♪ Freedom, find a way ♪

[Announcer] Coming up on Studio 3 LIVE, it's The Finesse.

[Man 1] What we come upon organically, I think, is like the superpower. When I see somebody onstage, I just want to see who you are. Show me a piece of yourself. Like, say the difficult thing. Reveal something, and maybe I'll find something about myself in that as well.

♪ We run and fly away 
♪ We run and fly away  

[Announcer] Funding for Studio 3 LIVE is provided by... The Gilchrist Foundation, founded by Jocelyn Gilchrist, furthering the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist family in wildlife and conservation, the arts and public broadcasting, and disaster relief.

Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino supports Studio 3 LIVE on statewide Iowa PBS, sharing cultural experiences across Iowa. Learn more at prairiemeadows.com.

Funding for this program was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.

(Cheers and applause)

(Electricity buzzing)

Good evening and welcome to Studio 3 LIVE. I'm your host, Mickey Davis.

Tonight, we welcome The Finesse to the stage as part of Season 4 of Studio 3 LIVE.

Hailing from Des Moines, The Finesse have shared their music to audiences both local and international, exporting soulful sounds from the heartland worldwide.

Led by singer Madison Ray and featuring some of Des Moines' most experienced musicians, the band delivers high-energy, feel-good performances rooted in a mission to create community through music. Please help me welcome to the stage, The Finesse.

(Cheers and applause)

(Mid-tempo introduction plays)

♪ Mother, mother   
♪ There's too many of you crying
♪ Oh, brother, brother, brother
♪ There's far too many of you dying

♪ Mm-hmm ♪

♪ We've got to find a way 
♪ To bring some loving here today, yeah 
♪ Father, father, ooh, ooh 
♪ There's no need to escalate

♪ See, war is not the answer 
♪ For only love can conquer hate 
♪ We've got to find a way 
♪ To bring some understanding here today, yeah

♪ Picket lines, picket signs 
♪ Don't punish me with brutality 
♪ Talk to me so you can see

♪ Oh, what's going on 
♪ What's going on 
♪ What's going on 
♪ What's going on

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah
♪ Mother, mother, mother
♪ Everybody says that we're wrong 
♪ Oh, but who are they to judge us, yeah
♪ Simply 'cause your hair is long?

♪ We've got to find a way
♪ To bring some loving here today
♪ Hey, hey

♪ Picket lines, picket signs 
♪ Don't you punish me with brutality 
♪ Come on, talk to me
♪ So you can see

♪ Oh, what's going on
♪ What's going on
♪ Hey, what's going on
♪ I've got to know what's going on, ha

♪ What's going on
♪ Hey, what's going on
♪ What's going on
♪ I'll tell you what's going on

♪ What's going on
♪ What's going on 
♪ Hey, what's going on
♪ I've got to know what's going on, ha, ha

♪ What's going on 
♪ What's going on 
♪ Hey, what's going on 
♪ What's going on 
♪ What's going on 

[Madison] Thank you.

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] Madison, thank you so much for being here on Studio 3 LIVE. Can you give us how The Finesse came together and kind of how you started working with this group of musicians we're seeing tonight?

[Madison] Yeah. The thing I love most about The Finesse is it happened so organically. It just happened as, like, these kind of old-school, just jams at the house where we'd just be hanging out, we'd get the piano out, sing some songs together, just this really kind of organic, you know, kind of throwback.

You know, it feels like church a little bit, you know? And there was something that was just so...special about just being able to kind of hang out, there's no audience, we're doing it for ourselves, for each other. Sometimes when there's something happening, you can just feel this essence in the room. There's something unspoken. And so it became this question of, like, do we want to, like, perform this sometime?

And there's nothing that replaces true inspiration in that moment of, like, not trying to build a thing to do a thing, but just that we're seeing something organically growing and it's time to harvest.

So yeah, we went from the living room to a small room at Noche. That was something that was just kind of a kickback, where we could just kind of, you know, play some soul music and have some fun. And it was, like, sold-out houses, and it's like, "Okay. So it's working." You know?

And that's, I think, a testament to, like, when there's true inspiration in the room that people can't resist it. There's a magnetism.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] 'Cause they can feel the curiosity, they can feel the inspiration, and they want to be a part of that.

