Meet Max McNown: The 23-Year-Old Solidifying His Star Power With Top-Notch Folk-Pop Tunes

This Oregon-born, Tennessee-based artist is already blazing his own trail.

By

Melanie Rooten

Originally from Southern California and currently residing in Music City, Melanie graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Journalism before beginning her career as a music and entertainment journalist. Beginning to write for Music Mayhem in August of 2023, she has also contributed to Holler, Country Now, Country Chord, Celeb Secrets, Celeb Secrets Country, We Got This Covered and Decider throughout her career thus far. When she is not writing, Melanie enjoys going to concerts and music festivals, binging her favorite television shows, spending time with her friends and family and cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners (of course).

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Posted on October 23, 2024

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Max McNown; Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Edwards

If you haven’t seen soon-to-be superstar Max McNown on social media — or heard any of his must-listen folk-pop music — you should definitely get on board.

Influenced by artists like Jack Johnson, Jon Foreman, Jim Croce, Amos Lee, Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, and more, the 23-year-old is said to “create the kind of songs that perfectly soundtrack our most intimate moments: times of intense heartache and tremendous loss, immense upheaval, and life-changing revelation.”

McNown’s raw talent and stellar storytelling has not gone unnoticed, recently wrapping up some shows with Michael Marcagi, opening for Corey Kent as we speak, and opening for Sam Barber next month. To top it off, he has his own series of headlining shows to kick off 2025 that are sure to solidify his space within the music industry.

In the midst of all the chaos, Max McNown exclusively detailed everything about himself and his musical journey so far with Music Mayhem. Keep scrolling for all of the nitty gritty details.

Musical beginnings

Kicking off the Q&A, McNown walked us through his musical beginnings, which were largely inspired by his brother, who was bravely fighting cancer at the time. Learning that time is of the essence, he packed his bags and drove from Oregon to Southern California at just 21 years old, which is when his music career really took off.

“I have always loved to sing throughout my life, however it was mostly contained to the shower or my bedroom until the age of 21,” McNown prefaced, prior to delving into the details. “I moved to California from Oregon to change up the scenery, and on my way out the door, my dad let me take his old guitar with me. I began teaching myself slowly and learned some simple songs by Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, which I took to the San Clemente pier to sing in front of passersby.”

Believe it or not, singing on the pier caused his career to skyrocket, resulting in a series of viral videos via TikTok. “I built the confidence I needed slowly but surely and began posting on social media, and some videos in reaction-format gained a ton of traction,” he explained, transitioning to discussing his social media success to date.

Max McNown; Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Edwards
Max McNown; Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Edwards

Social Media Success

Singing on the pier was just the beginning of McNown’s singing career and social media career, amassing a whopping 1.8M followers via TikTok alone, as well as a multitude of viral videos via the platform.

In our exclusive interview, the talented singer/songwriter transported himself back to his first viral TikTok, which resulted from a reaction video. Unfortunately, McNown’s response to the success was not entirely positive, feeling overwhelmed almost instantaneously: “I remember telling my Dad that I could feel myself being consumed by social media, and I had to check myself. When so many comments, good and bad, are flowing into your notifications, it can be overwhelming if you don’t give your mind a break. The most important thing I learned after being viral is to keep your head on straight and not let social media performance define your self image.”

Nevertheless, while it definitely has its flaws, social media has been a great tool for the budding superstar, building a group of loyal supporters who have been by his side as he has learned how to play the guitar, in turn, releasing some original music throughout 2023 and 2024.

@maxmcnown

Celebrating 1 year of “A Lot More Free” in Colorado. #maxmcnown #zachbryan #fypシ゚viral #livemusic

♬ A Lot More Free – Max McNown

Success in Country Music

Releasing a song every three weeks for over a year, McNown now has three EPs and a debut album out on all music streaming services, amassing more than 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

“It has happened so fast in the grand scheme of things, it blows my mind. It’s been my dream since middle school to someday be a successful artist, and watching all of it happen before my eyes has been such a blessing,” he reflected on his rapid rise to success. “From my conversations with fans and friends, I’ve learned that many believe life looks unrecognizable once you begin blowing up, but in reality, all it means is that you have been getting lots of small wins over and over again that have piled up.”

Because of this, McNown admitted that he does not feel much different than he did two years ago, although a lot has changed since then.

Grand Ole Opry Debut

Speaking of his rapid rise to success, McNown recently achieved an impressive feat that artists often dream of, making his Grand Ole Opry debut earlier this summer.

“I have nothing but amazing things to say about the Opry as an iconic show and professional team. From the moment I arrived until my departure, I was treated with the utmost respect and kindness. I am extremely grateful for that experience,” he reminisced.

Recent EP, Willfully Blind

While the rising superstar has a great deal of performances under his belt, he has been releasing music seemingly nonstop as well, recently dropping his third EP — titled Willfully Blind — last month, consisting of seven tracks: “Snowman,” “Willfully Blind,” “Fishing Line,” “Running On Empty,” “Macbeth” and acoustic versions of the first two tunes.

“My EP, Willfully Blind, is a sort of snapshot into where I was in my writing journey at the time it was written,” he explained about the EP. “Because all of this has begun happening pretty recently, my fans have essentially been growing and learning alongside me. The EP is an exploration into storytelling, and I’m super excited about how it turned out.”

