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1. Hi Max, welcome back to VENTS! How has 2026 been treating you so far?
Hi VENTS! Honestly, this year has been really great. It feels like I’m entering a completely new chapter, especially after graduating university and taking the leap into music and acting full-time. There’s been a lot of change, but nothing but excitement on my end. I’m really looking forward to what’s ahead. Hope you guys have been well too!
2. You’ve spent the last couple of years writing, producing and experimenting with your sound. What changed for you creatively during that time, and how did it lead you to the music you’re making now?
So much changed for me creatively during that time. 2023 was a massive year. I had just come back from working as an actor on Juliet & Romeo, and the experience really opened my eyes to my potential as a musician and storyteller. I started experimenting with analogue gear, drum machines, synth-based textures, grittier guitars, and a much more directional approach to expressing what I was feeling internally. A lot of that was influenced by spending three months in Europe for the film.
Then, during the SAG strike, I suddenly had a few months to create, and I ended up writing a string of songs that somehow started making sense all together. Looking back, I realized I had been subconsciously building a concept and a vision. I didn’t fully understand what it was at the time, but eventually the bigger picture revealed itself.
3. “RETRO” introduces a grittier, more experimental pop-rock sound than some of your earlier music. What drew you in that direction?
I was in a period where I was writing a lot of songs from the perspective of different characters who share my name in different stories. One of them was Max, also known as Electro, from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. There’s something about Electro’s angsty, almost possessed energy that really resonated with me as a creative. I started wondering what a new theme song for that character might sound like, and that led me toward distorted guitars, drums that really smack, and even altering my voice to create this almost villainous, possessed quality. Through experimenting with those techniques, I realized that all these different stories and characters I was drawing inspiration from were simultaneously helping me build my own sound and world. RETRO really became the culmination of that experimentation. In a way, it’s the theme song for this character I had been creating without even realizing it.
4. You’ve also taken on more of the writing and production this time around. Has having that creative control changed the way you approach making music?
Having that creative control at this point in my career has honestly been one of the biggest blessings. It’s allowed me to stop being so precious with the work and become much looser with my performance. I remember performing RETRO for the first time at the Rivoli, a staple venue here in Toronto. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that much energy while performing. I was belting the lyrics, stomping my boots on top of one of the big speakers, and completely losing myself in the song. It was captivating even from where I was standing, and that was when I realized I really needed to lean into my own production. I think when you bet on yourself creatively, the results can become something far greater than you initially imagined.
5. Your upcoming album introduces Maximus, an alter ego through which you explore identity, adulthood and ambition. Where did the idea for Maximus come from?
The idea for Maximus came from a few different places. First of all, my actual name, Max, doesn’t have a traditional long form. I started thinking that if I extended my name, I could write about an extension of myself, almost like a character, which gave me some distance from the world I was creating. I also took a lot of inspiration from Where the Wild Things Are. Max goes on this journey, leaving home, entering the wilderness, and eventually finding his way back. Maximus follows a parallel version of that journey. He’s leaving one version of himself behind and navigating everything that comes with growing into another.
6. How much of Maximus is actually you? Does having this character give you the freedom to explore parts of yourself that you might not otherwise put into your music?
A large portion of Maximus is me. A lot of what he experiences comes from things I’ve personally endured, but I also wanted him to feel universal and relatable. We all have things happening internally that other people don’t necessarily see. Maximus represents a protagonist who is quite literally in a coming-of-age story, trying to understand himself and navigate the world around him. In that sense, I think we’re all constantly navigating as we move through life. The character definitely gives me more freedom because it takes some of the pressure off me as a person. I can write about anything, even the really gut-wrenching parts, without feeling like I’m completely exposing myself. I can step into Maximus and tell the truth through him.
7. You’re also an actor, and recently played Benvolio in Juliet & Romeo. Has working with characters as an actor influenced the way you think about storytelling or character in your music?
Absolutely. I was starting to hint at this earlier, but Benvolio was a character who held so much internally. Playing him made me want to spill out a lot of things that I had been holding in myself. Every day on that set, I would put on the wardrobe and really embody what it meant to be Benvolio. I think that same thought process has carried over into this next project, especially with Maximus. I’m essentially putting on a different wardrobe and stepping into another character, except this time, I’ll be putting on a navy-blue suit.
8. Is there anything you’ve learned through acting that has changed the way you perform or communicate emotion as a musician?
What I’ve learned is that you have to be prepared and adaptable. Just like an actor has lines memorized for a scene, a musician needs to know their lyrics, their movements, and their performance inside and out. In both fields, though, the unpredictable can always happen. I think what makes a great musician or actor is how they respond in those moments. We hear about it all the time: an actor makes a scene incredible through an improvised moment, or a musician finds a deep pocket on stage and suddenly makes everyone forget they’re even in a room. Acting taught me that there are levels to the work. You have to put in the reps to create those moments of magic, where something becomes undeniable. That’s what I’m striving for.
9. You’ve talked about spending the last couple of years experimenting within Toronto’s music scene. How did being around different artists and sounds influence where you wanted to go next musically?
Venturing around the city, discovering new genres and learning different techniques really taught me to let go more. I recently became friends with an experimental artist who goes by bridge of sand, and doing a few sessions with him made me realize just how many different ways there are to approach production. I took a lot of inspiration from those sessions and have incorporated some of those ideas into my own work. I think that’s one of the beautiful things about art. We can be inspired by other people and still take completely different avenues toward finishing a song or creating a piece. There are songs I’m making right now that I’ve already started thinking about for projects beyond this single and album rollout. It’s made me much more conscious of compartmentalizing different creative ideas and letting each project have its own identity, which is really exciting.
10. “RETRO” is the first introduction to a larger concept album coming in 2027. When you wrote the song, did you already know what the album and the world around Maximus would look like, or did that develop as you went?
The album concept actually came to me during a lecture in one of my university classes, months after I had made RETRO and a few other tracks that lived in the same headspace. When I made RETRO, I had no idea what everything was becoming. I was really just setting some creative parameters for myself during a pretty unknown period in my life, and eventually those experiments started forming a much bigger picture. When the concept finally came to me, I knew I had to act on it immediately. I’m pretty sure I stopped taking lecture notes that day. I opened a Word document and, about four or five pages later, I had the skeleton of the entire concept. It felt like it had spilled out of me, almost the same way RETRO spilled out of me when I first started writing it on acoustic guitar. Those moments are some of my favourite parts of being an artist. When something suddenly clicks and you realize there’s something much bigger there.
11. This feels like a new chapter for you creatively. When people eventually hear the full album, what do you hope they discover about you that they may not have heard in your earlier music?
I hope they discover that this album isn’t just a collection of songs. There’s an actual story here, and I think it can be interpreted in so many different ways. I want someone to hear one song, move into the next, and slowly realize that everything is connected. The individual pieces are meant to make up a genuine whole. These songs are also the most real and authentic version of me that I’ve ever put into music. Some of them are unconventional, but they all live within a sonic palette that serves the story. Instead of the more bubble-gum pop I’ve released in the past, this project is alternative, character-driven, and experimental. I’m really excited for people to hear it.
