Madi Diaz – Ambivalence
Madi Diaz releases “Ambivalence,” the second single from her new album, Fatal Optimist, out October 10th via ANTI-.
On “Ambivalence,” Diaz makes a meal out of a shitty feeling and turns that four-syllable word into a quietly anthemic chorus about not being sure if crumbs are enough. On the song’s chorus she sings: “I can always count on you for one thing // You to dance my night away // You to dance my night away // You to dance my night away, ambivalence.” It follows “Feel Something.”
Following 2021’s breakthrough History of a Feeling and 2024’s two-time Grammy nominated Weird Faith, Diaz is now asking audiences to lean in close. Fatal Optimist is her album most likely to haunt you with its starkness. In Diaz’s words, “Fatal Optimism is the innate hope for something magical. It’s the weird faith that kicks in while knowing that there is just plain risk that comes with wanting someone or something. It’s when you have no control over the outcome, but still choose to experience every moment that happens, and put your whole heart in it.”
After ending a relationship with someone she once envisioned marrying, Diaz turned away from everyone and everything she knew and took herself to an island. Her time alone emerged as a powerful, insightful period of introspection. Rage, embarrassment and romantic grief shifted into inner wholeness and the pieces of Fatal Optimist started falling into place.
Recorded with co-producer Gabe Wax (Soccer Mommy, Zach Bryan) at his Infinite Family Studio, the album needed to mirror that isolation. “This was the first time in my career that I stayed in this heavy place with the songs after leaving the studio rather than trying to escape it,” she says. While you’ll find subtle accompaniment from an occasional baritone guitar or bass, Fatal Optimist comes down to Diaz alone in a room with her acoustic guitar. Simplicity can be much more difficult to nail than camouflaging a song with layers of production. It is exactly what these songs needed.
Diaz supports Caamp at Radio City Music Hall in September before embarking on an extensive North American tour.
Madi Diaz Tour Dates:
Fri. Sept. 12 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall *
Fri. Sept. 26 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater (The September Shows)
Sat. Sept. 27 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre (The September Shows)
Sat. Oct. 11 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East @
Mon. Oct. 13 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern Cafe & Music Hall #
Tue. Oct. 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry at The Fillmore Philadelphia #
Thu. Oct. 16 – Washington, D.C. @ Union Stage #
Fri. Oct. 17 – Lancaster, PA @ West Art #
Sat. Oct. 18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
Mon. Oct. 20 – Somerville, MA @ Arts at the Armory #
Tue. Oct. 21 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall #
Thu. Oct. 23 – Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark #
Sat. Oct. 25 – Evanston, IL @ SPACE #
Sun. Oct. 26 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre #
Mon. Oct. 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry #
Thu. Nov. 13 – Seattle, WA @ Fremont Abbey Arts Center ^
Fri. Nov. 14 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios ^
Sat. Nov. 15 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret ^
Tue. Nov. 18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent ^
Thu. Nov. 20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Highland Park Ebell ^ +
Fri. Nov. 21 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy + Harriet’s ^
* supporting Caamp
@ with Benjamin Francis Leftwich
# with Clover County
^ with Morgan Nagler
+ with Olivia Kaplan
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