Madame Reaper

MADAME REAPER – “FALLING APART AGAIN”/”GLUING MYSELF BACK TOGETHER”
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE MUSIC PREMIERE
Madame Reaper is the art-pop project of Chicago-based songwriter and artist Kira Leadholm. Built on the fictional backstory of a murderous strip club owner, she sets herself apart with a unique blend of gothic synth pop, glam rock, and electronic indie. Madame Reaper has quickly garnered a growing following through explosive yet enigmatic deliveries both in the studio and on the stage.

Madame Reaper has received two music grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and was the first runner-up for best pop artist in the Chicago Reader’s “Best of 2024” list. They’re releasing their second album This is an album because the industry says it’s not on April 11 and will be on tour throughout this spring.

ARTIST QUOTE
“‘Falling Apart Again/Gluing Myself Back Together,’ differs from most of my songs. I think that’s because something I didn’t play serves as the song’s backbone. I originally wrote this song after hearing my partner, Kev, playing the most beautiful lick on his guitar. I convinced him to let me record it, and eventually built a song around the lick.”

“At that time, I was in a bit of an emotional rough patch — the kind where it feels impossible to see beyond whatever you’re experiencing. I wanted to reflect that feeling in ‘Falling apart again,’ and then ‘Gluing myself back together’ is the answer, evoking a sort of stale acceptance that life goes on. Originally I thought they’d be one song, but Kev suggested I split them into two. And since these songs wouldn’t exist without him, I had to oblige.” ~Kira Leadholm - Spill Magazine

You could describe Kira Leadholm, aka Madame Reaper, as part Alice Cooper, part Bette Midler, a smidge of Elvira, and a little Cher all wrapped in one.

When we spoke in December, the performer and songwriter warmed up a bit to the roster of legendary performers. “You know, I’ve never heard anyone link me to Alice Cooper,” she said, “but I’ll take it.”

Leadholm’s debut album titled Madame Reaper's Gentlemen's Club was released in mid-2023, with great standout songs like “Bang Bang,” “Oh Penny,” and “Moth into Flame,” a cover of a Metallica song. Since then, her work has garnered regular play on CHIRP Radio, plus a guest episode of CHIRP’s podcast. The Madame Reaper episode aired in Fall of 2023 and was re-aired as an encore appropriate for Halloween 2024.

The Chicago-based singer, who hails from the Twin Cities, is the lead attraction of the band Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club, which is known for its colorful live performances.

Just before the 2024 Presidential Election, she released a new single called “Utopia,”—a melodic, radio-friendly tune chock full of sarcastic lyrics that poke fun at America’s overabundance. Though Leadholm has not yet done up a full, official music video for “Utopia,” the demos and shorts she has released on her YouTube channel are still great fun.

The video’s origin story is a little different than one might think after hearing the song. “I was downtown during the DNC (Democratic National Convention), and the plan,” Leadholm said, “was to interview random people and ask if they were voting Madame Reaper for President. The thing is that that day, oddly, no one was around.”

While most out-of-town visitors and politicos were likely couped up in McCormick Place, Leadholm and her creative partners decided to spend the sunny, beautiful days downtown having fun with it. “I said, ‘What if we do a fake presidential campaign video for Madame Reaper?’ Many of our music videos are that kind of thing. We come up with an idea and just do it.”

WATCH: Madame Reaper takes Michigan Avenue (YouTube Short)

The backstory on Madame Reaper—that is, the character Leadholm plays on stage—is that she is the owner of a strip club in a sleepy midwestern town. Ms. Reaper's secret is that when out-of-towner visitors misbehave at the club, the club's employees are allowed to kill and, if they please, eat the misbehavers.

Leadholm, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in creative writing, plus a journalism Master’s degree from Northwestern, said her love of literature and drama has helped develop the concept of Madame Reaper and the music.

Are we living in Utopia?

