Max Frost – Intoxication

By starrymag | September 11, 2015

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) A psychedelic pop Kung-fu. I have difficulty using typical genre words because I feel they are kind of ambiguous at this point. I feel like it wouldn’t be descriptive. It’s kind of a psychedelic 60’s influenced rock pop thing.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Jimi Hendrix, Outkast, The Gorillas, Kanye West and Frank Sinatra

Q) Where did the idea for your song “Withdrawal” come from?

A) It is basically about the withdrawal from a person when you have separated from. It’s when you are sort of in that space when you are not sure – you’re in that limbo phase with someone where you are not sure if you are going to lose them or not. You’re beginning to feel what it would be like if you do lose them. The whole song is like a play on that where the whole analogy is a drug reference without being too specific.

Q) What kind of fan response have you gotten the song?

A) It’s been good! It went to #1 on The Hype Machine for a couple days. It’s only been out for three or four days now. Everyone is into it, but you never can tell until you play it live. That’s a measure of whether or not it is working.

Q) Being #1 on The Hype Machine’s “Most Danceable Tracks,” how did that make you feel?

A) That was great! I always love to see that because it is a really cool online democratic system. Hype Machine is the reason I exist, really, as an artist. They broke my first single and I had a few other songs go #1. So, I love Hype Machine. It’s one of the biggest ways I’ve been able to make fans.

Q) What is it about the song that you think fans have connected with?

A) I hope it is the melody and it’s definitely a danceable song. I think it is lyrically pretty original and it is just a fun tune. I hope that is what people are digging it.

Q) NPR and Rolling Stone named you one of their “10 Artists You Need To Know.” What was that like for you?

A) That was overwhelming because I listen to NPR every day and Rolling Stone is iconic. So, that is a huge honor and I hope that I prove them right.

Q) Your music was actually featured in a Beats By Dre commercial. How did that come about?

A) Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre picked the song – at least that’s what I heard. I’ve heard they were always in charge of picking the songs for the commercials and I got signed with Atlantic Records a few months before. I’m sure they heard the song through someone at Atlantic and decided they wanted to use it, which was really amazing.

Q) What is your writing process like for songs? Do you need lyrics before the beats?

A) I generally make a lot of beats and write to tracks that I make. I’d say it’s kind of like the hip-hop process. I make a beat and I’ll listen to it a bunch of times. Then, I’ll start writing to it and save little pieces of it. For every hundred beats, I probably get fifteen songs. It’s a lot of beat making and finding melodies and cool lyric ideas that fit them.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song?

A) I would love to collaborate with Danger Mouse or Kendrick Lamar.

Q) What is the feel and vibe for your upcoming EP Intoxication?

A) It’s a really danceable bunch of songs, but they are all kind of trippy and kind of dark – not necessarily super dark. They are a bunch of songs that all kind of lend to the theme of “intoxication.” Whether that is the intoxication of love, money or the fear of death, it’s all kind of personifying these things that aren’t drugs as chemicals that take over your mind.

Q) You are headed on tour with Wild Child tour in October. What can fans expect from a live Max Frost performance?

A) They can expect a lot of energy and a lot of different instruments.  I’ll be playing guitar, bass, drums, piano and maybe some cello. I think I’m going to get some cello going on this run, just for fun. It’s always a party and I like to see how activated I can make people, try to get people to react and move around and send energy back. A show is always more fun when people are sending you as much energy as you are sending them.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) I think it is the most direct outlet that you can possibly have to people who want to know who you are and what you are doing. I think it is the one place you can’t hide or fabricate your personality and your identity.

Q) What would you like to be sure fans know about Intoxication?

A) I played about 90% of the instruments on this record and I was a producer on most of it. I produce for a lot of different artists and I hope that I’m able to make a song that someone hears and enjoys, either it is my song or someone else’s that I have worked on. I hope people can come out to one of my shows when they start on the west coast in October.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thanks for listening and coming on this crazy journey with me. I hope they know their energy and acceptance of what I’ve been doing has been a huge part of keeping me doing it. And they make all this possible. I love and appreciate them.