As Midwife, multi-instrumentalist and producer Madeline Johnston plays “Heaven Metal,” or emotive music about devastation. Johnston began developing her experimental pop project in 2015 while a resident of Denver’s beloved Rhinoceropolis.

From there, Midwife released her landmark full-length Forever in April of 2020.  The album was a mournful tribute to her close friend who had passed away two years prior; the anthems on this album contained a light that pierced through gray clouds of drone and sorrow, and lended themselves to Midwife’s most affecting work.

When 2020 began, Johnston had several national and international tours planned (including a highly anticipated set at the year’s Roadburn Festival) to promote Forever but the pandemic rescheduled everything and shifted her focus back to recording and back to her internal landscape. Luminol was written and produced during quarantine and features 6 new songs which explore dark subject matter in her trademark dark yet crystalline manner.  

Now, Johnston lives and works in San Miguel, New Mexico.  With a fresh perspective, she holds her Denver roots closely and continues to produce some of the most affecting, nuanced and reverb-soaked music that is equal parts haunting and moving.  Luminol is nothing short of a masterpiece — it’s chilling and cerulean, thoughtful and sorrowful.  The album will be released on vinyl, cassette, and digital formats on July 16, 2021.  

Watch (+ share) a teaser video for Midwife’s Luminol on YouTube.

The album’s first single, “Christina’s World” will premiere as a music video this Sunday, April 18 via Roadburn’s Redux programming.  The single will be available shortly thereafter on digital streaming platforms the following week, and the artist will unveil more details about Luminol then.  For now, keep up with Midwife on Facebook and follow The Flenser for more details.