Leadholm points out, though, that it wasn’t the election that led her to write her latest tune.

“Utopia” is really about the tension between how a lot of Americans experience reality versus what we hear from people in power. Which I think is mostly propaganda,” she says. But the song’s first ideas date back to the summer of 2023.

“It was that summer, back when we had terrible air quality,” Leadholm said, pointing to North American wildfires that led to hazy, polluted air and New York City’s famous “orange smog.” Leadholm, who says her day job in communications is adjacent to government, described that time as frustrating and demoralizing.

“I know there are a lot of good people in government who want to do good but can’t because of red tape,” she says. “Politicians are constantly talking about how America is the best country to live in. Yet, we have all these problems, and it seems like no one is doing anything.”

Leadholm adds that “the notion of American exceptionalism is baked into being American—and it's difficult to unlearn.” With that, she added some generational perspective. “Society is super fraught today, and it’s the only world I know. I am 28, and there’s never been an election in which Trump was not on the ballot."

When we discussed her dramatic stage style and playfully dark lyrics, Leadholm said Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club’s look and sound result from her musical influences: David Bowie, New Order, Kate Bush, Marina and the Diamonds, and the B-52s.

But old New York punk is also a major influence. “You don’t really hear (punk rock) come out in my music. I love the Velvet Underground and the New York Dolls. And the Ramones—they’re OK,” she jokes.

But where does the band’s fun synth-pop strain come from, if not from punk rock or Bowie?

“I don’t listen to much contemporary music, it’s mostly from the ‘80s influences. Prince, too, is a huge influence, and he deserves so much credit for his influence on synth and pop.” Leadholm concludes, “I just write what I like, and it usually works out.” - CHIRP Radio

‘Utopia (the industry)’ is such a fresh, lively, and intriguing piece of music, I think I just listened to it five times in a row. Courtesy of Chicago-based singer/songwriter and producer Kira Leadholm, who performs under the moniker Madame Reaper & the Gentlemen’s Club, the eclectic and synth-filled tune effortlessly blends diverse influences.

Moving from baroque touches to playful bubblegum pop, and featuring instruments like the oboe and double bass, it truly is as much a track as it is a bold exploration of sound and style. Think Sufjan Stevens…or Mitski.

“I was feeling frustrated with the political precedent of business as usual and the narrative of American exceptionalism,” says Kira when asked about the meaning behind the tune. “I wanted to write a song that sonically reflected the tension between the ‘American utopia” touted by politicians and the reality experienced by the public”.

A self-described vampire synth-pop champion, Madame Reaper is currently gearing up for the release of her sophomore full-length album. And, while she’d still be considered a relative newcomer, her reach and popularity would beg to differ. We can’t wait to hear more from this supremely gifted boundary-pushing artist. - Mesmerized

Chicago indie-rock band Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club combines synth-pop with a healthy heaping of gothic theatricality. The Big Takeover is happy to premiere their newest song “Satanic Tango (Is)”, which takes on a more literal interpretation of a Madame Reaper and features a Spanish-inspired sound.

Following their first single of 2024, “Alright Tonight (This),” this second single tones down the new wave-inspired sound and slows the tempo to a steady, Flamenco sound between the guitar strums and the horns. Songwriter and vocalist Kira Leadholm said, “I wrote this song with the intention of challenging myself to write an eclectic beat with layered vocals a la Sylvan Esso.” She continued, “My guitarist, Kev Sheppard, added essential elements to the song, like the chromatic plucking you hear in the choruses. Kev also had the brilliant idea to replace the lead synth with trumpets, which adds to the eerie and timeless nature of the tune.” - The Big Takeover

Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club (‘Vampire’ Synth-Pop)
Song of the night: “Feast (an album)”
Madame Reaper & the Gentleman’s Club is a callback to all of the best parts of live pop performances: Unbridled theatrical flair, extraordinary levels of cardio and wildly dynamic vocals. Affectionately labeling itself “vampire synth-pop,” the band takes their art seriously, but not themselves.


