MAX JURY - COFFEE HOUSE SESSION
- Mar 20, 2016
- 8 min read
Max Jury is a solo Artist from Iowa with a great soulful and relaxing sound. I caught up with him in London during his Coffee House Sessions tour to find out a bit more about him. Max has had a great start to his career working with producer Inflo, supporting Lana Del Rey on her tour and most recently his single Numb has been pushed by the likes of Annie Mac and Hugh Stevens from Radio 1.
Welcome
Max: Thanks for having me!
You are From Iowa, what is it like to grow up from a musical perspective?
M: It was great, for the most part, when I was a child there were plenty of opportunities for me to study music from an early age and be involved in that capacity I took music lesseons every since I was 2 or 3, and its always been an important part of my life, the way I live, music.
When I was 10 or 11 there was this class I could take. I don’t know what you would call it, like jazz combo, jazz groups you could learn to play jazz music and sing jazz music once a week at this Church, so I did that and I learnt music theory through that stuff. So from a learning perspective, there were a lot of opportunities and my parents were great at forcing me, not forcing me.. but making sure I did those things, when I was 10 years old I didn’t really give a sh*t about music I wants to play basketball or go to the mall! But when I found it was something I enjoyed, I had the skill set to fall back on, which I guess was helpful. In terms of the music scene its growing.
I feel like there’s, I don’t know if it’s a resurgence or if is getting hot but theres a lot of bands that are doing well right now, Holy White Hounds, Christopher the Conqueror, I don’t know there seems to be a developing art seen, and people are taking it more seriously. When I was in high school and playing the clubs in that circuit, it didn't quite seem that way, but in the last 5 years I think live music has become much more a part of night life and culture and I have a tonne of great friends there and a tonne of opportunities to jam with people and hangout with a solid crew of people who do this for a living as well, so its not too isolated.
Do you find yourself missing friends and family touring a lot?
M: I do, Londons not too bad, I have been here off and on, and for a month now. I have friends here, but yeah getting on the road can be taxing and it can get loanly, especially when you are a solo artits, I don’t know if you have met Bobby my tour manager, we have become really close because we travel all around together. I mean yeah it can be, I do miss my friends and my family, but it’s a difficult thing because I have been doin it for so long that… I don’t want to be mr pitiful because I have friends in London and I do have friends in Des Moine, but you do start to loose those after a period of time. Just because I am never home, so if I do go home its not like I can really call them, because I don’t really know them anymore, which is fine because I have friends here, everyone changes.
I read you briefly attended Berklee, do you have any regrets? You are doing well now so do you look back and think its fine?
M: I guess kind of on the surface level it’s a bit 'whatever' you know… A lot of good things came out of it, I met some of my band there and the connections you can make there are beyond amazing. I had reservations about how do you teach song writing, how do you teach the creative process. I guess that’s the old stand by question when it comes to going to school for something creative, and they have to grade you somewhere, they have to box you in somehow, and you don’t really want to be boxed in. I am sure everybody there was thinking similar things.
So I went for a year and left for a year, I was like, I am going to do this I am going to make it, then I realised of crap after that year nothing worked out the way I wanted it too, I am not writing, I am not doing anything. I went back, I managed to get my scholorship back, which was really the only reason I could go back because I didn’t really have any money at that point of my own, and my parents helped a bit but you know. So I went back and went for a semester, with the intention of graduating and go the rest of the few years, but I ended up signing a deal that winter break. So I made the decision to pursue it full time.
You learnt the Piano from a young age but you can also play quite a for more instruments such as drums and guitar?
M: Kind of! Maybe my bio stretches it! I play the guitar and maybe a few drums on the record.
Is it more self taught?
M: Yeah, its nothing to write home about, the older you get too and the more you are around music and you are touring and you are in the study constantly you pick things up because you get bored, so what do you do.
How would you describe your own music style?
M: From my perspective it’s a mix of what I am influenced by, some country, some soul, some pop, I guess I don’t think about it too much, I just try to write a song and produce it in a way that makes sense and doesn’t get in the way of a song or doesn’t sound cheesy! I don’t always succeed.
Your single ‘Numb’ has got gospel singing as a back to it. Is there an inspiration or a reason behind doing that?