[Mickey] If you think about this group of musicians onstage right now, how has your songwriting and creative process kind of evolved with this group?

[Madison] I'll say that it's such a blessing. To you know, that old saying — iron sharpens iron.

As you collaborate with musicians, there's a lot of give and take, you know, you're putting your self, your spirit, your heart, and your soul on the line. And that can be a really scary thing, to be so vulnerable.

Because, like, what if it's a bad idea? Does that even exist? But what if I feel so self-conscious? Can I even say the hard thing out loud? Moreover, can I say it in front of an audience that is hypercritical and at the same time, there's the room to also elevate it to what it's supposed to be.

And I think there's that trust that gets built as we work together, as we live together, as we grow together, that I can then have that same kind of trust of how we can ping-pong our ideas off of each other to say, "You know, I had this idea," and there's this little piece of a thing, and sometimes someone else will come in and have the other half of the idea. Or, you know, it was okay, and now they can polish it into something great.

To the point of that attraction is also — it's, like, magical in a way that it's like, "What do I need?" And the universe responds and delivers the right musician and the right circumstance. And in the spirit of building a bigger table, it's just like, "Oh, made you a spot." And then they never leave.

[Mickey] Yeah.

(Band playing)

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)  

♪ Never fall for lies 
♪ Let's put down our disguise 
♪ You're the queen of hearts 
♪ You played your part 
♪ And left your scars 
♪ Of diamonds, I'm the king 
♪ I can't let it be 
♪ Cut my hands on the glass 
♪ I find a future in our past 

(Music builds)

♪ You say we cannot be 
♪ Together, you and me 
♪ What a pair we could be  
♪ I say never say forever 
♪ You always play this game 
♪ I always raise the stakes 
♪ You look for your escape 
♪ I try to call your bluff 
♪ Are we not strong enough?

♪ I just wanted your love 
♪ Oh, I'm all alone 
♪ And you're just a ghost 
♪ I would die only for you 
♪ Haunted by a kiss 
♪ We disappear in the bliss 
♪ You left your rose on my lips 
♪ Will you come back?

♪ Keep no promises 
♪ You always play this game 
♪ I always raise the stakes 
♪ You look for your escape 
♪ I try to call your bluff 
♪ Are we not strong enough?

♪ I just wanted your love 
♪ Oh, now I'm all alone 
♪ And you're just a ghost 
♪ Yes, I would die 
♪ Only for 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 

(Music slows, continues)

♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with pleasure

♪ Release the pressure 
♪ Throw away your treasure 
♪ How could you 
♪ Why would you 
♪ How could you 
♪ Oh, no, no

♪ Pleasure, yeah 
♪ Release the pressure 
♪ I can get that wherever 
♪ I, I, I'll treat the glass girls with diamonds 

♪ With diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 

♪ Glass girls with, oh, oh, oh, no 
♪ With diamonds, with diamonds, diamonds 
♪ Give me time 
♪ You'll be mine 

♪ My glass girl with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 
♪ Glass girls with diamonds 

[Madison] Thank you.

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] Something I think about, too, with the musicians you have onstage, both in how I hear your music described, but also in kind of the musical backgrounds of the people you have onstage. You're pulling from all sorts of genres, and you've got folks who come from the rock world and more pop and electronic.

[Madison] Mm.

[Mickey] How would you describe your music? And at the moment, who are some of your biggest kind of musical inspirations?

[Madison] I love Prince. I just need to start there. I love Prince. Not just in his, like, genius and the breadth of his work, but he's also so Midwestern.

You know, like, he came from Minneapolis. He didn't leave Minneapolis. He died in Minneapolis. Which I have a lot of respect for, you know?

And I think — and this might be the Iowan in me — like, there's something in the dirt, you know? Like, the thing that feeds us.

And I think by... just happenstance of being Midwestern, you get a chance to kind of touch everything. Like, there's this diet of, you know — one of my favorite things is going out to the bars and finding out that country-western music is, like, our common denominator.

It doesn't matter if you're, like, you got a grille and you're, like, real thugged out or you've got your, like, cowboy boots on, you know, you work the 9-to-5 and you got your suit and you're having a martini.