Kira Leadholm, who plays the titular femme-fatale persona for Madame Reaper, decided not to don her signature red wig for this stop of the tour, essentially discarding the band’s calling card. This was the first of many signs, that although the band revolves around a recognizable mood board, it is far from relying on gimmicks or the sort of shock factor showcased in its music videos.

The second sign arrived shortly after.

The ear-catching synths and complex vocal layering on “Alright Tonight (This)” transported listeners on a space-age voyage with Madame Reaper. The story follows a fictional woman through her upbeat – and disturbingly real – sacrifices for fame on a not-so-distant planet. Leadholm was not afraid to enter the stage jumping, crouching and high-kicking her way through the spacey walls of sound.



“Our rig isn’t rigging,” Leadholm said after finishing the first song. Despite the risk of technical difficulties being a momentum killer, the forced intermission was taken in stride and converted into an opportunity to charm the audience with humor and wit. The band pivoted right back into their antics the second the smoke cleared.
The galloping synths of “Olympia (because)” and playful lyrics of “Feast (an album)” were a delightful storm of classically refined vocals combined with rigorous running, arm waving and similar telegraphic movements. Despite such ferocity, Leadholm made all of it look easy and avoided the pitfall of frantic desperation or uncontrolled flailing. Every action felt intentional and served to enhance the backing from Kevin Shepherd (guitar) and Joey Butler (drums).

“Did your mama never tell you to stay away from maneaters like me? (Tell me please) / And has no one ever told you to politely shut the **** up?”

– “Feast (an album)” by Madame Reaper

Although much of the set entailed jumping around, the band smartly inserted a break for their lead singer while also showcasing their softer, story-focused finesse in “Chloroform.” While she was no longer punching, kicking and running about, Leadholm was still putting her entire body (and face) into the performance. Despite having an uncharacteristically somber tone, it fit right into the setlist and cemented itself as one of the night’s highlights.

At the end of the night, Madame Reaper revealed that along with a rigorous cardio routine, she had also created the band’s merch and artwork, preferring a hands-on approach to everything from videos to marketing.

The band’s balance of campy conceptualization and narrative-driven songs would likely attract the cult followings of pop stars like Allie X, MUNA and hemlock springs. Fans of early Lady Gaga are also likely to get a kick out of the band’s homemade aesthetic and calculated absurdity.


The band’s unapologetic art-pop sound and self-crafted aesthetic are likely to make them a powerhouse within their home of Chicago’s DIY music scene. - Prospectus

Somewhere along an unsettling highway lay a strip club. There, you’ll find a woman who melds 80s pop, classical music training, and the best of glam rock. She also allows her employees to *eliminate* misbehaving male patrons of her club. This is, of course, a fictional story, but the music and message are real.

Meet Madame Reaper and the Gentlemen's Club, the brainchild of Kira Leadholm, a Chicago-based and classically trained musician with an unbounded creativity across art. As a former theater kid, performance through words, music, and visuals is in her nature. Now, Madame Reaper & The Gentleman’s Club has become one of the main ways she communicates her vivid storytelling and ear for the eccentric. One conversation with her solidifies that this is natural to her, painting stories full of wit and depth that dismantle what it means to be a woman, both in the everyday and as an entertainer.

When you hit play on Madame Reaper’s Gentlemen’s Club, you’re transported to right where Kira wants you, an unsettling highway, in a strip club, as Kate Bush and Prince take turns belting through the speakers. We sat down with Kira to talk about how the nine-track album came to be, her growth as an artist, and more.


Photography by Patricia Aquino

Who is Madame and Reaper, and when was the project born?
When I started the project, I knew I wanted to differentiate my stage persona from my personal life just because I'm a pretty private person and I don't like putting my name out there. So, with that, I developed this character. Madame Reaper is a strip club owner—I envision her existing at some point in the latter half of the 20th century—a nebulous time in the past. Her club is in the middle of nowhere, and she lets her employees murder customers who are acting out.

