Kevin Max

Last updated

Kevin Max
KevinMaxandWindow.jpg
Max in July 2008
Background information
Birth nameKevin Max Smith
Born (1967-08-17) August 17, 1967 (age 56)
Origin Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Genres Christian rock, alternative rock
Instrument(s)Piano, vocals
Years active1988–present
Labels Northern, ForeFront, Motion, Blind Thief Recordings
Website kevinmax.com

Kevin Max Smith (born August 17, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk. As a solo artist following the band going on hiatus, he has recorded 12 full-length studio albums, including a Christmas album. From 2012 until 2014, he was the lead singer of the band Audio Adrenaline.

Contents

Early life

Adopted as a baby to Max and Elaine Smith, Kevin Smith was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. [1] Kevin went to high school at Grand Rapids Baptist (now Northpointe Christian). [1] He went to college at Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia. [2] Kevin Max Smith legally changed his name to "Kevin Max" in 1997 as a tribute to his adoptive father, Max Smith. [3]

Career

dc Talk years (1989–2001)

While at Liberty University, he met fellow dc Talk bandmates: Toby McKeehan ("tobyMac") and Michael Tait. They formed DC Talk in 1988 and went on to achieve great success in both Christian and mainstream music winning numerous Dove Awards and Grammys. [1] The band went on to win 4 Grammy Awards, 16 GMA Dove Awards, and other recognition. The band went on hiatus in 2000 to pursue solo careers.

Going solo (2001–2012)

Max's first solo album, Stereotype Be , released on August 28, 2001, was praised by Allmusic for "[combining] pop, rock, and world music to create a versatile and intriguing project.". [4] Artists Adrian Belew and Tony Levin of King Crimson, Larry Norman and drummer Matt Chamberlain contributed to the album along with Max's collaborator Erick Cole. It became a turning point in Max's career, as the project was a foreshadowing of Max's own brand of alternative music.

While Stereotype Be has developed a considerable cult following, it was not well received in the Christian music market. Soon after its release, Max was dropped from his Christian label, Forefront Records. Undeterred, Max began to slowly build his solo career through live shows and word-of-mouth. He released independent albums via his website, including Between the Fence & the Universe and a spoken-word collaboration with Adrian Belew, Raven Songs 101 , both in 2004.

In fall of 2004, Max's word-of-mouth strategy finally began to pay off. He played the title role in the Visalia Theatre Company / Hutson-Cavale Productions revival of the classic Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat . Later that year, he signed a new deal with Northern Records and released a second full-length album, The Imposter on October 11, 2005. He released a Christmas album, Holy Night, in time for the 2005 Christmas season.

In April 2007, Infinity Music announced that Max had been signed to their label for his next project. The Blood was released on December 26, 2007. [5] According to Max, "The Blood is not a classic hymns cover project or a white/homogenized version of black gospel or soul music. It's a sensitive and stylized adaption of the music that was at the root of rock and roll, blues and popular culture." [5]

Max has attempted to create a name for himself apart from DC Talk. While he does not shy away from vocally defending his faith, he has expressed a desire to create art with a universal appeal. He insists, "My music is for a Christian and a Buddhist to pick up and still enjoy, as well as for an atheist. But it is there to prod and ask questions: What is my worldview? What do I believe in, and why do I believe it?" [6]

In February 2008, Max starred in the independent film The Imposter . [7] In the film, Kevin plays a character named "Johnny C", a singer who becomes addicted to OxyContin and loses his family and job as a Christian music star. The movie also features Tom Wright and Troy Baker. [8]

In 2009, Max released Crashing Gates through dPulse records. It was critically praised as returning to his experimental side in the rock and pop genres. [9]

In February 2011, Max formed a supergroup with Broadway singer Tony Vincent and longtime collaborator David Larring. The band was tentatively named "Bad Omens". The three were writing songs when Vincent decided to drop out to pursue theater interests, leaving the new band in a state of pause. A song, "Control", can be heard on Max's SoundCloud. [10] [11]

