Viral moments and momentary hits are stepping stones. Symbolic art, on the other hand… that has staying power. Courage, grace, and diligence – that’s key, too. This rising musician has it all, and we’re pretty sure it will take him well into the stratosphere.
Max McNown might be 24 years old, and he might be even younger than that in industry years, but he carries himself with a confidence and a soulfulness of a much older man and much wiser artist. Still, his youthfulness is evident and endearing. Night Diving, his brand new sophomore album, showcases that flawlessly. As a person, McNown is humble and relatable like the boy-next-door, and that bleeds wonderfully into the songs he writes. As a musician, he is cautious and strategic, keen on making decisions that reflect the working-class creative he is at heart. He’s a melting pot of personal stories, raw emotions, and generation-defying influences, thus making a sound that is uniquely his own, and was quick to be widely adored.
McNown’s debut as an on-stage headliner kicked off this weekend, and on February 11 and 12, he’s bringing that frontman quality to the Irving Plaza. Then, on February 15, he’s taking over Asbury Lanes here in our gorgeous Garden State for another night of smooth vocals, contemplative naivety, and country melodies. The tour is sold-out, mind you, and this sort of breakout artist in the singer-songwriter world is rare these days, outside of the great Noah Kahan (who we adore, and whose success is deserved and then some, but that ‘breakthrough’ of his in the last two years was actually many years in the folk pop making). Basically, it’s hard not to be proud of Max McNown, and harder to find a song you don’t absolutely love.
The Aquarian jumped at the chance to chat with Max, the soaring star with a sublime sense of self.
Right off the bat, Max – 2024 was a whirlwind year for you. Two project releases, a bunch of hit singles, lots of touring, a slew of live shows including your very own Grand Ole Opry debut, and a ton of great collaborations. If I asked you to name one or two of your favorite moments from 2024, would you even be able to narrow it down?
There are truly too many moments to narrow, but if I absolutely had to choose my top three, they’d be as follows:
- Grand Ole Opry
- Opening for Michael Marcagi in Edmonton
- Opening for Billy Currington in St. Augustine
I mentioned collaborating, which you have seemingly already mastered even this early on in your career. From Hailey Whitters to Eddie Flint, you’ve been collecting country pop and folk rock peers like infinity stones, and it is thrilling to see (and hear). What about the collaboration process do you enjoy? Similarly, who is your dream collaborator?
Collaboration is one of my favorite parts of the music industry, and not many know how tightly knit the community is. The best part of collaborating for me is the fact that two creative minds – with completely different backgrounds – come together and make something new. I felt as though the mentioned collaborations with Flint and Whitters took on new lives entirely once the respective feature artist joined in!
Covers, your latest release, encompasses three songs: “Hey There Delilah,” “The Heart of Life,” and “I Can Still Make Cheyenne,” which features Grace Tyler. How and why did you decide on wrapping these three songs up together and releasing them like so, even the Plain White T’s cover and the songs that were already out in the world?
I chose those songs to make up my cover EP because they each played significant roles in shaping me into the person I am. My music taste has definitely fluctuated overtime, but when any of those three songs turn on, I never press skip.
Your first EP, A Lot More Free, has racked up hundreds of millions of streams online and it hasn’t even been out for a year-and-a-half. How does that make you feel? While writing those songs and recording them for the EP, did you ever think that it would become such a massively successful game changer?
What some may not know is that Wandering and Night Diving were written somewhat closely chronologically. This means they were both written before the biggest season of growth in my career. Because of that fact, I can honestly say I wrote them without trying to be anything or anyone that I’m not; I wrote not for the success or money, but simply because I had things I wanted to say. I never saw my career growing as it has this past year, and I am extremely grateful… my entire focus is to wield the responsibility of success to the best of my ability.
To me, your song “Hotel Bible” is what solidified you as being much, much more than your online profile and the swirling world of social media. That being said, TikTok has played quite the role in getting your singer-songwriter self out into the world. How strong of an impact do you think the removal of TikTok in the U.S. would have had on the music industry, from a personal standpoint?
In 100% honesty, I can’t say I was very worried about the ban. On the one hand, I didn’t believe it would actually happen and stay banned. On the other hand, TikTok had served a purpose, and I’m confident that with Instagram, YouTube, and the foundation I’ve built outside social media, I would have been just fine.
Coming back around to all things Max McNown, you’re releasing your sophomore album this week. It’s titled Night Diving and it captures a lot of what you are becoming known for: intimate narratives, crisp vocal inflection, and a gentle eeriness. What do you hope your fans take away from it? Also, how much of this record was inspired by the last year or so of your career, visiting cities and meeting heroes and finding strong footing in this industry?
As I stated previously, the majority of Night Diving was written before I had played my first show. My sophomore album isn’t solely inspired by the events of this last year, but rather the events of my entire lifetime of lessons. I often get self conscious about this album, as it is deeply honest to an extent I haven’t yet released. My hope for those listening is that they listen close, and in the words they find pieces of themselves. In the worst moments of my life, music helped me feel less alone, and I pray Night Diving will return the favor to as many as possible.
NIGHT DIVING, THE NEW ALBUM BY MAX MCNOWN, IS OUT NOW! FOR MORE INFO & MORE DATES FROM HIS DEBUT HEADLINING TOUR, VISIT HIS WEBSITE!