It’s not hard to see the impact that PACKS, the project led by Madeline Link, has left on the music world in recent years. With two LPs under their belt and a third, Melt The Honey, releasing mid-January 2024, PACKS is creating an unforgettable soundscape for fans to live in and for other artists to only dream they could match. 

“Paige Machine” is the third and final single before the album’s official release, following “Honey” and “HFCS”. This track is the most laidback of the album’s sneak peek and provides a unique contrast to the more indie-pop sound of “Honey” and the upbeat, drum-led “HFCS”. Each track, meticulously chosen to represent the multi-faceted LP, works together effortlessly to show us what PACKS is all about. Per Fire Talk Records’ website, “Melt the Honey, is an outward-facing testament to the wonderfully strange details of daily life, vividly rendered by a songwriter who knows they’re worthy of reverence.”

We couldn’t agree more. “Paige Machine” itself is an ode to finding beauty in the mundane. While many artists tend to live seemingly unattainable lives, PACKS provides a look into the life of an ordinary person. In Link’s case, they just happen to be an incredibly talented singer/songwriter. … Nonetheless, still living a life that many of us can imagine. 

Fresh off opening for Slow Pulp and gearing up for the release of Melt The Honey, Thirteen Magazine was able to chat with Link about all things PACKS, music, and new year’s resolutions. Read more below!

THIRTEEN: Hello Madeline! Tell us a little bit more about your project PACKS.

PACKS: It’s a collective effort between me and my bandmates, Shane Hooper, Dexter Nash, and Noah O’Neil. I write the songs on the acoustic guitar, and then I bring them to my bandmates wherein they then write their own parts and then we go record all the songs somewhere exciting, relaxing and fun!

THIRTEEN: Your latest release, “Paige Machine”, is the third track we’ve heard from your upcoming LP, Melt The Honey. What is the story behind this single? Why did you choose this to be the third and last look into your next record before its full release? 

PACKS: I wrote Paige Machine about a story Kurt Vonnegut told in one chapter of his 1981 memoir, Palm Sunday. I knew he wasn’t just telling the story for fun, but as some sort of message. The message I got from it was that out of boredom, anxiety, or lack of confidence, many perfectionists will tinker with their creation until it is ruined, or until the beauty is gone. Not the physical beauty, but the initial spark that gave way to the creation. The label chose this song to be the third release of the single rollout! So you’ll have to ask them why.

THIRTEEN: How does it feel to be starting off 2024 with a brand new LP? What exciting things are in store for the official release?

PACKS: I feel glad that our label, Fire Talk, was so excited to do an immediate release of the record. The  timeline of the second LP was so long-winded it became a dream of mine to release music as soon as it was recorded. We have been toiling away, making music for years. With the release of the melt the honey, music listeners will have 11 new songs to listen to, and a physical record or CD if they have the means to listen that way!

THIRTEEN: How do you feel Melt The Honey stands out among your previous LPs?

PACKS: I think melt the honey blends in nicely with our previous LPs, but if it had to stand out for any reason, it would be because in my mind it is the manifestation of the band making mistakes, appreciating successes, and learning over the course of six years making music together. We knew we loved producing the songs on our own time and on our own dime, so we gave ourselves the restriction and the freedom of creating an album over the course of an entire month, in Mexico. There were many equipment-related restrictions, including power outages and finicky microphones, but we enjoyed the warmth of the sun, the delicious fresh vegetables and meats, and the lack of cosmopolitan stimulation.

THIRTEEN: If you can share anything about Melt The Honey, what is your favorite unreleased track and why? What can fans expect from this LP?

PACKS: My favourite track by far is a song called “Her Garden”. I was very happy with the addition of the rusty nail we found in the maintenance shed out back that acted as a sort of replacement for the guïro they use in cumbia. We were going to see lots of fandango and cumbia music at the brewery in town and enjoyed the syncopated auxiliary percussion.

THIRTEEN: The amount of accolades you’ve received from other artists and well-known publications is incredibly impressive and really elevates your image. As an artist, do you feel as though you are pressured into always outdoing yourself with each release?

PACKS: I definitely wouldn’t want to make something worse than what I’ve just released. I only aspire to create music that makes me proud of myself and my bandmates.

THIRTEEN: You ended 2023 by supporting Slow Pulp on a few of their tour dates. What was that experience like? Did you learn anything that you hope to take with you in the future?

PACKS: I reduced the set to a duo, asking my boyfriend to come along and accompany me on the keyboard and CDJ. We traveled by train and bus mostly and saved lots of money this way, however I realized that I hate having to catch a new train, bus, airplane, ferry or rideshare every single day. Slow Pulp were an amazing band to tour with. The kindness they and their tour manager, Jimmy, demonstrated is the only thing that made the tour possible when I really think about it! Touring with a band whose music you love with people you love, for enthusiastic audiences and in beautiful cities is great! Sometimes tour just runs you ragged and there’s no escaping that fate.

THIRTEEN: How do you prepare for live shows? Are there any rituals you’ve developed?

PACKS: Eat a good meal before soundcheck if we can! If not, sit in the green room and eat snacks, maybe have a beer.

THIRTEEN: Who or what are your inspirations for PACKS and the music you create?

PACKS: There are some moments or scenes that are so beautiful or heart wrenching or both that they must be written about. Other times, just staring or concentrating steadily enough on something happening before your eyes will allow you to access the fabric of it, and you can weave your own piece from this opening.

THIRTEEN: In 2024, what direction do you hope to take PACKS in?

PACKS: Any way the wind blows us!

THIRTEEN: Last but not least, what are your musical or general new years' resolutions?

PACKS: Play more soccer, eat dessert every day!