On February 27, 2012, Max released Fiefdom of Angels-Side One, the first of two albums to coincide with the forthcoming novel series of the same name. The overall project were chosen covers of well known 80's rock songs, with one Kevin Max original and a Muse cover set to lush orchestration. Ology Magazine describes the work as "a new wave mix-tape played at full volume through the Sistine Chapel". [12]

Audio Adrenaline years (2012–2014)

In August 2012, Max became the new lead vocalist in a reunited Audio Adrenaline. [13] He continued with the band until June 2014, when the band opted to take a different creative direction. [14]

Max has also contributed vocally to other artists projects including Mark Heard, Jonathan Thulin, Marc Martel, Michael McDonald, 3kStatic, and many others.

Return to solo career (2014–present)

In late 2014, Max released two singles, "Infinite" and "Light Me Up". On March 10, 2015 the album Broken Temples was released. [15]

In 2015, Max released another studio album of covers of pop standards Starry Eyes Surprise. Max released Playing Games With the Shadow in 2016, Serve Somebody in 2017, and both AWOL and Romeo Drive in 2018.

In 2020, Max released spoken word album Radio Teknika with electronic pioneers 3Kstatic and in the same summer released Revisiting This Planet a tribute to legendary rock artist Larry Norman. Later that year, Max announced a new indie rock band called Sad Astronauts. [16]

In 2022, Max released the album FANTASY with co-production by Old Bear Records, Chris Hoisington. Singles Pure Imagination and David Bowie's As The World Falls Down were also released.

A Kickstarter campaign was successful in supporting the new album Winter Woods to be released before December 25, 2022.

In a statement made on his Facebook page, Max announced that he would be creating an album with Father John Misty Bassist, Eli Thomson in the spring of 2023. Elijah Thomson was also featured on Max's album The Imposter.

Personal life

In 1997, Max married Alayna Bennett. They divorced in 2003. In April 2005, he married Amanda Lynn MacDonald, [17] but stated in an interview that earlier the two had "a secret wedding and marriage vows were spoken and we had binding agreement together in front of a spiritual leader, but we decided to go with the public ceremony a little bit later." [18] They have four children. In August 2010, Max and family moved back to Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2016, Kevin Max bought a farm an hour southwest of Nashville in Centerville, Tennessee, and called it "Blind Thief Farm and Studio". [19] In 2018, the Max family moved to the Westhaven community in Franklin, Tennessee. The Max family frequently tours the states in a Winnebago/Mercedes RV titled Bilbo Waggons. It is estimated that Kevin Max has a net worth of $6 million. [20]

Max became vocal on social media about his politics and spiritual deconstruction in 2019 and 2020 during the pandemic. On the song "Shock Ra" from his 2020 album Radio Teknika, he proclaims himself a "gothic, hippie, inclusive, Jesus freak wanting peace", alongside other political commentary on the album. [21] Politically, Max has identified as an anarchist [22] [23] and expressed support for a number of left-wing causes. [24] By 2021, he specifically identified as an "exvangelical", though he rejected claims that he was no longer a Christian and said that he followed "the Universal Christ". [25] [26] [27]

Discography

With dc Talk

Solo

Studio albums

YearTitlePeak chart positions
US
Christ
[28]
US
Heat
[29]
2001 Stereotype Be 1220
2005 The Imposter ——
Holy Night
  • Released: November 15, 2005
  • Label: Northern Records
——
2007 The Blood
  • Released: December 18, 2007
  • Label: Infinity Music
——
2010 Cotes d'Armor (True Rebels)
  • Released: August 24, 2010
  • Label: dPulse Recordings
——
2015 Broken Temples [30] [ non-primary source needed ]
  • Released: March 10, 2015
  • Label: Blind Thief Recordings/Motion Records
3222
Starry Eyes Surprise
  • Released: October 30, 2015
  • Label: Blind Thief Recordings
——
2016Playing Games With The Shadow
  • Released: June 10, 2016
  • Label: Blind Thief Recordings
——
2017Serve Somebody
  • Released: July 7, 2017
  • Label: Gotee Records/SMLXL
——
2018AWOL
  • Released: June 8, 2018
  • Label: Blind Thief Recordings
——
Romeo Drive
  • Released: October 31, 2018
  • Label: Blind Thief Recordings
——
2020Radio Teknika
  • Released: July 3, 2020
  • Label: Blind Thief Recordings
——