I got that idea and started writing the music that eventually comprised the record in the summer of 2021. Obviously, there have been many, many iterations since then. But I didn't start playing with my band until last January; we debuted at Tomorrow Never Knows last year, so we've been playing for almost a year live. I've been working on the music for a little over two years.



And was this your first go at music? How long has it been part of your life?
No, I've been doing music like my whole life. When I was a kid, I would just compose little songs in GarageBand. I went through a phase where I was really obsessed with covering popular songs using the chipmunk voice. I would pitch my voice up—and this had nothing to do with Alvin and the Chipmunks; it pre-dated that. I also took voice lessons as a kid, and when I was in high school, I started taking more classical and opera voice lessons. So I'm classically trained in singing, and I was definitely a musical theater kid. Then, once I actually had an adult job to fund my music, it made it a lot more possible to pursue it more seriously because before, everything was too expensive. It was more of a hobby.



When you started writing the music back in 2021, did you know that it would turn into an album? The whole project, to me, is truly one cohesive story. Did you know that that's what it was going to be when you were writing it, or did that kind of come after you wrote a few songs?
I think so. “Bang Bang” was one of the first songs that I wrote off the album, and I think that really set the mood for how I approached writing the rest of it and how the story unfolded. So, I guess the answer is yes and no. Yes, in the sense of 'I have this aesthetic and this story in my mind.' But each song also unfolds as it does. I feel like sometimes I don't have control over how my songs actually come out, and each one is definitely its own story.


My favorite part is the lyrics. I love a good veiled lyric. Considering how unique your music is, do you feel like you've found a niche?
I think I'm definitely finding a niche. I know that the music I make is on the weirder end, but I don't think I'm entirely capable of writing music that would be considered mainstream. I probably wouldn't really enjoy it either. Some of my lyrics are more veiled, but some of them are really blunt about my political and societal views. And if people aren't on board with that, then I don't need them listening to my music, you know? So, yeah, I definitely don't feel the need to compromise who I am for potential listeners because then there are people like you who are down with it, which is the point of everything I do.



What inspirations would you cite for the album?
MR: Inspiration-wise, I’m all over the map. Obviously, there's a really heavy eighties influence. I was listening to a lot of New Order, I was listening to a lot of Prince, and both of those artists inspired a lot of the drum sounds that I use. There's a French band called La Femme that I really love, and I definitely was heavily influenced by them on some of those spookier songs because they're really good at creating a mood with their music and building these really interesting synth landscapes. I really like the way early Marina and The Diamonds does vocal delivery, so I took some influence from that. And then other random artists that pop in here and there throughout the album are the B-52's, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and LCD Soundsystem.


I'm interested to hear about the strip club where customers can die. How did this idea come about?
It was definitely a thing where it was just like, boom, it was there. I was probably driving or I was at the gym or something, and the idea of the whole backstory came to me out of nowhere. I was like, Oh my God, I have to go home and write this. I did creative writing in undergrad, specifically fiction, and a lot of my writing had very strong feminist undertones. Just because I'm a woman, that's something that I'm interested in, something that I experience. So I think when I was coming up with a character, it was important for me that it reflected my experience. A lot of the songs on the record are about gender dynamics in society, in the music industry, and in romantic relationships. I think it was a little bit subconscious, but then when I had the idea for Madame Reaper, I was like, 'Yes, this is it. This is what I've been looking for.'