Max McNown 'Willfully Blind' EP Art
Max McNown ‘Willfully Blind’ EP Art

Because “all of the songs were written within a relatively short timeframe,” Willfully Blind is a beautiful representation of where McNown is in his life as we speak, and all the while each song is “pretty diverse, both lyrically and melodically.”

While he explained that “picking favorites feels a bit like apples to oranges,” one track from Willfully Blind is especially important to McNown, serving as the focus track of the entire EP: “Snowman”

“Snowman”

According to McNown himself, “‘Snowman’ is an interesting song, because it’s written from a perspective of near delusion. It starts out feeling like a traditional breakup song, but as it develops, the listener learns that the track surrounds a refusal to let go of a past relationship. At the end of the song, the narrator feels like they’re ‘dancing in the darkness’ with the one who broke their heart, symbolizing a refusal to move on, and an altered sense of reality.”

A glimpse into his stellar storytelling, “Snowman” is arguably the most vulnerable song the 23-year-old has ever released, despite all of his songs “coming from a place of personal emotion and connection.” He continued, “Nearly every word that is written is inspired by some sort of experience I have gone through. That being said, because the songs are not word for word recollections of my own personal experiences, I don’t have much reservation releasing music that touches on topics broader than myself. In fact, I’m always excited to do so.”

Additionally, the music video for “Snowman” dropped earlier this month, and its moody environment — featuring McNown wandering across a snow-covered landscape while singing the song — definitely plays into its vulnerability, as well as its overall message.

Brand-New Single, “Hotel Bible”

Since releasing Willfully Blind, McNown dropped a new tune titled “Hotel Bible,” released via Fugitive Recordings and hitting streaming services on Friday (Oct. 18).

“Even the most confident among us doubt themselves at times,” he said about the song, which channels his vulnerable side yet again. “‘Hotel Bible’ follows a loved one who’s lost their ability to trust and love themselves, but as the lyrics illustrate, even in the darkness of self doubt, there can also be light.”

The Oregon native continued, “The song is meant to serve as a reminder of the best times of our lives, when we inevitably endure the worst… to see value in the times we feel cheapest.”

Taking notes from other artists

Now that he has fully immersed himself in the music industry — working with Michael Marcagi, Corey Kent, Sam Barber and more, as mentioned previously — McNown has been keeping his eyes peeled for any tips and tricks that these artists may teach him along the way. Believe it or not, he admitted to having studied every artist he’s supported on tour to date.

“It may sound strange but on the road I’ve studied every artist that I’ve opened for,” he prefaced, prior to delving into the details. “There is such a vast amount of knowledge required to survive this industry and I have taken lessons from everyone I’ve been fortunate enough to support on the road. From the genuine kindness and balance of faith and career with Briscoe, to the energy and showmanship of the 502s, I’ve been paying attention and doing my best to make the most of every opportunity.”

Goals and Plans for 2025

Nowadays, McNown has “over a year of new music ready to go,” telling Music Mayhem that his “sights are set on the stars” as he heads into the new year. More specifically, he has a goal of selling out the Gorge Amphitheater in his home state of Oregon, hopeful to achieve this impressive feat in 2025 as well.

While the Gorge Amphitheater is not on his schedule currently, McNown has the following shows lined up to conclude 2024 and begin 2025.

November 2024

13 – Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY *
14 – The Hall – Little Rock, AR *
15 – The Cotillion – Wichita, KS *
16 – Cooks Garage – Lubbock, TX *
21 – Buckhead Theatre – Atlanta, GA >
22 – Coyote Joe’s – Charlotte, NC >
23 – House of Blues – North Myrtle Beach, SC >

January 2025

14 – Voodoo Room at House of Blues – San Diego, CA – SOLD OUT
15 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA – SOLD OUT
16 – August Hall – San Francisco, CA
23 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO – SOLD OUT
24 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO – SOLD OUT
25 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT – SOLD OUT
26 – The State Room – Salt Lake City, UT – SOLD OUT
28 – Polaris Hall – Portland, OR – SOLD OUT
29 – Polaris Hall – Portland, OR – SOLD OUT
30 – Barboza – Seattle, WA – SOLD OUT
31 – Barboza – Seattle, WA – SOLD OUT

February 2025

5 – 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN – SOLD OUT
6 – 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN – SOLD OUT
7 – Schubas – Chicago, IL – SOLD OUT
8 – Schubas – Chicago, IL – SOLD OUT
12 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
14 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
16 – The Atlantis – Washington, DC
22 – EXIT/IN – Nashville, TN – SOLD OUT
23 – EXIT/IN – Nashville, TN

* Opening for Sam Barber
> Opening for Corey Kent

Nevertheless, will his dreams become a reality? Based on McNown’s success so far, we are confident that they will, but the only way to find out for yourself is to connect with the soon-to-be superstar on social media: TikTok @maxmcnown and Instagram @maxmcnown.

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Originally from Southern California and currently residing in Music City, Melanie graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in Journalism before beginning her career as a music and entertainment journalist. Beginning to write for Music Mayhem in August of 2023, she has also contributed to Holler, Country Now, Country Chord, Celeb Secrets, Celeb Secrets Country, We Got This Covered and Decider throughout her career thus far. When she is not writing, Melanie enjoys going to concerts and music festivals, binging her favorite television shows, spending time with her friends and family and cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners (of course).

See more posts from Melanie Rooten

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