M: One, that’s simply what I wanted and what I had envisioned, when I was making the record I wanted to bring that element in, that gospel soul element. Especially with the background singers because that is something I have kind of been wanting in my music for a long time, and I didn’t have the means or budget to accomplish, but in terms of it happening for that song, I was working with a producer called ‘Inflo’ in New York and he, was were playing the song and he just started singing this line in the background like what ever the singers sing, and we said, 'oh that’s cool that’s nice man!' So we brought the band in and the girls and the guys ended up falling along with that and the girls did their own harmonies.
They had grown up at church together, so they were seamless with the harmonies, they knew what to do at all times, they were really good. I just think that, that particular session just went that way because we had an idea at the spare of the moment, in terms of that song, but it started on acoustic guitar and it was more of Songs of Higher, Neil Young-ish style wise and, its just sounded really sad! So the gospel lifted it up a bit and brought this element of joy, jubilation. But I am glad the musicians were able to do that and pull it off . When we started the record I wanted to bring that element in and have it be less singer/songwriter-esk, if that makes sense, and I think we were able to accomplish that.
I read that you worked with Inflo, he has worked with people like The Kooks and Alicia Keys, how did that happen, you working together?
M: Basically through my manager, he knew him somehow or had heard his work on The Kooks and thought, ‘ooo maybe we could try this’. So we met for coffee one day, it was a long process of getting to know each other and working together. We got to know eachother and got to vibe with eachother. We had a similar vision for what we wanted to do, so we booked a couple of days in the studio and I think we ended up doing…Well we did 5 songs together but I think 3 are on the record, the rest just stayed at home.
As well as your single you have your album coming out in June, which is self titled, is there a reason for that?
M: Very creative I know! Laziness is that a reason?! I am just kidding! Nothing has been self titled by this point so maybe down the line I will think of something more clever.
The songs on it, the names are all quite introspective, was that a theme going forward?
M: A little bit! I was thinking about that the other day actually, I mean I don’t sit around a think about my tracks all the time, but I was looking at it for something. It is a bit like.. Grace, Princess, Numb, Feeling, Emotion.. It wasn’t totally on purpose, but I think looking at it I guess that’s what I name songs and probably because a lot of my songs are introspective for the most part. I try to write some funny ones once and a while, but I don’t know if it always goes so well. But Yeah I think it is because a lot of them are so auto biographical and introspective that it felt apt to name them that way.
Are you excited for the release?!
M: I am exited! I have wanted to do this since I was 17 or 18. When I was 18 I started coming to London and demoing stuff out and acting like, I am going to have an album out when I am 19 and its going to be so cool, and here we are and I am 24, it’s a long process but I am really excited, its being a long time in the making.
You have done some touring support artist like Ruffus Wainwright is there anyone you would love to perform with?
M: Its tough to pick one, I have one but its really random. I really like Cat Power. She’s a girl and she writes her own songs, she’s cool. So if she is listening or reads this I would love to work with her!
Who has been the best person to work with so far, in terms of other artists?
M: On the road, probably Lana Del Rey, I think she was the nicest and her team was the nicest and her fans were receptive, so I think that was the most positive, touring set up so far.
She seems very chilled?
M: She is, She is totally down to earth and cool, easy to talk too, very humble, she’s great
You have had quite a bit of backing from Radio Dj’s over here such as Annie Mac for Radio 1 amongst other stations like Radio X, have you found your music has been well received over here?
M: I think so, as far as I know people seem to be into it. I try to tell myself your happiness cant rely on what other people think of you, it has to come from within and you creating. Its 75% true, but its going better over here than in the states. Not that its going badly in the states, its just happening over here right now.
Future Talk! You have a small European tour coming up, is there any city you are really looking forward to visiting?
M: I think Copenhagen, Its really beautiful, I have been there once before. Paris, playing in France has always been good for me, so I am excited to do that, London would be cool, I am excited for all of it because I haven’t played with the band very much, so I am really looking forward to that. I think some of the bigger shows like Paris and London, more of the major cities we have a 6 piece band with singers, so I am really looking forward to just doing and experiencing that.
Do you get much time in the cities to be a tourist?
M: Sometimes, usually its 3 or 4 days where its go go go! Then theres a day off to explore the city, so yeah I kinda do.
Have you got any other future plans coming up?
M: Not much, release the album, get it out there, tour, start work on the next one (hopefully!).
Festivals?
M: We are definitely going to do some festivals, but I don’t know which ones to be honest. I am excited for that though! I would like to go to Asia or Japan! Have you ever been to Japan?!
No but it is on my list!
Thank you!
M: Have a good one!
http://www.maxjury.com
https://soundcloud.com/maxwelljury
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