BOISE, Idaho — It’s been a busy few years for Boise-native Maddie Zahm. The 24-year-old musician grew up in the Treasure Valley and is chasing her dreams in L.A. and gaining a massive social media following and millions of views on her newly-released music videos.
“I still can’t believe that any of this is real," Zahm said. "I feel like I'm dreaming most of the time."
Idaho News 6 first introduced you to Maddie in 2018 as she hosted at-home music lessons for teens with disabilities.
It was her appearance on ABC's American Idolthat first brought us together but since then, the singer/songwriter set sails for L.A., lost more than 100 lbs, and came out as queer, writing about her revelations along the way.
"I love the idea that this project now is helping my family walk through it and my hometown walk through it," Zahm said. "The changes of discovering I'm queer and discovering things that I didn't know I was allowed to be. It's very cathartic."
Zahm's hit song "You Might Not Like Her" is a message to her younger self, detailing her road of self-discovery.
"I want this EP to be a reminder that we are humans," Zahm said. "This is the human experience and as messy as it is, we should talk about these kinds of things."
Her lyrics are leaving a lasting impact on countless fans following her journey on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Like many Boiseans, Maddie's roots in the City of Trees run deep. She returns regularly and even shot the music video for "You Might Not Like Her" in her hometown.
"I couldn't have imagined it having been shot anywhere else," Zahm said. "Because this EP is so honest, that to shoot it anywhere other than the places that it happened would have been a disservice."
And although so much has changed since we first heard her sing, she's still the same in so many ways.
"I don't doubt that at some point I'm going to go back and do special education teaching," Zahm said. "I don't doubt that is going to be a part of my journey."
Zahm also hopes to do a show in Boise, but for now, she has performances planned for L.A., New York City, and London.
Her EP comes out on August 12. You can keep an eye on her latest music and social media accounts here.
