Artist Spotlight

Exclusive Interview With Maxx, A multi-talented Pop Artist Who Is Making A Name For HerSelf In The Music Industry

Maxx is a multi-talented pop artist originally from Ocean Township, New Jersey. She began singing, performing, and writing at a very young age but never viewed it as her career because she was pursuing horseback riding. She has developed a unique sound and hopes to create moments to remember in her music videos and while performing. She hopes that the stories she tells in her music will help others feel less lonely and encourage them to find strength through their passions as she has.

During her childhood, she encountered traumatic experiences which affected her mental health. After suffering from depression and anxiety, in 2017, Maxx began to write about her feelings and experiences. That’s when her music became her therapy. Music saved her life, and it kept her prevailing through challenging times.

As maxx grew older, she began analyzing successful female artists’ careers and inspiration, mainly in the pop spaces. She identified with artists like Taylor Swift, Amy Winehouse, Billie Eilish, and Ariana Grande. When she finally moved to Los Angeles, she sought to find unique ways to create a fresh sound and brand that would be groundbreaking and compelling while allowing her favorite singers and other artists to serve as inspiration.

In her recent song Hostage she expressed her undying love for music and her relationship with her anxiety at that time.

Listen to Hostage on Spotify:

Hello there, welcome to Honkmagazine. Can you tell our readers about what really inspired you to write music?

Maxx – The first inspiration I had to write was the day I found out my great grandma passed away. I was very young and wasn’t really able to understand what I was feeling or how to process the emotion. After that writing and music became my way of dealing with all of my struggles and emotions. It became and still is a very healing and therapeutic way of coping for me.

When did you realize you were going to make music professionally?

Maxx – In about 2018 I was really trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life and what I wanted to go to school for. I was working with a voice coach at the time who suggested going to a music school. That sounded like a dream to me since I was never a big fan of traditional school. As music started to become my everyday life I began making it more of my personal life than just school and absolutely fell in love with it which made me decide to make it my career.

Tell us what is so unique about you and your music?

Maxx – What is unique about myself as an artist and my music is that I write about my deepest darkest struggles and traumas with all honesty and authenticity so my lyrics and sound come from a very raw and vulnerable place that I don’t let many people see.

Can you tell us about your latest releases and what inspired you to create them?

Maxx – My latest release is my song and video Hostage. For me the song is about my relationship with my anxiety at the time. I wrote the song while I was struggling with the worst anxiety I’ve ever experienced. I was shaking and couldn’t breath all day everyday. It felt like it was taking over me. I decided to write about it hoping to release it in a way which is exactly what happened. I walked into the studio shaking and once I was done writing the song I felt amazing! The song really helped me.

Can you give us a brief insight about your upcoming projects?

Maxx – my upcoming projects aren’t as heavy but definitely relatable. I’ve been writing in new ways about all kinds of experiences, some of the things I’ve been writing about aren’t even my own experience which has been a lot of fun!

What do you wish you were told when you first started making music that you think would help artists just starting out?

Maxx – I wish I knew to not be so trusting honestly. In the past I’d say there have been times where I gave my trust to people a little too fast which has had negative outcomes.

What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?

Maxx – Not much honestly! Music has become pretty much my whole life so when I’m not writing, singing, performing, or playing the piano I’ve found I have a hard time knowing what I want to do with myself lol! But I’ve always loved animals and nature, especially horses, so anything that involves that I usually enjoy. I also love fitness, working out, and going to the gym!

Any last piece of advice for those artists who just started making music?

Maxx – My biggest piece of advice would have to be two things:

Don’t compare yourself! Focus on you and stay in your own lane. Worrying about others and their work/progress will only slow you down and distract you from your own work. Your path is unique and specifically made for you so trust that you are exactly where you need to be!
Stay true to yourself! Don’t let anyone or anything change you for any reason. That can be a hard thing to do in this industry sometimes.

How can our readers follow you online?

Maxx – You all can find me on my Instagram @maxx.nies

To know more about me, visit my website: www.itsmaxxmusic.com and you can find my music on all streaming platforms under Maxx!

You can also visit my link tree for more:

https://linktr.ee/Maxx.nies

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Artist Spotlight

CircleKSK ignites an anime-metal collision on “UnBreakable Turn” ft. Anya J

On their exhilarating high-octane track “UnBreakable Turn,” CircleKSK and guest vocalist Anya J aim to combine the technical prowess of Nordic metal with the urgent melodies and dramatic flair of an anime opening sequence. Creating a cinematic and adrenaline-fueled tune with a melodic edge, CircleKSK has risen to prominence as an innovative act.

The deliberate fusion contributes to the single’s captivating nature. J-Pop and anime-song sensibilities contribute emotional hooks and sweeping, catchy lines; precision, dense riffs, and a sense of weight are brought by Nordic metal. Echoing the song’s vivid melodic contours, Anya J’s heroic and personal vocals and demeanor heighten the dramatic impact of the performance. The structure is based on the standard narrative progression: lively, evocative parts leading the way to more somber ones that ground the emotion.

The production relies on contrast so that lighter parts sparkle and heavier parts thud with satisfying force. As if CircleKSK were creating music for the eyes as well as the ears, this piece could serve as the score for a dramatic scene or the music for a violent montage. Not everything is surface-level, though; the emotional core remains. Anthemic and deeply personal, “UnBreakable Turn” combines the vigor of youth with the gravity of experience.

Artist Spotlight

Garth Adam keeps the flame of Journeysong burning with the new single “Three Fires”

Garth Adam‘s latest single, “Three Fires,” evokes a warm dialogue in a subdued studio that is intimate, contemplative, and subtly victorious. Adam candidly discusses the exhilaration of uncovering self-assurance in both himself and his songwriting, and this revelation serves as the driving force of the track. At its essence, “Three Fires” is a straightforward commemoration: the delight in transforming a modest idea into something extraordinary through patience.

Adam’s vocal style resides comfortably within a folk-influenced pop genre, which he characterizes as a blend of Neil Finn and The Lumineers, interspersed with elements reminiscent of Coldplay and James Blunt. The reference point is beneficial yet not confining; “Three Fires” represents Adam’s unique creation, an accessible, melodic composition that prioritizes artistry over novelty. The single, recorded in joyful sessions in Perth with long-time collaborator and producer Melvin Tree, exudes the warmth of musicians collaborating in a circle, with the vintage Studer analog desk imparting an analog glow to the final recording. Melvin, Dave Kelly, and a select group of skilled music students contribute backing vocals that enhance the track with harmony and impart a subtly communal, authentic quality.

The lyrics of the song emphasize Adam’s preferred motifs: travel, journeys, and the subtle transformations that occur during the voyage. However, it is not overly forceful; the songwriting is elegant, transitioning from observation to insight with effortless fluidity. Adam’s delivery conveys satisfaction; he is a songwriter who has witnessed minor concepts evolve into completed songs and has learned to trust that process.

“Three Fires” serves as a testament to the notion that skill and perseverance can transform a mere spark into something luminous. For aficionados of melodic songwriting with an analog essence, Garth Adam’s latest work is a comforting, exquisitely crafted ember to accompany one on their journey. It is a song that encourages repeated, soothing auditory experiences.