HELLBENT & MOONBOUND

by Malena Cadiz / Produced by Andrew Lappin

L.A. based, Michigan-born, 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. A captivating songwriter with an unmistakable voice.

“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

RECENT & UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 2025 Kerrville folk festival - Grassy hill New folk competition finalist

  • 2025 Folk ALliance Intl. Official showcase artist, Montreal

  • 2025 June - Redwing Roots Festival (lineup includes The Steel Wheels, Hurray for the riffRaff, Bella White, Rayland Baxter & joy oladokun)

  • 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 Intl. Official showcase artist 2024 Kansas City, MO

  • 2024 INTL. 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

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) 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.