Misunderstood Max
Once dubbed "the bad boy of Christian music," Kevin Max says folks had the wrong impression. Here, he discusses his music, his divorce, his poetry—and his reputation.
by Andy Argyrakis | posted 5/31/2005
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He's been dubbed the black sheep of dc Talk; some have even called him "the bad boy of Christian music." And some just think Kevin Max is a different bird altogether. From his time in the immensely popular trio through his current status as a solo artist, the hearsay has flown, the gossip has spread, and countless questions have been posed. Where exactly does the eclectic, eccentric artist stand on matters of faith, family—including his own divorce—and his solo career? In an incredibly open conversation, Max sets the record straight, divulging details on 2004's Between the Fence & the Universe EP, an upcoming Northern Records CD and a new book of poetry he's titled Divine Erotica. He may raise several eyebrows, but he also speaks honestly and from the soul.
What's been going on with you musically since 2001's Stereotype Be?
Max I've been writing a ton. I've teamed with Van Dyke Parks [from Brian Wilson's Smile sessions] and Warren Cuccurullo from Duran Duran and Missing Persons. I moved to L.A. and really wanted to hone my songwriting skills on my next project. Why am I writing? What am I writing? What am I passionate about?
Did those sessions result in Between the Fence & the Universe or something else?
Max
Between the Fence is just an unfinished demo I decided to put out for my listeners, who've been wanting to hear something new since Stereotype Be. But I think my next project—The Impostor, releasing around the end of August—is going to lay to rest any question people out there had wondering what I've been up to. I've been working and crafting it for quite some time, but the funny thing is, it's on a very low budget and a very small studio as opposed to Stereotype Be, which was a $200,000-plus project with some of the best players in the world.
What's with the decision to downsize?
Max I wanted to scale it back from the beginning. I kind of wanted to do it myself and was going to put up the cash and then look for labels. But in the process of touring and doing shows in the West Coast area, I was led to Northern Records through this conclave of artists I was working with. Northern started to get interested in what I was writing, and they're really into bringing this music out to the people.
Why the move from Nashville to L.A.?
Max I felt like I had had run my course in Nashville, that I hit the ceiling a couple times and bounced back. I don't feel like I'm a better artist than anyone in the city; it's just that creatively I was being shut down on many different levels. It's no one's fault really, just me being kind of uninspired. L.A. was the easiest connector because it was the place I knew very well during the Virgin [Records] days of dc Talk.
L.A. is a bigger Nashville and another industry town, but not as many people notice me there. [In Nashville] I'd go out and people would whisper, "Is that a margarita in his hand?" No, it's a Diet Coke! It gets tiring and under your skin after awhile.
It was incredibly tough for me to go through my divorce in Nashville as well. I wanted my divorce to be very private. We'd been in counseling for a year and though there was a major reason for [the divorce]. It wasn't anything people would be all shocked about, which is just another example of how Nashville completely took things and went to the very end of the spectrum in the negative.
Why do you think that attitude arose?
Max I think it's the Bible Belt. I would've hoped for a little more graciousness and understanding. It was really tough and actually made me become very isolated. I want to talk and explain to people that I'm on their side and I believe much that they believe. But I also think there's something missing in the church and this industry—that graciousness and that freedom to allow an individual to be an individual and to learn. You don't want to let them get away with murder, but you do want them to be supportive. I'm all for tough love if you have a relationship with that person, but also not to judge on outward appearances without taking the time to really investigate someone's soul.
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