Compilation albums

Other notable projects

With Audio Adrenaline

Collaborations

Guest appearances

Singles

YearSingleAlbum
2001"Be" Stereotype Be
"Existence"
"You"
2005"Seek" Between the Fence & the Universe
"Sanctuary" The Imposter
2006"Confessional Booth"
2007"Run on for a Long Time" (featuring Chris Sligh) The Blood
"The Cross" (featuring dc Talk)
2009"Traveler" Cotes d'Armor (True Rebels)
2010"On Yer Bike!"
"Unholy Triad"
"Exorcist"non-album single
2011"Take a Bow"Fiefdom of Angels: Side One
2012"Kings & Queens" Kings & Queens
(Audio Adrenaline)
2013"Believer"
"King of the Comebacks"
2014"He Moves You Move"
"Infinite" (featuring Rachael Lampa) Broken Temples
"Light Me Up"
"Cave of a Million Songs"Praise and Arrows(soundtrack)
2015"Clear"Broken Temples
2016"Girl with the Tiger Eyes"Playing Games with the Shadow
2017"Let the Day Begin"Serve Somebody
"Plans"non-album single
2018"Moonracer"AWOL
2019"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
|(with Michael Tait)		non-album single
2021"A Pearl To Hide"non-album single
2022"As The World Falls Down'"Pure Imagination""Coventry Carol"

Filmography

Music videos

Film

Books

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>DC Talk</i> (album) 1989 studio album by DC Talk

DC Talk is the first studio album released from vocal trio DC Talk. It is the most hip hop-oriented of all of their albums as each later album gradually progressed into a more rock-centered sound. Michael Tait stated that their original goal for the album was to sell 10,000 units. It sold 7,142 units in 1989. After their popularity spiked with the release of Free at Last, back sales increased although it is the only of their studio albums to not reach RIAA gold status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Talk</span> American Christian rap band

DC Talk is a Christian rap and rock trio. The group was formed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They released five major studio albums together: DC Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), and Supernatural (1998). In 2002, the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music called DC Talk "the most popular overtly Christian act of all time."

<i>Jesus Freak</i> (album) 1995 studio album by DC Talk

Jesus Freak is the fourth studio album by the American Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk, released on November 21, 1995, on ForeFront Records. The style was a marked departure from the group's previous releases, incorporating a heavier rock sound and elements of grunge that was popular at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newsboys</span> Christian pop rock band

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">TobyMac</span> American Christian rapper and singer

Toby McKeehan, better known by his stage name TobyMac, is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known for being a member of the Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk, staying with them from 1987 until they went on hiatus in 2000. He has since continued a successful solo career with the release of nine studio albums: Momentum (2001), Welcome to Diverse City (2004), Portable Sounds (2007), Tonight (2010), Christmas in Diverse City (2011), Eye on It (2012), This Is Not a Test (2015), The Elements (2018), and Life After Death (2022) as well as five remixed albums: Re:Mix Momentum (2003), Renovating Diverse City (2005), Dubbed and Freq'd: A Remix Project (2012), Eye'm All Mixed Up (2014) and The St. Nemele Collab Sessions (2019). He also has two full-length Christmas albums: Christmas in Diverse City (2011) and Light Of Christmas (2017). He became the third Christian artist to have a No. 1 debut on Billboard 200 chart with Eye on It.

