The Pitch’s Infinite Playlist // Illustration by Shelby Phelps

Welcome to The Pitch’s Infinite Playlist, a forever-growing playlist of songs picked by people in KC. View/follow the full playlist on Spotify and you can always go back and check out the full run of articles. Throw the playlist on shuffle and enjoy away!

Playlist Guest #36: Maddie McBratney

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Maddie and I am currently an intern for The Pitch. I graduated from Kansas City Art Institute, where I received my bachelor’s in fine arts with an emphasis in photography. I got into the writing scene initially while taking photos for The Truman.

As Brock says, I am a “professional adrenaline provider” as a barista for Scooter’s. When not writing or serving coffee, I enjoy spending as much time as I can with my wife, dog, and family.

Where can we follow/support your work?

My work at The Pitch is listed here. You can follow my photography page on Instagram @mcbratney.jpg. I don’t post super often but it’s where you can expect to find any recent shows that I’ve shot.

“False Confidence” by Noah Kahan

About two and a half years ago, long before he blew up on TikTok, I shot a Noah Kahan show at The Truman. The venue was only about half full, and not many people knew him at the time. I enjoyed the show so much that I listened to his stuff on the drive home. This is one of my frequent plays early on.

“Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard

When I was a kid my dad had an old GMC pickup truck that he inherited from his father. My dad had a CD he always played in the truck that very quickly became known as “truck songs.” This is one of many “truck songs” that my sister and I used to listen to with my dad when we were little. It brings back great memories of time spent riding in my late grandfather’s truck… and is just all around a banger.

“Lonesome & Mad” by Under the Rug

I discovered the band Under the Rug while in Portland, Oregon, on my honeymoon. It was a nasty, rainy day, and we had spent much of the day in our hotel room, bummed that we couldn’t go hiking. My wife found a small venue that was hosting Under the Rug that night, and we braved the weather to walk the 20 minutes in the rain. They are incredible live and the rain was worth it. 10/10, would recommend.

“Space Ghost Coast to Coast” by Glass Animals

This song is just honestly wild. It’s a super catchy tune with an insane, and powerful story behind it. The vocalist, Dave Bayley, grew up in Texas and later moved with his family to England. While in England, Bayley discovers that one of his childhood friends from Texas had been caught planning a school shooting. The song is his attempt at grasping the situation and how his friend had changed so much.

“In Your Love” by Tyler Childers

The world of country music has not historically been very accepting of the queer community. However, Tyler Childers aims to change that narrative with his music video to “In Your Love.” Not only does this beautiful song remind me of my wedding day, but as a queer, country music fan, I truly appreciate the efforts of Childers with this one.