Paige Kleber already has a résumé that would make plenty of adult musicians a little jealous.
And she just turned 13!
Let’s get you caught up.
Listen to the entire interview with Paige Kleber here:
The Madison area artist earned her first honors in 2025
First, the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) recognized her with its Rising Star award. A few weeks later, she won Best Country Song and Best New Artist at the Madison Area Music Association (MAMA) awards show.
More recently, she landed a finalist spot in an international songwriting competition. And right now, Kleber’s stacked up festival appearances before most kids even finish middle school homework.
Somehow, she remains genuinely surprised about all of it.
“I could not believe my ears,” Kleber said, laughing as she described learning she placed second in the prestigious International Songwriting Competition. “This was international. Over 13,000 entries had been sent in.”
The award also earned her a scholarship to Prodigy Camp in Washington, where she’ll spend a week sharpening her skills. It’s all pretty good for a teenager who’s been making music for more than half her life.
New Song is a Conversation about Mental Health and Kindness
Kleber’s song, “Playing Hard to Get” (from her debut album), was the first to get attention during the last two years. But her newest single, “Give Up and Cry,” may reveal the most about who she is becoming as an artist. The song is emotional, vulnerable, deeply personal and was written during a difficult moment.
“I was sitting on my bedroom floor writing this,” she shared. “Thinking about all the stuff that had happened to me that day.”
And instead of keeping those feelings private, Kleber turned them into something bigger. She decided to donate proceeds from the song to mental health organizations, and she included the suicide hotline at the end of her music video.
“Even though one of the lyrics is, ‘Every day is just another reason why I give up and cry,’ I don’t want people to give up,” she explained. “I felt like I needed to help.”
That combination of honesty and heart is quickly becoming Kleber’s trademark, while the song itself could also be considered a celebration of women in music. It was recorded by award-winning producer Audrey Martinovich, owner of Audio for the Arts in Madison, along with another award-winner, Jenna Joanis, on drums and bass. The song also led to Kleber’s first music video under the direction of Aubrey Connett from 33 Cent Films in Minnesota.
“It was really fun,” Kleber said. “And all made by women.”
WATCH “Give Up and Cry” video:
Yet, despite the awards, growing crowds and major festival bookings, Kleber insists she’s still mostly focused on having fun.
“I don’t really feel a lot of pressure,” she said. “Sometimes I get nervous backstage, but I think that’s more the feeling of excitement.”
And she shared a quote she keeps reminding herself of before her performances:
“Being nervous for something is good. It just means that you care.”
That mindset seems to be serving her well.
She is Just Getting Started
Kleber is scheduled to perform at PrideFest in Milwaukee on Thursday, June 4. And she’ll be on stage at the Atwood Music Hall for her first live Madison Area Music Association Awards Show and fundraiser performance on Sunday, June 7.
Looking ahead, there’s also Summerfest – an opportunity many musicians spend years trying to land.
Still, when asked what she sees for the future, her answer doesn’t include fame or charts.
“I just see my future as being creative,” she said. “Whether that’s songwriting or performing. I love creating something out of nothing.”
And while Kleber is finding a way to balance her songwriting with awards shows, festival stages and teenage life, she may also be providing Wisconsin’s music scene with one of its brightest young voices to date.
And it’s exciting because she is still just getting started.
Keep up with Kleber’s show schedule here: Paige Kleber
Listen to the first radio interview and live performance by Kleber here: 11 Year Old Paige Kleber and her band perform Live in the Lair on Max Ink Radio – Civic Media
