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“Don’t waste a minute, they’re here then they’re gone,” Max McNown reminds us all on his new single. “When it comes to this life, we only get one.”
‘Dead Set’ is the second single to be taken from McNown’s forthcoming debut album Wandering, out on April 12th via Fugitive Recordings, and it’s a song that speaks to the urgency of living every day deliberately and being present in every moment.
“Worrying about the future can cause you so much suffering, and for no good reason,” claims Max. “This song is about making the decision to approach every single day like you came back to life for the specific purpose of living that day to the fullest.”
At just 22 years old, Max McNown has already lived enough life to inspire a deep well of songs that speak to greater truths like these. Airing his vulnerabilities after overcoming personal challenges and drawing inspiration from his brother who was bravely fighting cancer, McNown packed up his songbook and drove down from Oregon to Southern California, where videos of him busking on a pier grew into a legion of supporters on TikTok.
After attracting interest from major TV talent shows, McNown auditioned for one and then decided it wasn't for him, and gracefully turned them down as he knew he needed to walk his own path. ‘Dead Set’ follows previous singles ‘Turned Into Missing You’ and ‘A Lot More Than Free.’
Mixing the raw folksiness of Noah Kahan and the stadium sized ambitions of Mumford & Sons, McNown sings the kind of songs that people will want to sing along with at the top of their lungs. The kind of deeply personal but widely universal songs that people carry everywhere with them for those moments when modern life feels overwhelming and out of their control.
The video for ‘Dead Set’ is premiering exclusively on Holler below.
“This video is made up of footage from my own life - memories I wish I could relive,” reads a quote from McNown that opens the video, a nostalgic selection of personal footage found in the singer’s iPhone, showcasing wholesome glimpses of him laughing with friends and family, playing with pets, scubadiving and skydiving. “It serves as a reminder to live every day like you came back to experience it just one more time… to be dead set on living.”
'Dead Set' is available here now. Max McNown’s debut album Wandering is out on April 12th via Fugitive Recordings. Presave and preorder the album here.
