by iliana calderon
photo by tommy nowels
Up and rising artist Max Drazen has released his latest song, “Not Because I Loved You” and answered some questions about the new song and its meaning. He also talked about his musical inspirations and other genres of music he’s worked with. Drazen is set to release new music in the new year and hopes that his fans are excited.
Can you tell us a little bit about what your newest song “Not Because I Loved You” is about?
Max: “‘Not Because I Loved You’ is about my most recent relationship. It was really hard. There were times when I was being manipulated and gaslit and made to feel like all the problems in it were my fault. So when it ended I felt relieved but I also felt a sense of heartbreak. I didn’t love her but everything I went through during the course of those few months was traumatizing. It felt like a new type of heartbreak for me.”
Has this song differed from your previous releases at all in regards to concept or production?
Max: “‘Not Because I Loved You’ is the first of a string of new music. I recently feel like I found my sound. To me, being an artist is all about taste and I didn’t truly love the stuff I put out before it. I still believe those first few songs are great but not necessarily stuff I myself would listen to. It’s really important to me that all the stuff I release from now on, I love and feel unique to me, not just quality songs that I think people would like.”
You’ve listed some of your inspirations as Smino, J. Cole, The 1975, and Two Door Cinema Club. Did you grow up listening to different genres of music?
Max: “I grew up listening to everything. My parents’ favorite artists are storytellers: people like Elton John and Billy Joel. Storytelling became important to me from a young age. When Spotify became popular I branched out from classic storytelling artists and got into alternative music, R&B, and hip-hop. The reason I think pop suits me best is I can use all of those influences and turn them into one song. My goal is for my stuff to feel relatively genre-less as a result of my listening habits and inspirations.”
Where do you currently find most inspiration?
Max: “I mostly find inspiration in unique sounds and production. I often listen to Smino because his stuff is so boundless. His producer Monte Booker uses so many sounds that are, for a lack of better words, weird, but because of that really unique and cool. I gravitate towards sounds that feel like they have been untouched or unheard.”
Is there a genre of music you’re specifically looking to work with?
Max: “On top of my artist project, I write for a lot of other artists. I feel like what separates me from many people is my songwriting. This year my goal is to work in as many genres as possible in order to use the creative side of my brain in different ways. I feel like being able to write in any genre makes me a better artist. It allows me to pull from any inspiration and make it my own.”
Is there anything we can expect from you in the near future?
Max: “You can expect a ton of music this year. I’m super excited for people to be able to consume my music in more than just singles. With that will come live performance videos, a lot of dope content, and a glimpse into my process as a songwriter. I’m also starting live shows this year which I’m super excited about. I’m so excited to get into it all this year.”