And then all of a sudden "My Tractor's Sexy" comes on and everyone knows the words.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] What kind of magic spell is this? But that's exactly the magic, I think, of being Midwestern, is that we're kind of just given this, like, broad musical diet.

Everywhere you go, no matter what radio station you're listening to, there are all these options. And so I found in that journey of being creative that we naturally pull from our inspirations.

The thing is, I'm inspired by — whether it's, you know the pop sounds of, like, you know, Lady Gaga or even like when Timbaland was running pop music.

But there's also some of just the heartbreaking, like, twang of a of a good, like, country ballad or those, like, soaring, shredding guitars. Like, all of those things wake me up.

And so how do you put those into music? How do you massage that to create a love letter to all those inspirations while also being able to say, "What do I want to say? What story do I want to tell?"

And I think no matter what the backdrop is, if the story is right, you can feel the heartbeat of that. And I think that's what pulls us in, is I just want to know what the next chapter is. What happens next? And what does that sound like? What does that feel like?

(Down-tempo music plays)

[Madison] If there's nothing else that you remember tonight, there are three important things I want you to remember. But it's always easier if you just, like, repeat after me, we say it together. We're a family tonight. We can do that, right?

(Audience murmuring)

Yeah?

Number one. And I want you to repeat after me. I love myself.

[Audience] I love myself.

[Madison] No, no, no. Say it like you mean it. Say it like you're trying to take yourself on a date. I love myself.

[Audience] I love myself!

[Madison] Number two. Repeat after me. I am beautiful.

[Audience] I am beautiful.

[Madison] Uh, I feel a little unsureness in the room.

(Laughter)

I need you to mean it. Say it with your whole spirit. I am beautiful.

[Audience] I am beautiful.

[Madison] And third and most importantly, I hope you remember that I love you.

Oh. Oh! I feel it. I feel it.

Monica, tell me, how do you like your coffee?

[Monica] Hot.

[Madison] Ooh. Me too.

Hey, Krista, how do you like your coffee?

[Krista] With a little whip?

[Madison] Whoo! Me too.

I love coffee. But I think it's even better when we sing about it.

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)

Let's go.

♪ Sunrise, I know you're near   
♪ Pull me closer, whisper dirty in my ear   
♪ Call me daddy   
♪ I'll call you dear

♪ Come and sit that thing right here   
♪ And I can't get enough   
♪ Black coffee in my cup
♪ You can wake me up

♪ And you're 
♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss
♪ And you're
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips
♪ You're
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift 
♪ Come on, come on

♪ And you're 
♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss 
♪ Oh, oh 
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips 
♪ Yeah
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift
♪ Come on, come on

♪ Nighttime might be the right time
♪ You and I time for tonight 
♪ The music's on, yeah
♪ Let's stay up late
♪ Said grind, drip, let it percolate

♪ And I, and I, can't get enough
♪ Can't get enough
♪ Black coffee in my cup
♪ You can wake me up

♪ And you're
♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss
♪ And you're
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips
♪ Oh, oh
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift
♪ Come on, come on
 
♪ And you're
♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss
♪ Oh, oh
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips
♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh-oh, I, I, I
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift
♪ Come on, come on
♪ Hit me

♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss   
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips   
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift   
♪ Come on, come on

♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss   
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips   
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift   
♪ Come on, come on  

♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss   
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips   
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift   
♪ Come on, come on

♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss   
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips   
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift   
♪ Come on, come on  

♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss   
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips   
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift   
♪ Come on, come on  

♪ Bold enough to steal a kiss   
♪ And hot enough to burn my lips   
♪ In just one taste, I feel the lift   
♪ Come on, come on  

[Madison] Thank you.

(Cheers and applause)

[Mickey] Something I see a lot in how you talk about your music in, you know, the collective, which is kind of the new way that you rolled out to allow fans to connect with you, you use a lot of language about building community, and I see this through line in how you present yourself to the world to say, like, "We're here to make good music, but we're also here to use this music to bring people together."

Has that always been something that you felt in your music or how did that kind of consciousness of, like, music is great to listen to, but it's also this thing that can connect us in a deeper way. How did that kind of evolve and become so foundational to kind of how you present yourself?