And those are always the best ones, like the ones that just, like, pop into your brain, like it was like, meant to find you. How does it feel to keep it alive now and perform it live?
Yeah, it's interesting you ask that because the day that the album came out, I was actually really sad. I’d been working so hard on it for so long, and I just got in my head about ‘Oh, is anyone going to listen to this? Is anyone going to care?’ But once I got over that, it was really exciting because before the album, I didn't have a ton to show for my project. It's exciting to have something on my Spotify page to show people when I'm like, Hey, I make music. And live, we definitely are ready to start learning new music that I've been working on because we've been playing these songs for almost a year. But even with the same tunes, our live shows are always different. We used to play with a keyboard player, and now we don't. Sometimes I have my drummer there, sometimes I don't, and sometimes I have my bass player there, sometimes I don't. We're always figuring out different iterations of the band, and I think in that, we're able to keep things fresh. But I think more than anything, I'm honestly just really excited about what I'm working on next. It’s funny because I should be really excited about this album that I just released, but I'm always thinking about the next thing. I'm more into the new iteration of music, but that's not to say that I don't love the album and that I'm not excited about it.



Well, that's a good mindset to be in because I think sometimes, like, people can tend to get stuck on one thing, you know? Do you feel yourself creating another full body of work, or are you looking to explore just singles?
That's something I'm struggling with because I love the album as an art form. My car only plays CDs because it's really old, so I always listen to albums in my car, and I think that there's something really special about listening to an album from start to finish. Each song is a story and a creative work, but put together, it's like going to an exhibition. It's curated, and it tells a bigger story. That's the long way of saying that I really like albums, and I really like writing albums. But we live in an age when releasing singles is what you're supposed to do. So, I'm not quite sure yet how I'm going to navigate that. Maybe it'll take the form of an EP, or maybe I'll release some singles and an album, because my instinct is that I want to keep releasing albums, but I also don't want to dig myself into a hole because of streaming.


It's a shame because albums are such transformational experiences, and I wish everybody had older cars where they could only listen to albums because I think that would solve a lot of problems. We have a genetic curiosity. Do you have any favorite albums now or go-to albums in the car to listen to?
I have 1999 (Prince) on CD, and I love that album front-to-back. LCD Soundsystem’s American Dream is beautiful front-to-back. I am a very big fan of The Strokes, which is maybe surprising, and I love Is This It?, their first album. I always listen to that one in the car. Carole King's Tapestry is another one that I just love. There are some albums that I really just listen to a couple songs and skip the rest, but the ones I mentioned are some that I love every single song, you know?


Absolutely. So, in terms of the creative process, how does that look for you?
I generally start alone with a small idea of a melody or a chord progression. And then I build the song out in my DAW using midi. I should preface this by saying I am not a very good guitar player, so I don't write any guitar parts into my songs at first. Once I have an idea of what I want it to sound like, I then will usually go to my bass player and my guitar player and be like, Hey, this is what I think it could be, but let me know if you have something better. My guitar player, Kev, is also my partner and we live together, which makes it really easy. He usually writes the guitar parts. But also, when we were tracking the album, there were a lot of little improvised things. There's this keys run at the end of Forest Fire that my old keys player came up with on the spot, and it was just so perfect. I make the skeleton of the song, but my bandmates… they're all so talented, and they come with their own ideas and their own unique expertise. So it's a little bit of both.


If listeners could leave feeling or thinking one thing, what would you want them to leave with?
When I write music, I definitely have a meaning or a story in my mind, but like I said earlier, it’s often veiled or not super obvious. I do that because I want people to take away what they take away from the songs. I don't think there's any one message I necessarily want people to take away. This is maybe more surface level, but I just want people to be excited about this new artist they listened to. Or if the lyricism spurs any sort of critical thinking, that's really cool, and that's what I'm aiming for. But there's not a single message. I definitely don't want someone listening to it and leaving and being like, 'Yeah, men's power!'


I like that being your one guardrail. Is there anything specific in the next few weeks or months that people should keep an eye out for?
Our record release show was rescheduled for November 16th at GMan, so that'll be the most important thing coming up. And then besides that, like, we're doing a few video sessions and maybe a music video. People can just follow me on Instagram, and they'll find out about all the important things! - These Days