To most of the world, Max Lugavere is known mostly for looking - and reflecting - outwards, as one of the founding on-air personalities of Al Gore's Emmy-winning Current TV. In between shooting his popular late-night talk-show in which he tackles an eclectic mix of global issues and culture, Max was quietly honing his musical passions by playing one-off shows in and around Los Angeles - in venues ranging from the House of Blues to the iconic Hotel Cafe.
Naturally a storyteller, it wasn't long before Max soon amassed a collection of heartfelt songs that have been described as "gripping." "You can't have a casual relationship with Max's music," as a fan once put it. But it wasn't until serendipitously meeting producer Aaron Tap - guitarist for one of Max's musical heros-turned-friends, Matt Nathanson - that the vision for One Year Later really came to life. The duo recorded the EP over 2 months during the winter of 2009 at QualiTop Studios, in Los Angeles. It was subsequently mixed in early 2010 by Tony Lash (Elliott Smith, The Dandy Warhols) in Portland, OR.
From the opening confessionary of 'Fingers Crossed' to the hopeful refrain of the cinematic closing track, 'Weather Advisory,' the emotional urgency of the record is palpable.On the title track, 'One Year Later' - featuring guest vocals from Columbia recording artist Angel Taylor - what begins as a seemingly innocuous folk song quickly builds into a swirling, orchestral crescendo of pleading grit. On 'Deny You,' Max sings about being affected by a lovers past with biting prose: "All the missteps / your regrets /they all deny you." One thing, though, has been made abundantly clear with Max's One Year Later. To expound on what is merely alluded to in 'Weather Advisory:' Calamity certainly has become poetry - big, beautiful, musical poetry.
Naturally a storyteller, it wasn't long before Max soon amassed a collection of heartfelt songs that have been described as "gripping." "You can't have a casual relationship with Max's music," as a fan once put it. But it wasn't until serendipitously meeting producer Aaron Tap - guitarist for one of Max's musical heros-turned-friends, Matt Nathanson - that the vision for One Year Later really came to life. The duo recorded the EP over 2 months during the winter of 2009 at QualiTop Studios, in Los Angeles. It was subsequently mixed in early 2010 by Tony Lash (Elliott Smith, The Dandy Warhols) in Portland, OR.
From the opening confessionary of 'Fingers Crossed' to the hopeful refrain of the cinematic closing track, 'Weather Advisory,' the emotional urgency of the record is palpable.On the title track, 'One Year Later' - featuring guest vocals from Columbia recording artist Angel Taylor - what begins as a seemingly innocuous folk song quickly builds into a swirling, orchestral crescendo of pleading grit. On 'Deny You,' Max sings about being affected by a lovers past with biting prose: "All the missteps / your regrets /they all deny you." One thing, though, has been made abundantly clear with Max's One Year Later. To expound on what is merely alluded to in 'Weather Advisory:' Calamity certainly has become poetry - big, beautiful, musical poetry.
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