[Madison] I think part of the recipe is you have to give it time. Things need to marinate. Things need to develop. I think sometimes you can do everything right, but you need perspective to know that you did it the right way. And you don't get that unless you have the perspective of a little distance.

But it wasn't until I was, like — It was after a show and there's, like, all that adrenaline and you're coming down, and someone pulled me aside and said, "I know what you're doing."

And I ... What does that mean? You know, what I'm doing? Did you enjoy the show?"

(Laughter)

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] Like, this is beyond the "Hey, great set." "I know what you're doing." What does that mean? And she told me, "You're a preacher." And that was, like, really jarring, because that's not a role I saw for myself.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] But that's exactly it. What we come upon organically, I think, is like the superpower. When I see somebody onstage, I just want to see who you are. Show me a piece of yourself. Like, say the difficult thing. Reveal something, and maybe I'll find something about myself in that as well.

And part of it was just "Let me just listen." You say I'm a preacher, then let me preach. And that's just kind of been the magic of the thing. When you think about what a preacher does, is it builds community.

[Mickey] That's right.

[Madison] No matter what neighborhood you come from, I think those centers of faith become — at least they used to be that space where the neighborhood could come together.

And maybe they worship, maybe they fight, maybe they have these secrets they keep. But it was a place at least once a week where you could come together and, like, recharge yourself.

You get those hugs and handshakes, and maybe you mend some fences or someone asks, "Hey, could you help my grandma with a thing?" And that's such a beautiful piece of, like, what we do as human beings.

And I think sometimes that can get lost when you're talking about stream counts. "Hey, I'm trying to promote this thing."

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] And there's so much artifice in that that we forget that, like, the people who come and fill that room, they're looking for something.

And if you're so blessed to be in that position, you got to give them something. And so I just try to listen and understand that we're in a dialogue. Like, you know, come off the thing of like, "Oh, you're here to see me." No, no, no. We're here to, like, have a moment together. You came and found us tonight. Let me make this worth your while.

[Mickey] Yeah. So The Finesse has been able to do what, two tours of Japan at this point?

[Madison] Yeah!

[Mickey] Tell me first, how did that come to be?

[Madison] My career started in Japan.

[Mickey] Wow. Okay.

[Madison] I was a college student. I was abroad doing college things. And, you know, you find yourself called. You know, sometimes, no matter how you run from yourself, there you are. And, like, music is just part of who I've always been.

And, you know, I remember I was hanging out at, like, a festival, and hip-hop was really starting to catch on in the pop scene. And, you know, so people started doing, like, rapping ciphers. So, like, I went from beatboxing to now doing shows around Tokyo.

And that was always this kind of thing for me —I always felt this, like, debt of gratitude to pay that back. That I could finally touch this thing that felt so far away. To be received in spite of culture, in spite of language barriers, that something could connect us, like, so much more deeply than, like, what has been prescribed to us.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] And for me, it was, like, kind of that brass ring I was always chasing, of, like, I want to come back to Japan and show them the artist I've become. It was that simple.

And it got to a place that, like, I really felt good about our first album. And I was like, "This might be the one. This feels right."

You know, it's, like, kind of waiting for that moment, and it's all kind of coming together.

And then the audacity to also have the dream. 'Cause I took it to the band. I said, "How do you guys feel about going to Japan?" And you could feel, like, the... like, waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for a punchline, like, "Sure. Big talk, this guy. Big plans coming."

You all know the musicians who are always talking a big game and then they can't produce.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] I could feel that skepticism, but, like, I also thrive on that a little bit. So it's like, "Okay, cool. You don't think it's gonna happen? Then it's especially going to happen."

And that first time out, you know, there's all that anxiety of trying something new. But we were so well received that it's like, "We've built relationships. They're asking us to come back. We should probably go back and say hi," you know?

And just like building any other market, you have to build relationships. You have to, you know, keep those fires burning.

(Down-tempo introduction playing)

Drip sweet
Where my hands explore
Soft as summer
I still want more

Lips like velvet, voice like wine
A taste that lingers, slow and fine
The kind you crave for all time

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)

♪ Sweet kisses, it comes naturally   
♪ Sweet secret champagne words on the beat   
♪ Sweet problem, I can't find my feet   
♪ Sweet bottom, could you bring it all to me?

