Named by Rolling Stone as one of “10 Artists You Need To Know,”Max Frost is set to unveil his full length debut album in early 2015. The as-yet-untitled collection sees the Austin, Texas-based singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer brewing up an electrifyingly idiosyncratic sonic blend, a musical merging of soul, funk, hip-hop, pop, and electronica that saw last year’s breakthrough single, “White Lies,”lauded in such high profile national outlets as Interview, Billboard, Idolator, and NPR Music. Tracks as “Paranoia,”“Let Me Down Easy,”and the addictive new single, “Withdrawal”are fit to burst with energy, ideas, and inspiration, marked throughout by Frost’s all-encompassing aural approach.
“I hope the songs give a rounded representation of the music I've made in the past as well as a window into what I plan to create for the future,”Frost says. “I'm influenced by many genres so I wanted to create an introduction that displayed diversity but also had coherence.”
Now 22, Max Frost first picked up the guitar when he was eight, playing his debut live shows at 12 before developing his own eclectic creative voice in various projects throughout his teen years. His fresh beats and tight songwriting received local notice and the gifted young musician was soon invited to collaborate with such Austin icons as singer/songwriter Bob Schneider and MC/producer Kydd.
In September 2012, Frost left the University of Texas - Austin to focus like a laser on his musical career. He began playing more and more shows, winning over new fans nearly nightly. The April 2013 independentrelease of “White Lies”proved a instant sensation, topping The Hype Machine’s “Most Popular Tracks on Blogs Now”chart in both April and May while also scoring placement in a nationally televised Beats By Dre commercial that even saw an appearance from Max himself
“White Lies”drew widespread applause in top music blogs and other major publications. Paste hailed the track as “a jolt of energy,”naming it among “The Best Songs of 2013 So Far.” “A soul-pop gem with nimble vocal delivery, suspicious lyrics, and an irresistible groove,”said The Austin Chronicle, while My Old Kentucky Blog praised the song as “accessible, dancey…No need for multiple listens. This one will hit you immediately.”“The upbeat guitar mixed with the synthy electronic production come together to form a killer musical marriage,”declared Pigeons & Planes, adding, “If this is what the newcomer has to offer below the radar, it will be very exciting to see what he comes up with once he breaks.”
Frost released his debut EP, “LOW HIGH LOW,”with Atlantic Records on October 2013. The EP affirmed the promise of “White Lies”and then some, with the single, “Nice and Slow,”earning top 3 status on The Hype Machine blog rankings. The multi-talented tunesmith has stayed busy splitting his time between a nearly non-stop tour schedule and a crazy studio schedule. He shared stages with Gary Clark Jr. and Fitz & The Tantrums. Max also devoted long days and nights to the studio, crafting his debut album alongside such co-writers/co-producers as Benny Blanco (Maroon 5, Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa), Ant Whiting (M.I.A.), Kid Harpoon (Jesse Ware, Florence + The Machine), and GRAMMY®Award-winner François Tétaz (Gotye, Kimbra). “Paranoia,”the album’s premiere single/video, was unveiled in late 2014 and has already been greeted with out-of-the-box online acclaim. “Raucous, wild, and fresh,”said Baeble, “an echoing rock song, with bouncy beats, tambourine, and stripped down drums.”“A chaotic, bandwidth walloping force of black and white shenanigans,”crowed Rooster, while My Old Kentucky Blog declared the track to be “high-energy and loads of fun.”
Throughout the album, Frost takes his myriad influences and reshapes them into his own direct and distinctive music, offering new perspective on classic sonic ideas while also suggesting infinite future possibilities. Dynamic in both its sound and vision, the album is a debut for the ages, a warm and remarkably inviting welcome to Max Frost’s innovative and intuitive sound world.
“The songs all connect to polar emotional states in life,”Frost says. “At the same time, a small part of each of them are left vague and incomplete because that’s where a listener projects in their own life and their understanding of how it fits as a whole for them. I want to leave space in my music for the other person to project what they’ve lived.”
November 2014