BY DENISE J MALLABO

Everyone was taken aback last year with the improbability of the days and the halt of what should have been living a “normal” life due to the pandemic. And even though nothing has gone back to the way it was, we’ve started to adapt, move forward, and bloom with what we have and where we’re in.  

Say in the case of singer – songwriter MAX (Schneider), one of those artists who released an album in 2020, he didn’t see this hindrance to be productive and creative. “There’s always something in the world that will be a challenge. I just try to embrace it. I’ve had more opportunities to create cool content now that I’m not on the road and write more music, so there’s definitely positive things about being locked down to be creative. Creating different live versions of songs since I’m locked down with my band. Just trying to bring new life to the album,” shares the 28-year-old pop singer. The album is Colour Vision, a 12-tracked second offering from the musician consisting of bops; tunes that are easy on the ears. The album took MAX four years to produce; it followed Hell’s Kitchen Angel, which he released back in 2016. “I was coming out of a bit of a trauma in my life and felt like I really had a whole new perspective on my life and my music. That’s really what the album is about, having an entirely new way of seeing your life and deciding to reclaim it,” says MAX when asked about what inspired Colour Vision as a whole. That said trauma was finding a polyp on one of his vocal cords that resulted to having vocal surgery, cancelled shows, and not being able to speak for months. With a strong soul and equally determined mentality, the now girl-dad is preoccupied with making sure that his music is being heard globally, a loving husband, and being a hands-on father to his baby girl Edie.  

A Book Of checked in on MAX this year to ask about his second album, his collaborations with SUGA from BTS, DJ Steve Aoki, and more.

Hi, MAX! How are you?

I’m great. Just woke up and my wife Emily is about to work out, so I’m on sleeping baby duty. She’s sleeping like a little angel on my chest while I answer these questions 

Congratulations on the release of Colour Vision. It’s your second studio album, how was it different from working on Hell’s Kitchen Angel? Did you have that usual feeling of making sure that it’s better or at least parallel to the latter?

I had more of a decisive vision overall for this new album. With Hell’s Kitchen Angel I just kept putting out singles and eventually it all came together, but with Colour Vision I really wanted to make sure from start to finish that there was a clear world, arc, and storyline with all of the songs and videos. 

Can you say that you’ve develop a lot as a musician from your 2016 release to now?

Yeah, I think I have. Sometimes you just catch magic like with “Lights Down Low” and I think all artists and writers both learn so much as they go but also try to keep that wonderment and magic from the start. The best songs take a lot of development of your craft but more importantly, a special spark that you just can’t train. It comes or it doesn’t. I think I’ve just started to learn how to be set up to utilize the spark when it happens like with “Love Me Less” or “Blueberry Eyes.” You feel it and you make sure it doesn’t go to waste in those hours when you have the magic moment. 

You’ve collaborated with awesome talents on this album again, as you have on your first record. What’s your favorite about working with other creative minds on your music?

I just love that when you work with brilliant creatives, they bring something out in a song that you would have never found on your own. It becomes something entirely new and beautiful. It’s like having a baby with someone. Sure, my daughter Edie would probably still have some of my features but she definitely wouldn’t have her big blue eyes without her beautiful mom’s genes. You’re mixing your DNA together when you collaborate 

Seeing that we’re still in a state of pandemic and everything seem a bit more difficult than usual. How do you cope with it and how do you keep yourself happy?

It sucks. But we’re all going through it. I try to just be appreciative of the love I have, the privilege I have to create music and hopefully, have it bring joy to people’s lives in this time, and my health. Some smiles from my daughter definitely help too 

Last year, you were featured on SUGA a.k.a. Agust D’s mixtape, specifically on his track “Burn It”. Can you give us a brief story on how that happened and how was the back and forth like with him to produce this song?