♪ A piece of my heart, you lead me in the dark   
♪ Stay with me, baby  
♪ Lay with me, jam so juicy   
♪ I'm calling your name

♪ Come on, sweet peaches 
♪ You're the one for me   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me

♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me

♪ Lay with me, jam so juicy   
♪ I'm calling your name   
♪ Come on

♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me

♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me

♪ It's perfect   
♪ You make me thirsty   
♪ Loving you is easy   
♪ And I know what that means

♪ A piece of my heart   
♪ You leave me in the dark   
♪ I'm calling your name   
♪ Baby, come on

♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me

♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ Sweet peaches

♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me   
♪ Sweet peaches   
♪ You're the one for me  

[Madison] Thank you.

(Crowd cheering)

[Mickey] So what's next for The Finesse?

[Madison] Well, you know, as time marches on, there's always a new story to tell. I think, you know, we naturally reflect to say, "You know who I've been, but I want to reintroduce you to who I am."

And I don't know. There's — it feels like we're at this turning point. You can feel it in the culture, in the zeitgeist.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] That art and community are like the most important it's ever felt. I had this very surreal moment at a summer festival being on the main stage you're elevated a little bit higher and it gives you a different vantage point. And while I'm seeing everyone in the grass, you know, having a little picnic, they've got their blankets out, they're enjoying a nice summer day, having a few beers, I could also see these snipers nests across the rooftops.

And I'll never, I'll never get that image out of my brain of seeing the fun on the floor, but up in the air is this, like, very tense situation. And in some sense, the question of, are we here to just sing and dance and distract you from the realities that you're living?

That's a choice to make. And I don't begrudge anybody who makes that choice. But for me, that doesn't do anything. We're gifted. We're called to do something with these talents that we have, whether it's the sensitivity to have a perspective or at least to be able to speak truth to power. That's something that musicians and athletes, I think, kind of rarely can do that other human beings just can't.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] And I take that responsibility very seriously. Not to say we can't have fun, but like, let's have some context of like, well, why are we having this fun? Why do we need to blow off some steam?

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] Or how do we organize ourselves to speak our truth and to feel loved and protected and to feel safe? That I can be here with my friends and my family, and that I don't have to worry about the snipers up in the trees. You know? I think that's more valuable than it's ever been. And so I feel like that's what's next is that we have to get back to the people. I can feel it. We can all feel it.

[Mickey] I don't think it's a coincidence that you play a Marvin Gaye cover in your set tonight, because I can see, again, the historical context of what Marvin Gaye was singing about at the moment he was singing about it and where you are with your music today.

[Madison] Well, I'll tell you, you know, it's such a beautiful song, but it's also tragic that 60 years later we're singing the same songs.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] You'll also hear a song tonight called "Bluebird," you know, and that was actually written in the spirit, like, during the protests of 2020, 2021.

You know, I saw that there are all of these people that were marching, and they were kind of like — they were looking for a soundtrack for their revolution.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] And I'm not saying that "Bluebird" is the soundtrack to that, but I thought — I saw it as an offering of, like, you know you don't have to sing those old songs, right? That we could build something new.

And, you know, in that kind of artistic, creative serendipity, this little bluebird comes dancing on my windowsill, you know, in my bushes, you know? And I was like, "Well, my mother always said, you know, beautiful birds are a sign." So I took the sign.

But that's exactly it, that you can feel that not only just we stand on the shoulders of tradition, but it's also how we look forward and to protect the things that are dear, but also how do we get rid of the baggage of the past?

[Mickey] Yeah.

(Instrumental music playing)

♪ I rode out at midnight   
♪ Just me and the dirt   
♪ Flask full of silence   
♪ Heart full of hurt  

♪ You stayed in the garden   
♪ Bare feet in the rust   
♪ I left for the wind   
♪ But turned toward the sun  

♪ Oh, sunflower   
♪ Growing wild through the pain   
♪ Sunflower growing wild   
♪ Through the pain  

♪ Tulips on my organ   
♪ They're ready in full bloom   
♪ Playing all those old hymns 
♪ In my motel room  

♪ After the wildfire   
♪ I was lost in the smoke   
♪ I drink till the sunrise   
♪ Lonely and I'm broke  

♪ Oh, sunflower   
♪ Growing wild through the pain   
♪ Sunflower growing wild   
♪ Through the pain  