<i>Welcome to the Freak Show</i> 1997 live album by DC Talk

Welcome to the Freak Show is a live audio and video recording by DC Talk. Chronicling the Jesus Freak Tour in the spring of 1996, they were released separately two months apart in 1997 on CD and VHS, respectively. A DVD version was later released in 2003. Each version has been certified gold by the RIAA. Track listings differ slightly between the two. Select videos included a bonus audio disc that remains one of the rarest recordings in the DC Talk catalog. The audio version won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audio Adrenaline</span> Christian rock band

Audio Adrenaline was an American Christian rock band that formed in 1986 at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. The band gained recognition during the 1990s and received two Grammy Awards and multiple Dove Awards. Audio Adrenaline were regular performers at the annual Creation Festival, Spirit West Coast festival, Agape Music Festival, and Alive Festival. In 2007, the group disbanded due to lead singer Mark Stuart's spasmodic dysphonia. During this time, they released eight studio albums.

<i>Audio Adrenaline</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Audio Adrenaline

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Tait</span> American contemporary Christian music artist

Michael DeWayne Tait is an American contemporary Christian music artist. Michael Tait met Toby McKeehan in 1984 when he was in high school. Both Toby and Michael met Kevin Max while attending Liberty University in the late 1980s, and together they formed four-time Grammy winning band DC Talk, with whom Michael Tait has released five acclaimed studio albums. Tait is the current lead singer of Newsboys, and one third of Christian rock group DC Talk. Tait also has had success in his solo career, founding a band called Tait in 1997. He toured as a solo act until 2007. He became lead singer of the Christian pop rock band Newsboys in 2009. Aside from singing, Tait is also a self-taught guitar player. Tait also has a sister Lynda Randle, who is a Southern Gospel singer.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Between You and Me (DC Talk song)</span> 1996 single by DC Talk

"Between You and Me" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released in 1996, it was the second radio and commercial single released from the group's fourth album, Jesus Freak. After the unexpected success of the grunge rock single "Jesus Freak", "Between You and Me" helped to bring DC Talk to a new level of success and solidify them as mainstream artists. The song later earned DC Talk a GMA Dove Award and is the only DC Talk single to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also a Christian radio success and peaked at No. 1 on both the Christian adult contemporary and Christian Contemporary Hit Radio CCM Magazine charts.

The Imposter is a 2008 Christian film that was shot in January and February 2008 in and around Burleson, Texas. The movie stars Kevin Max, Kerry Livgren, and Jeff Deyo, and is produced by Jeff Rodgers and Daniel Millican, who also wrote and directed it.

The discography of DC Talk, a Christian music band formed in the late 1980s in Lynchburg, Virginia, consists of five studio albums, three extended plays, and twenty-three singles. The group consists of Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait. They began as a hip hop group, but in the mid-90s they reinvented themselves as a pop/rock group. In both instances, they found critical and commercial success in both the Christian music industry as well as the general market.

"What If I Stumble?" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released in 1995, it was the third radio single from the group's fourth album, Jesus Freak.

