Madison Baker and their band, Next of Kin, celebrated the release of their debut EP, Homemaker, this May
Madison Baker grew-up in Canton, TX, about an hour east of Dallas. Perhaps you’ve heard tell of their famous First Monday flea market. Growing up singing in the local youth choir, Baker always knew that whatever life’s plan was, music would be part of it.
Years of feeling the pressure to hide and push down their gender and sexual identity led to repressing their musical talents and dreams until Baker was well into their college years at the University of Texas at Austin. Baker began attending friends’ shows, and like they say, the stage is powerful, and eventually Baker said to hell with it.
Despite being a lifelong writer, Baker had never penned anything they deemed a song. That changed in 2018, and in the summer of 2019, they released their debut single “Champagne Shine,” and their first EP, Boundary, came out in 2021. Life had stolen the music away from them before; now, music was breathing life into them
In the last few years, Baker’s made a formidable name for themselves as a solo artist, but will always hold the tiny, well-worn front stage at Hole In the Wall near and dear as the one where it all began. Their altpop style revels in the negative space, giving the real magic, their voice, center stage. And those vocals are what have led to their rising success.
During their own rise in the Austin music scene, Baker found inspiration and fan girl love in Lili Hickman, who at the time was making waves locally with dancepop group Flora & Fawna, and Caelin Tralongo, a powerful, gutwrenching songwriter whose lyrics fostered an immediate kinship between the two.
Now Madison Baker, Lili Hickman, and Caelin make up the queer-country trio Next of Kin– KUTX’s April 2025 Artist of the Month, Austin Music Award nominees, Kerrville Folk Festival headliners, and, most recently announced, a group you can see at ACL Fest 2025.
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