♪ You danced in color   
♪ While I played in gray   
♪ And ghosts grow wings   
♪ When the love don't stay  

♪ Time won't reveal   
♪ But it teaches you slow   
♪ You can bury a seed   
♪ But it still wants to grow  

♪ Ohhh  

♪ Sunflower growing wild through the pain   
♪ Sunflower growing wild   
♪ Through the pain   
♪ The pain

♪ Growing wild through the pain   
♪ Growing wild through the pain   
♪ Growing wild through the pain, the pain, yeah   
♪ Growing wild through the pain    

♪ Sunflower   
♪ Through the pain   
♪ Ohh sunflower   
♪ Growing wild through the pain  

♪ I rode out at midnight   
♪ Just me and the dirt  

(Cheers and applause)

[Madison] Thank you.

[Mickey] So we sit here on the Iowa PBS stage. This is not your first time working with Iowa PBS. You have worked closely with Iowa Public Radio. What does public media mean to you, and how has it kind of woven into your story as an artist?

[Madison] The secret is public media is everything. It's about accessibility. In my family specifically, it's raised generations of our family. My mother grew up on "Sesame Street." I auditioned for "Sesame Street" as a young actor.

[Mickey] Wow. Wow.

[Madison] I gave "Sesame Street" to my daughter. She went as Abby Cadabby for Halloween. Shout out, A.

But, like, these things are pillars of our life. But it's not just the kids entertainment. It's that this is where we find our music, our news, where we can learn things. I learned about "Hamilton" because of PBS, right? The massive global phenomenon.

I saw this interview with this guy from New York who was writing this thing, you know?

And that's exactly it, public media has been this window into the culture of what's really happening, without an agenda, without the corporate opinions or machinations. And there's some truth in that. And then there's so — it's so valuable to protect that.

And I think, you know, things come in and out of vogue, but that's part of what makes PBS and, you know, public radio so special is that it's the steady hand when everything else is changing. That if there was this — we're living in this age of spin.

Public media was the thing that you could count on. There was an anchor there. And so I just, you know, I'm grateful to be a part of that — now that tradition and that legacy, not just as a viewer, but also someone who can help be a part of the culture.

That is such just a wonderful opportunity that, like, how could you not be excited to throw your hat in the ring and just be a part of that movement?

You know, this has nothing to do with — again, it's not about view counts and streams and this kind of thing. It's being able to capture a cultural moment of what's really happening. And maybe they'll catch on, maybe they won't. There'll be another story. There's another thing. But in this moment right now, I'm helping move that story just one step further and it takes all of us.

[Mickey] I agree, I agree.

[Madison] Little fun fact. We actually debuted the original version of this song actually on Iowa PBS back in Juneteenth 2021, 2022, whatever year that was. Listen, what is time? Flat circle, right?

(Laughter)

So it's pretty special that we're getting to do it again with a whole new arrangement, a whole new presentation. So, I don't know, this feels like one of those little, poetic, bookmark — not bookend, I don't like that — bookmark moments, right?

Let's get into it. This is "Bluebird."

(Mid-tempo introduction playing)

♪ I say freedom, find a way   
♪ That's what the bluebird sang   
♪ Freedom, find a way   
♪ That's what the bluebird sang  
♪ Come on, freedom, find a way  
♪ That's what the bluebird sang  

Guitar!

♪ Mm-hmmm  

♪ I say freedom, find a way   
♪ That's what the bluebird sang   
♪ We run and fly away   
♪ We run and fly away  

♪ I say freedom, find a way   
♪ That's what the bluebird sang   
♪ We run and fly away   
♪ We run and fly away  

(Saxophone playing)

Everybody! Andre Davis!

(Cheers and applause)

♪ We need   
♪ Freedom   
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah   
♪ Steady searching for

♪ Freedom   
♪ Freedom   
♪ 400 years of torture   
♪ How do we still move forward?

