Armed with a 6-string, a harp rack and a stack of songs that harken back to the wrought folk rock of yesteryear, Max Niemann packs a punch that is as heartfelt as it is biting. Roaming a sonic trail blazed by country punks and folk poets immemorial, pre-Dylan on up through Tweedy, Niemann follows in the footsteps of the American troubadour lineage, propelling it into the present with songs that are as likely to strike a chord with the modern metropolitan as they are the lonesome wanderer. With his ever-evolving band of Fellow Travelers at his side, the group provides rustic backdrops for the hard-nosed yet intimate stories of human joy, suffering and striving that occupy Niemann’s songs.
Over the last few years, much of Niemann’s focus has been dedicated to fronting his rock ‘n’ roll band, Diet Lite, whose sharp wit and electrically energetic live sets have garnered the band a dedicated following across the Midwest and beyond. As he begins to ramble out in a new direction, Niemann’s performances tap into much of the same passion, though here the songs are stripped down to their bare essence. His first single, “Nowhere You Am”, a solo performance by Niemann, is out now. Max & The Fellow Travelers are currently recording their debut EP.
Maximiano’s music is rarely about just one emotion, moment, or person. Their debut album, “The Real Truth,” instead explores the way that experience flows through periods of growth and change. The songs shimmer, echo, and glide through tales of memory and identity that Piet Levy of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called “one of the most piercing and emotionally resonant collections of songs from a Milwaukee artist of the year… a towering achievement.”
The album, which Maximiano wrote, produced, arranged, recorded, and mixed, is adorned with a variety of sounds; piano, pedal steel, flute, clarinet, and more elevate the indie-folk core. With an all-star band of Milwaukee musicians (including members of Field Report, PHOX, Old Pup, and Ellie Jackson), the vulnerable americana-folk songs swell to cathartic, indie-rock peaks. Riding the waves of this folkestra, Maximiano sings tenderly but urgently about taking chances, missed opportunities, and reevaluating memories. The result is a flowing, expressive sound that, according to Erin Wolf, music director at 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, “captures the beauty that often comes from the newfound wisdom accrued in your stumbling, youngest years.”
“The Real Truth” is a lush, courageous, and ambitious first record from an artist poised to take up the lineage of earnest, folk-influenced singer-songwriters. Though their music will appeal to fans of Adrianne Lenker, Songs:Ohia, Sufjan Stevens, and Elliott Smith, the real truth is that there is no one quite like Maximiano.