Madam Who? has lived a life jam-packed with highs and lows. Her stories could fill several albums, with tales to spare. From a successful music career that suddenly came to an end in 2001 to her and her daughter’s lives being saved by strangers to surviving a brain tumor – it’s been a wild ride for this intuitive creative. She carries all the lessons learnt, from her own experiences and from those she has known, and now Madam Who? is ready to share her wisdom with anyone open to listen.
The brand newest single ‘Peter Meter’ has been more than twenty years in the making and represents the tradition of relatives passing down their own sage advice. Madam Who? shares the backstory for this quirky new single, “It is the advice my Grandmother gave the younger me on how to keep a man.” Reframed through the musician’s world-wise lens, this maternal guidance becomes a feminist anthem of empowerment and self-reliance.
From the very start, ‘Peter Meter’ grabs the listener’s attention with a slanting synth riff and thumping beats. This commanding atmosphere is matched by a captivating spoken word style verse that’s reminiscent of bands like Self Esteem and Haiku Hands. This direct flair carries on through into the equally quirky and even more catchy chorus where experimental synths are joined by fuzzed-out guitars and powerful percussion. This pop-rock foray is the backdrop for the melodic refrain, “you need to feed his Peter Meter, I guarantee he’ll be sweeter, I guarantee that he’ll love you, the more that he gets up on you.” This tongue-in-cheek memento challenges the power dynamics in a heterosexual relationship and reinforcing the ways and means women over the generations have made the patriarchal system work for them.
Ultimately, ‘Peter Meter’ is a progressive track that blends alt-pop, spoken-word, pop-rock, synth, and more into one incredibly fun and unforgettable anthem. Watch this space for more from Madam Who?
You can also listen to ‘Peter Meter’ in our Outsiders Club playlist.
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