♪ This power comes from above   
♪ Lord, let your light shine on us   
♪ From the cotton fields to the corner   
♪ So many tried to destroy us

♪ After every one of these nights   
♪ We're still fighting for it   
♪ Please unite these voices   
♪ Lift every one and sing

♪ Let the world hear it from every spirit   
♪ We take a stand when we take a knee   
♪ My soul free, my chin high   
♪ Use your light 'cause this mine  

♪ No need for me to try to change you   
♪ 'Cause progress is on the inside   
♪ Freedom   
♪ Taught me not to be a product of war  

♪ Nat Turner, can't burn him
♪ 'Cause him and I get our light from the source   
♪ 'Cause I'm the force, I'm the torch   
♪ Guiding everyone back to warmth  

♪ Swing low, sweet chariot   
♪ We look to the sky and it's time to soar   
♪ For all of the brothers in state   
♪ Freedom  

♪ Prisoners, victims of all of this hate   
♪ Look at the system they made   
♪ Lock us in cages, thinking they're safe   
♪ Freedom  

♪ With no love, no judge   
♪ Who are they to determine your fate?
♪ Sitting in that cell, you're not by yourself   
♪ We all unite, we pray  

♪ Please, freedom  
♪ Freedom   
♪ Find a way   
♪ That's what the bluebird sang  

♪ That's what she sang   
♪ We run and fly away   
♪ Fly away   
♪ We run and fly away  

♪ We fly away   
♪ We run and fly away   
♪ We fly away   
♪ We run and fly away  

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah  

♪ We run and fly away   
♪ 'Cause   
♪ Freedom, find a way   
♪ That's what the bluebird sang  

♪ We run, we run, we run, yeah   
♪ Run and fly away   
♪ We run and fly away   
♪ I said, freedom, find a way   
♪ That's what the bluebird sang   
♪ We run and fly away, we run and fly away   
♪ Let's sing  

(Singing and rapping in Spanish)

(Cheers and applause)

[Madison] Thank you very much.

[Mickey] Tell me the inspiration behind the song "Owe It All."

[Madison] "Owe It All" came out of a really interesting space. In that sense of Midwestern-ness, it's interesting as being a person of color, I felt excluded from a lot of those "Red Solo Cup" dirt-road narratives, but I grew up in that too. Like, just as much as my birthright as anything else.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] Like, I might be a city guy, but I'll tell you where all the secret spots are.

(Laughter)

You know what I mean? I've ran and hid from the cops. You know what I mean? Holding your breath.

[Mickey] Which dirt roads you can go... Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Madison] That's right. You know, being uncomfortably underage, you know? And like, "Oh, my God, if my parents catch me." Skip jail, right?

(Laughter)

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] And, you know, and the thing is, it's so interesting because why did I feel disconnected? And part of it was like, I'm not invited to your party, and that's fine. But it doesn't diminish that, like, that's a part of my life and my story too.

And so, I sat down with a really good friend of mine named Maxwell Schaeffer who's a great songwriter. I always knew him from the voice of KIOA and being on the radio, and we became good friends because that's what art does, you know?

And I went to him and I said, "I have this little idea," and the two of us just sat down in his living room, he pulled out his guitar, and we just worked this idea out.

And it's just a love letter of just growing up here in the Midwest, here in Iowa, that no matter how far you go, no matter what adventures life may throw your way, there is this longing for something sweet and simple and just you can always come home.

[Mickey] Yeah.

[Madison] We can't forget that. You can always come home. Public television really taught us how to listen. And I want to dedicate this next song to anyone out there that's made space to listen to us. We owe it all to you.

(Down-tempo introduction playing)

♪ I've known you my whole life   
♪ Watercolor sunsets   
♪ Restless summer nights 
♪ Under the stars

♪ Bonfires and whiskey bottles   
♪ All my secrets that you keep   
♪ Knowing I'd be gone tomorrow   
♪ When I come home  

♪ You make it hard to leave
♪ Would you believe
♪ Everybody I meet 
♪ Leads me back to you

♪ I'm gonna follow through   
♪ On every promise I made   
♪ To return to the heart of you

♪ I wanna come back
♪ I wanna run back
♪ I owe it all to you

♪ I've known you my whole life
♪ Took a lot of wrong turns   
♪ But we turned out all right
♪ Under the stars 
 
♪ A blanket on a meadow
♪ The firelight
♪ The radio   
♪ We'd sing until our hearts broke

♪ When I come home
♪ You make it hard to leave
♪ Would you believe
♪ Everybody I meet leads me back to you

♪ I'm gonna follow through   
♪ Every promise I made   
♪ To return to the heart of you  

♪ I wanna come back   
♪ I wanna run back   
♪ I owe it all  
To you and you and you and you
And viewers like you

♪ To you-ou-ou, yeah  

(Cheers and applause)

[Madison] Thank you. Don't get me all emotional. I still got one more song to go.

