“Cadiz has a voice that grabs you within seconds” - NPR
"Her Karen Dalton-meets-Joanna Newsom voice has an enchanted echo you wish would never end." - The FADER
"A meandering mix of country and folk that evokes the most isolated areas of the country and the people who call those places home.” - Vogue.com
"Lines can be drawn between Cadiz and contemporaries like Sharon Van Etten, Cat Power, or Angel Olsen, but her vocals and songwriting shine with their own luster” - Under the Radar
IG: @MALENA.CADIZ (13K) | TIKTOK @MALENA.CADIZ (6.4K) | SPOTIFY (30K)
RECENT & UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS:
2026 Les Paul Studio Sessions Release - Smoke Rings (4.20.26) & Fragile EP (6.26.26)
2025 Kerrville folk festival - Grassy hill New folk competition finalist
2025 Folk Alliance International Official showcase artist, Montreal
2025 June - Redwing Roots Festival (lineup included The Steel Wheels, Hurray for the RiffRaff, Bella White, Rayland Baxter)
2025 Southwest Tour with Anna Ash
2024 Americanafest Official showcase artist
2024 Featured as one of the “best of” the NPR Tiny Desk Contest Entries
2024 Releases:
Nov. Duo EP with The Bones of J.R. Jones
OCT. Deluxe Hellbent & Moonbound (& Alive) released
AUG. Gone at Last with The Steel Wheels
2024 Folk Alliance International Official showcase artist 2024 Kansas City, MO
2024 International Folk Music awards Performed with The Steel Wheels & Willie Watson
West Coast tour with The Bones of J.R. Jones 2024
Songs Featured in "Nancy Drew" CW, "Lucifer" Netflix, "Rebel" ABC, “BULL” CBS
Featured on "And the Writer Is" Podcast with Ross Golan
2021 & 2020 NPR "Best Of Tiny Desk Contest" feature & “Top Shelf” finalist
NOTABLE PRESS:
Featured on Vogue.com, Under the Radar, No Depression, Stereogum, The Fader, NPR, American Songwriter, PASTE, KCRW, CMT Edge, WFMU, WXNA, Daytrotter, Wonderland, Atwood Magazine, Guitar Girl Magazine
BIO:
L.A. based Malena Cadiz is a lady of the canyon waylaid at a suburban strip mall, acutely aware of how romance shines through even in moments of grit and desolation. There’s something Didion-esque about Cadiz’s storytelling as she crafts deeply personal vignettes that reveal greater narratives about the world we live in. The 10 songs on her 3rd full-length album, Hellbent & Moonbound are full of wit and vulnerability, capturing the strange beauty and humor of day-to-day life. In the seven years since her last album Cadiz has uprooted her life, moved across the country, became a mother, juggled odd jobs, and spent the past few years going inward, “I found solace in being creative. I’d gone through so many transitions – it was a moment to be still and examine who and how I wanted to be, letting go of anything that wasn’t serving me, and leaning into what was...it’s been a long marinating process,” and precisely because of that she’s gained a rich perspective on how changes, big and small, help us to grow into a more self-assured version of ourselves.
“Growing up a second-generation Filipino-American, I bounced between living with my mom in Michigan and my dad in Singapore. Looking for a sense of belonging has always been a part of my work,” says Cadiz. “It’s an ongoing journey, but I feel like - for the moment - I’m settling into it – with my community, my family, and within myself.”
Hellbent & Moonbound is truly a community affair, produced by Andrew Lappin (L’Rain, Maddison McFerrin, Cassandra Jenkins, Lucy Dacus) at WaxLTD and featuring some of the L.A.’s most sought-after studio musicians, including Jason Abraham Roberts (Norah Jones, Bedouine), Leeann Skoda (Noah Cyrus, Aimee Mann), Matt Musty (Grace Potter, Train), Pat Kelly (Perfume Genius, St. Vincent) and Sam Kauffman-Skloff (Angel Olsen, St. Vincent), composer Bryan Senti (Feist) and more.
CONTACT:
Management: emma@7smgmt.com
Booking: defrancemgmt@gmail.com
Licensing: shayna@crybabymusicpublishing.com