. Because I studied music and the voice for so many years, the technical side of it has simply become my second nature. I don't have to overthink it anymore.

This is exactly what 'Vocal Kinship' means to me: an unbreakable bond between the melody, the lyrics, and my voice. When I sing what I deeply feel or long for, it becomes reality. I don't consciously balance the power or the softness; I just let the emotion guide the dynamics, and the voice finds its own way.