Madison Rising is more than just your average rock group. They’re rockers who embraces conservative values and integrity. With songs that promote freedom and patriotism, Madison Rising is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise liberal world of pop culture. Lead singer Dave Bray took time out to tell me more about the group’s vision and also about the response the band has received so far.
What do you hope Madison Rising will accomplish within the political landscape and also in pop culture?
It seems that politics and pop culture are starting to overlap more and more these days. Unfortunately, at the point where these two meet, lies a lot of misinformation and anti-American sentiment … a big part of what we’re doing is to leverage popular culture to improve the conservative image and get the right messages out there to a much broader base of Americans.
Inevitably, we know we’re not the next Nirvana or Lady Gaga, but our goal is to make positive, pro American music that people can not only enjoy with their whole family, but can also blast out the window of their car, or put on their iPods and work out to at the gym.
What kind of response have you received from conservatives?
The conservative response has been interesting to say the least. Overall we’ve been very well received by everyone who “gets it”… Once we get through the occasional roadblock, the fans – young and old – absolutely love us. The fan mail we get is incredible. The Facebook postings are beyond amazing. People hear us once, and we’re suddenly their favorite band.
What about the youth?
Let’s face it, the biggest problem conservatives face in the upcoming election is appealing to younger people. The powers that are needed to recognize the fact that the swing vote in elections is the younger demographic and the only way to get that vote is through influencing popular culture. If conservatives can’t get that swing vote, everything else they do and say – and I mean everything – is a complete waste of time. Because of the way Madison Rising appeals to that demographic, I’m hopeful we can make a huge difference.
What kind of reactions have you gotten from your liberal music peers?
They like to put the obvious labels on us, but in the end Madison Rising has contributed more with our music to the betterment of society in a few short months than the vast majority of those musicians will throughout their entire careers. We’re grateful for all the things we have in this country and we’re damn proud of all that we’ve accomplished as a nation. We know that that’s the complete opposite of most people in the music industry, and the entertainment industry in general, but that’s who we are.
Has Madison Rising gotten the media attention that you hoped for?
We’ve gotten a hundred times as much attention as most bands have at such an early stage, and we’re incredibly appreciative of all of those who promote and support us. But we still haven’t gotten enough exposure to make a real difference in society. I think a large portion of the media is still skeptical.
Note: Madison Rising was a hit at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) earlier this year and was recently featured of Fox News’ “Huckabee.”
The group also has a Web site and Facebook page, plus a Twitter account.
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