Mitch: Your third album, Leave On A Light, just came out. Do you mind sharing a bit about the album and the themes that can be found throughout?
Max: I think the central theme of Leave On A Light is gratitude. With how my career has gone and how my life has gone, and how much it's changed over the last three years, I have found myself desperately trying to figure out what the end goal is. If the end is near for the career, what does success look like?
I kind of came to the conclusion during the writing of this album that success to me is how I treat people, and specifically the gratitude that I express for my family, my wife, my friends, and the people that ground me and keep me remembering who I am.
So that's kind of the whole album in a nutshell.
Mitch: What do you hope people take away from Leave On A Light?
Max: I would say gratitude for those people in their lives and those things in their lives that may go unnoticed. I think it's really easy to take things for granted and focus on the negatives.
Mitch: If the album was turned into a movie, what would the plot be? What would the movie look and feel like?
Max: Okay, it would kind of be a kid's movie. It’s a Claymation, and it's beautifully made. Wes Anderson, I was really lucky to get him.
There are lots of wolves, and they're having a blast and doing what they love. Then something in the environment causes them to head uphill and climb the hill beside them.
Once they reach the top, they realise that the thing is still after them, so they need to keep climbing. They make their way up the nearby mountain, only to realise that it's just a small foothill of an even larger mountain.
They keep climbing, and they start to realise that the most important thing was that none of them died.
Mitch: You’ve also just dropped a single with the icon Carly Pearce! How did that come about?
Max: I've always admired her voice, and I've always had a ton of respect for her as an artist in the country space.
We knew that Not Falling Out needed a feature. It just felt like it was begging for one. I talked to my producer and my manager, and we decided to take our first shot at shooting for the stars, quite literally, and going after Carly Pearce.
When we got the email back saying she was interested, and she came along and recorded her vocals on it, it just sounded even better than I had ever hoped.
Then we started shooting the videos for it and working on the song itself, and it ended up being everything I could have hoped for.
It was kind of a perfect stars-aligning moment, which I'm really grateful for.
Mitch: To celebrate the album release, you’re heading back to Australia in February for a headline tour, as well as headlining Howlin’ Rock & Rodeo. How are you feeling leading up to the shows?
Max: I'm feeling extremely excited. I've mostly just got spot dates from here until then, so it'll be my first proper tour since my last one just ended.
I'll be fully recharged and ready to put on the best shows I possibly can. We're spending a lot of time preparing for this tour and working on playing a lot of new songs.
It's going to be a very new set, and it's going to be a first time for a lot of things. Not only will it be the first time we're playing a lot of these songs, but it'll also be my first time visiting a lot of these cities.
Based on my last experience there, I have very, very, very high hopes. I'm also really excited to explore the areas I'll be in, because I'll actually have some days off to experience Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii.
Mitch: Why should people come along to a show? What can they expect from your sets?
Max: They can expect a lot of energy. They can expect honesty.
I try not to be anybody I'm not, even when I'm on stage. I would say performance Max is just me kind of throwing everything out the window and having fun.
What I hope for at every show is that, at the bare minimum, we provide a really enjoyable distraction from whatever's going on, whatever they're stressed about or whatever weight is on their shoulders in their everyday life. I just want them to be able to forget about that for a night.
Mitch: You toured Australia for the first time last year. What has been your favourite experience or memory from your time here so far?
Max: I've got a couple!
When we were finishing up the tour in Perth, we went to the coastline and we were walking along the beach and finding shells. We ended up finding this tiny little fish and chip spot, and it was incredible. The whole band was there, and it was a really important bonding moment as we celebrated wrapping up the tour.
Another one that doesn't necessarily count would be Hobbiton in New Zealand.
Also in Sydney, we took a boat out into the harbour and went over to the Sydney Zoo! I'm a big fan of animals, and ya’ll have some crazy ones over there. It was really fun to see the variety and uniqueness of the wildlife.
Mitch: What’s one thing you’d love to manifest for your career over the next 12 months?
Max: Oh, that's tough. I'll manifest Red Rocks.
I would say if there's anything, that's one of my biggest dream venues to play, and I hope I can make it there someday.
RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS!!
Mitch: Favourite track from the album?
Max: ‘The Room’, the last track.
Mitch: Favourite lyric from the album?
Max: "Hanging on the wall are thе things that I've done
All the mountain-top momеnts
All the trophies I've won
But nothing in a frame's gonna make me whole
Just man-made prizes for a man-made goal"
Mitch: Favourite Australian city?
Max: Ooh, I'm going to make some enemies. I love all my children the same!
Based on city experience, I would say Sydney. And based on show experience, Melbourne.
Mitch: Koalas or Kangaroos?
Max: I love them both. I would say if I had to choose one, kangaroos. I've just heard that Koalas can claw your eyes out and that surprise attack from the trees is not something I'm ready to prepare for.
Mitch: Go-to karaoke song?
Max: All Your'n by Tyler Childers.
Mitch: First album you bought?
Max: City of Black & White by Mat Kearney