Interview: Boston Based Artist Max Kennedy Talks About His Newly Released Music Video "On That Great Selection Day"
We connected with Boston based composer, guitarist, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Max Kennedy for an exclusive interview to discuss his newly released music video “On That Great Selection Day”, which was directed by Ben Crowell. This innovative visual took Max’s song to the next level, so it’s only right that we picked his brain about how the treatment of the clip was developed, as well as his creative process for the song itself, his goals musically for this year, and how he juggles his responsibilities as an artist and as a high school teacher.
After reading our Q&A with Max, be sure to stream “On That Great Selection Day” on Spotify, connect with him on his website and social media, and check out more of his music below.
If you had to describe your music to a stranger in three words, which words would you select?
Traveling, harmonic, landscapes
Describe your creative process when developing the "On That Great Selection Day" song, and new music in general. Also, what are some things that inspire your creativity as a singer-songwriter and producer?
I really think of myself as a guitar composer, so a lot of the writing I do is about trying out new ideas on the neck. I try to listen really eclectically - these days I've been listening to a lot of Beatles and Shostakovich and Bill Evans - and I'm also a nerd and study a lot of music theory. So when I sit down to write I'm often mixing and matching a few different harmonic concepts that I've heard recently.
My lyrics tend to be pretty personal - this song I was thinking about the fear and anxiety I face when I'm considering different possible future paths for myself.
Congratulations on the release of your incredible new music video; how did you connect with Ben Crowell, who created the video, and how did its treatment come together?
Ben and I actually went to high school together, so I've known him for a very long time. He's an amazing filmmaker and we've collaborated but not in a long time, so I knew he was just the person for this.
I had sketched out a couple thoughts in terms of aesthetic, and he decided he wanted to do a stop motion animation, which of course is a hugely time- and labor-intensive process. Once he started showing me pieces of it I was blown away by all the different types of media involved - illustration, collage, sculpture, photography and film - and totally in love with how he captured the feeling of the song.
With this music video now available for the world to enjoy, what are some of your goals musically for 2020?
I've got a couple new records coming down the pipeline. My band Big Fuzzy is releasing an album later this year and I've been slowly working on a solo album to release at some point after that, probably next year. I'm looking forward to doing some touring this summer and really hoping people will hear those records.
You're not just an artist, but a high school math teacher as well. Tell us how you juggle both of these obligations.
Ha. I ask myself that question often. With great difficulty! I love teaching and I love my students and I love making music, so I fill my time and make it all work. I actually took a year off of teaching last year to just focus on music, which was really renewing and helped me push forward some of these projects I've been working on. Fortunately as a teacher I get summers off which gives me time to tour, and I spend my nights and weekends during the school year making music. It's a busy life but it's worth it!