"Like a Lion" is song written by Daniel Bashta and originally performed by Passion (with David Crowder) on the 2010 album Passion: Awakening. In 2011, it was covered by Newsboys as "God's Not Dead (Like a Lion)" and released as a single from the album God's Not Dead. The song appeared on charts during its release in 2012. The song charted in 2014, after the release of the film, God's Not Dead. The band performs the song, in a concert sequence, dedicating the song to the film's protagonist Josh Wheaton, at the end of the film. The song was released through Inpop Records. It is also heard in the credits of God's Not Dead 2 and God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Grammy-winner Kevin Max, formerly of Christian group dcTalk, makes his way back home to Grand Rapids". mlive. August 22, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Kevin Max | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  3. ↑ Unfinished Work. Thomas Nelson. 2001. ISBN   978-0785266303.
  4. ↑ Kittle, Ashleigh. "Stereotype Be Review". AllMusic . Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Kevin Max". Yourmusiczone.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Kevin Max Ready to Release 'The Blood' This Fall". Soul Shine magazine. April 20, 2007. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Kevin Max Starts New Year With New Movie, New Album and Rave Reviews". BREATHEcast.com. January 28, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. ↑ "The Imposter". IMDb . Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Soul-Audio » Album Reviews » Kevin Max". Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Playing: Kevin Max speaks about his new band, The Bad Omens (...his birth father's band) . • . interviews . • . . • . • . listenin.org . • . • . this is where rock stars SPEAK . • . •". Listenin.org. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Broadway singer Tony Vincent collaborating with ex-dcTalker Kevin Max « Mark Weber presents Christian Music Makers". Christiangospelmusicdaily.wordpress.com. February 24, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  12. ↑ Zaratan, Ruiz (March 5, 2012). "Album Review: Kevin Max - 'Fiefdom Of Angels: Side One'". Ology. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Music News, August 2012: Kevin Max Is The New Lead Vocalist For Audio Adrenaline!". Jesusfreakhideout.com. August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Audio Adrenaline announces new lineup with Josh Engler at the helm". The Underground. June 4, 2014. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Broken Temples review". Jesusfreakhideout.com. March 10, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Kevin Max And Erick Cole: Sad Astronauts". HM Magazine. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  17. ↑ Rimmer, Mike (May 10, 2006). "Kevin Max: The Imposter?". Cross Rhythms . Retrieved July 16, 2008.
  18. ↑ Mike Rimmer (May 10, 2006). "Kevin Max: The Imposter?". Cross Rhythms . p. 2. Retrieved August 22, 2008.
  19. ↑ "Kevin Max Bought the Farm (And You Can Rent It!)". newreleasetoday.com. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Kevin Max Net Worth: 2021 Case Study | Wealth Ping". November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Kevin Max - Radio Teknika". HM Magazine. July 3, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  22. ↑ Dennill, Bruce (October 29, 2016). "Interview: Kevin Max - To The Max, Or We Need To Talk About Kevin". pARTicipate. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  23. ↑ @kevinmax (August 11, 2019). "As for my political affiliation I am an Anarchist. Going back to the time before Kings, Queens, dictators & presidents/self governed but with understanding of natural law, under God- I'm simpatico with the teachings of Christ but believe in the individual right to self-govern" (Tweet). Retrieved October 4, 2022– via Twitter.
  24. ↑ @kevinmax (May 17, 2021). "Anti-war, Pro-Peace, Anti-Hate, Pro-Love, Pro-LBGTQIA, Pro-BLM, Pro-open mindedness Anti-narrow mindedness Pro-Utopia, Anti-White Nationalist Agenda, Pro-equality, Pro-Vax, Pro-Music, Anti-1%rs, Pro-poor, Pro-misfit, Pro-Jesus, Etc..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ Kevin Max [@kevinmax] (May 15, 2021). "Hello, my name is Kevin Max, and I'm an #exvangelical" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 30, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2022– via Twitter.
  26. ↑ Law, Jeannie (May 18, 2021). "DC Talk's Kevin Max says he's an 'exvangelical': 'Deconstructing' and 'progressing'". Christian Post . Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  27. ↑ Goins-Phillips, Tré (May 18, 2021). "DC Talk's Kevin Max Is Now 'Exvangelical,' Says He's Been 'Progressing' for 'Decades'". CBN News. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Kevin Max (Top Christian Albums)". Billboard . Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  29. ↑ "Kevin Max (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard . Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Facebook". Facebook . June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Noel (1995, CD)". 1995. Retrieved May 19, 2021– via www.discogs.com.
  32. ↑ "As Dreamers Do". IMDb. April 17, 2014.
  33. ↑ "As Dreamers Do - The Amazing Life of Walt Disney". walt. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
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