Yeah, it was wonderful. We met when I went to Korea for the first time. He was working on the D-2 mixtape and at the end of our first time hanging out he asked me to be on one of the songs, which was a total surprise. I was honored and got right to work. He sent me the song and basically asked me to create a short English chorus to his already established theme of “Burn It.” After singing it in I think three different keys to get the sound right he laid his rap down and the song was born. Even though the back and forth was from different countries across the world, it all was relatively easy and really great working with him and his team on it.

With that, you also featured SUGA on your single “Blueberry Eyes.” How did that collaboration happen? Given that BTS is probably the busiest group of men during that time, up until now, how were you able to make it work?

Well, after I started working on “Burn It” I told him I’d be honored if he would do a feature on my album as well and he was gracious enough to do so. The timing just worked out with them being off the road and him putting the finishing touches on his mixtape. I’m really grateful he and his team took the time to make it happen and be so kind.

“Blueberry Eyes” is undeniably a well-produced track but were you surprised with the amount of support that ARMY has given this song / you because of SUGA’s participation in it?

I’m definitely grateful for all of the support from ARMY and my fans of course too. The collaboration of the two fanbases to bring this song to places I never thought it would go has been humbling. I appreciate the patience always when you’re really promoting a song for a long time to bring it to its true potential. It took me two years to promote “Lights Down Low” which was crazy so five months into “Blueberry Eyes” the fact that the fans are still being patient and understanding of the process is really incredible. I appreciate them immensely.

You also released a remixed track of the song with Steve Aoki. How was it working with him and how did that collaboration come about? In the music video, Suga was represented as a cat (haha), were you aware that he’s being compared to the animal and that you were going to do it? Any feedback from him?

I’ve been friends with Steve for years because of my other act “Party Pupils” which has toured with Steve and we’ve hung out a bunch. I knew he was a natural collaborator and fan of BTS so having him be a part of the remix felt like a no brainer. Yeah, the cat part was definitely for the fans knowing that’s a representation some give him. I wanted his spirit to always be present in a subtle way.

You also released a version of the song with up-and-coming musicians Lil Mosey and Olivia O’Brien. How did this collaboration happen?

The final remix I was inspired by Jack Harlow when he put out the big remix of “What’s Poppin.” This song has just been so fun. I asked Big Hit and Yoongi if they’d be open to one final big version of it and they said yes. They’ve been so supportive and very detail oriented with the process knowing that the song keeps building and like with “Dynamite” where they’ve done many versions, realize more versions often keeps the story of the song growing in different places. With Lil Mosey he had this massive song “Blueberry Faygo” so it felt too perfect not to combine forces with our blueberry songs. He’s a great guy, was very kind and also a big basketball fan like me and SUGA. With Olivia I just wanted a female voice on the song and wow did she nail it. We’ve been friends for years after meeting during “Lights Down Low” since she had her song “i hate u, i love u” with gnash. She sounded so incredible when we cut her vocal in the studio, I was blown away by how well the song fit her voice. Grateful for all of these artists for joining the big final version 

Speaking of music videos, who conceptualizes your monochromatic themed videos and how is the creative process behind them?

It’s always me in collaboration with the directors I’m working with. The process is beautiful and intense. For “Blueberry Eyes” Andy DeLuca and Sarah Eiseman and I would be sitting in my kitchen at all hours of the night tweaking the edit, adding notes, tweaking the coloring. It’s a fruitful creative process when you’re working with people you love and respect. 

 Congratulations on becoming a father. How has fatherhood been treating you? What’s the best thing about being a dad to Edie?

It’s been the best. Less sleep of course as the cliche goes but when she gives me a big smile it melts my heart like nothing else. I just love watching her develop her little personality. I’ve always been the guy on stage, now I get to be the biggest fan and favorite audience member to watch her little world unfold.

Any new talent or skill that you learned during this pandemic?

Diaper changing 

A lot of artists have been doing online performances. Are you planning to also do one in the near future? If yes, what can we expect from it?

I’ve got lots of surprises for the fans this year for online performances. Trying to make sure they are magnificent spectacles for the fans to enjoy wherever they are.

Any message to all your fans worldwide?

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I’m honored to be a small part of the soundtrack of your lives always. Much love.