Madeleine Froncek is multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas. She started songwriting after the death of her mother and writes as a meditation on grief, self-discovery and transformation. Froncek started her musical career as an upright bass player influenced by the legacy of Ray Brown. She is a founding member of Austin band’s Ley Line and Steel Betty and has toured both nationally and internationally since 2016. Froncek has played alongside artists such as Billy Strings, Elephant Revival and DirtWire and has played at festivals such as Austin City Limits, SXSW, and alongside Bonnie Paine at the Telluride Bluegrass Festivals. She is a twin, a lover of nature and a storyteller.
FUll
Length
album
coming
soon
Froncek’s debut album, “as it is,” will be released in October of 2024. The first single, “just fine,” debuts April 12th alongside a show at Radio East in Austin, Texas on April 11th. The album is a passage through time, stories surrounding the death of Madeleine’s mother and the transformation through that grief. The singles will be coupled with chapters of a zine that take readers on a journey through her psyche and vignettes that shed light on the individual songs. This writing is a precursor to a novel that encapsulates the broader story that inspired the album.
Madeleine’s work as a bluegrass and world musician combines here with her passion for storytelling, indie rock and Texas country. This full length album features Austin legends such as fiddle player Noah Jeffries (Robert Earl Keen, The Deer, Milk Drive), drummer Sam Jordan (Alexalone, Ama, Eyelid Kid), pedal steel player Sam Kossler (Molly Burch, Pat Green), Daniel Fears and keyboardist Micah Motenko (Wild Child, Sir Woman). The album was recorded in the home studio of Spencer Garland (PR Newman) and at Las Barrancas in Boerne, Texas from 2021-2023. It was mixed by Claudio Ramirez and the album art was created by Norma Ventura.