(Laughter)

[Mickey] Madison, thank you so much. Thank you for bringing The Finesse to Iowa PBS. Thank you for being part of Studio 3 LIVE.

[Madison] Thank you, Mickey. Glad to be here.

♪ Sunshine   
♪ It never rains   
♪ Smiling faces   
♪ Nothing's changed  

♪ 1:13 I'm trying to keep my cool   
♪ No dinero, yo, what we gonna do?
♪ 4:05 Let's take a ride   
♪ Will I see you on the other side?

♪ Clear blue skies   
♪ I close my eyes   
♪ Will I see you   
♪ On the other side

♪ I see all the colors in the sky   
♪ All the colors in the sky   
♪ I see colors in the sky   
♪ Colors in the sky

♪ Ohh   
♪ Colors in the sky 
 
♪ Hollywood   
♪ Fast car
♪ Head full of Marilyn   
♪ Black and white stars  

[ Singing in Spanish ]  

♪ Plastic dreams on the beach   
♪ That's where I wanna go   
♪ 4:05 Let's take a ride   
♪ Will I see you on the other side

♪ Clear blue skies   
♪ I close my eyes   
♪ Will I see you on the other side

♪ I see all the colors in the sky   
♪ All the colors in the sky  
♪ I see colors in the sky   
♪ Colors in the sky

♪ Tell me, what's the meanin' 
♪ Of California dreamin'   
♪ The desert to the mountains  
♪ I see all the colors in the sky  

♪ All the colors in the sky 
♪ I see colors in the sky   
♪ Colors in the sky   
♪ I see all the colors in the sky 
 
♪ All the colors in the sky  
♪ I see colors in the sky   
♪ Colors in the sky   
♪ I see all the colors in the sky 
 
♪ All the colors in the sky 
♪ I see colors in the sky   
♪ Yeah   
♪ Colors in the sky  

♪ Oh-ohhhhh      

[Madison] Thank you so much for having us. We're The Finesse. And I hope you never forget to keep loving yourself, that you are beautiful. And most importantly, I love you. Make some noise for Andre Davis one more time.

(Cheers and applause)

We'll see you next time.

(On screen text:
Host: Mickey Davis
Producer & Director: Andrea Coyle
Production Supervisor: Sean Ingrassia
Audio Mix: Scott Yoshimura
FOH Sound: Richard DeFrancisco
Production Technicians: Reid Denker, Neal Kyer
Camera Operators: Darrin Clouse, Scott Faine, Eric Gooden, Mark Haugen, Kenny Knutson, Roberto Ibarra
Recording & Post Audio: David Feingold
Set Design: Rob Sunderman
Set Construction: Vince Rubino
Lighting Design: Will Coeur
Lighting Technicians: Sonja Woerner
Graphics: Joe Bustad, Brent Willett
Administrative Assistant: Tiffany Clouse
Copyright 2026 Iowa PBS)

[Mickey] Studio 3 LIVE is also available as a podcast. Get it wherever you get your podcasts.

(On screen text:
Studio 3 LIVE featuring The Finesse
Madison Ray — Vocals
Scott Yoshimura — Drums
Shawn Veeder — Electric Guitar
Jon Locker — Bass
Gabe Scheib — Sax
Monica Bollenbaugh & Krista Guillaume — Backup Vocals
Special Appearance by Andre Davis)

[Announcer] Funding for Studio 3 LIVE is provided by...

The Gilchrist Foundation, founded by Jocelyn Gilchrist, furthering the philanthropic interests of the Gilchrist family in wildlife and conservation, the arts and public broadcasting, and disaster relief.

Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino supports Studio 3 LIVE on statewide Iowa PBS, sharing cultural experiences across Iowa. Learn more at prairiemeadows.com.

Funding for this program was provided by Friends, the Iowa PBS Foundation, as well as generations of families and friends who feel passionate about the programs they watch on Iowa PBS.