Biography

Barry Andrew Madison (AKA Thunderhead) is a 40 year old musician from here and there. He is a force to be reckoned with. Drawing on influences such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground, and Beck, Barry takes these inspirations and blends and weaves these fabrics through his own unique and wonderful music. Barry lives his life by his own rules and that is also the way he approaches his music. He is a free spirit and says, “I feel more comfortable living in a tour bus than a million dollar mansion.”

Barry is a troubadour in the truest sense of the word. He spent 20 years on the road living in places such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, and the desert where he played guitar as a street performer to make a living. Barry also was homeless for a time. He recalls all of his life experiences fondly and uses them as the foundation for his songwriting and musical style. “All of those moments in life shaped me and I couldn’t make the music I do without my experiences, both good and bad”, says Madison.

Thunderhead is a one man show. He writes all of his own material, sings every note, plays every instrument, and does all of his own recording and editing. He uses a $25 Roland to record and edit all of his tracks in his basement studio. When asked about the prospect of recording in a modern studio Barry said, “I don’t know how it would affect my sound. The fact that I don’t have a lot of technological gadgets to rely on keeps me and my music honest. The rawness on the tracks is also part of my music and a big part of who I am as a musician.”

Most people are familiar with the term “the perfect storm” where meteorological events come together in a once in a lifetime way to create something that is powerful, dangerous, and awe inspiring. Similar to the Northern Lights, the Milky Way, and the solar system, they must be seen and experienced in one’s lifetime. Thunderhead is the perfect storm. His inspirations, influences, and life events have come together to create something that is formidable, a little bit dangerous, and one of a kind. Thunderhead is a once in a lifetime phenomenon and must be experienced to affirm that he is real and not just a figment of our imaginations.