New York-based artist Max Ceddo left a stable career earlier this year to focus professionally on his longtime love of music. He is currently recording songs for his debut album and preparing for its release. Recently, he took some time to talk about the origins of his music and what's coming next.
What inspired you to move on from your career and pursue music full-time?
Max: Music has always been a part of my life and I have been writing and playing songs since I was about 14 years of age. So even when I was working in my non-music career to make ends meet and pay the bills, music was always there in the background in the form of a new melody running through my head, or lyrics I was tinkering with, or just a great title for a song. Music was always calling me as it felt like what I was really supposed to be doing with my life. And I did not want to live out my entire life with a sense that I hadn't pursued my passion and purpose. So having worked the 9-5 job for so long, I finally in the past year said to myself, "now is the time." And I was lucky that I had a whole bank of songs that I had written, molded and perfected over the years ready and just waiting to be recorded. So I suppose in a sense I have always been working in music, but my creative interests had been competing with my regular 9-5 job for my attention! But now I am working exclusively in music full-time and it feels wonderful, liberating and exactly where I was meant to be.
What was your relationship with music like while growing up and what artists do you consider to be influences today?
Max: I was the youngest of 3 children. My mother was also very musical and creative. She played the piano and could find any song someone suggested and play it by ear. My brother and sister were 7 and 9 years older than me respectively. They had already built up a huge collection of vinyl LPs which were just waiting for me to discover. These discoveries were the ones that were destined to influence me and shape my songs. They included New Order, The Stranglers, R.E.M., The Beatles, Prefab Sprout, The Cure, Depeche Mode and The The. In one room we had the stereo and I would spend hours sitting in the dark there listening to albums. And then during the day, I would be in the other room with the piano playing some classics or coming up with melodies and songs of my own.
How has your recording experience been so far?
Max: I stepped into a professional studio with all the gadgets, equipment and sound-proofed booths for the first time earlier this year. Prior to that I had experimented with my own home recording efforts including a Tascam 8-track machine that I have had for many years. And over the last 10-15 years I have had various versions of ProTools and I always seem to be learning more and more about that system. That education never ends. But my recording experience for the album I am working on now has been incredible. I work with chief engineer and producer Derek Rusinek out of Threshold Studios in New York City. And it's been wonderfully collaborative and exciting. I had delayed going into a proper studio for so long because I wasn't sure that I had everything prepared and ready. And if I learned one thing from the experience it's that you shouldn't wait and just throw yourself into recording, because you'll never be "100% ready." What's important is that you just go for it. And a lot of the magic happens during recording anyway when you're in the studio and you make little discoveries that improve the songs. A little improvisation can bring enormous value to songs that would have otherwise been a little too formulaic.
What are some of your favorite collaborations that you have done with other artists?
Max: Over the years I have collaborated with other songwriters. Fredrik Haag and I co-wrote the single "Everyone Falls In Love" which I released in April and together we have written about 10 other songs which will be released over the coming year. I have a song coming out in August where my good friend and the great artist Dane Terry came up with a wonderful orchestral arrangement for the song. That was a fun collaboration. And I look forward to future collaborations. I have quite a few songs of my own that I am focussed on releasing first but I am always open to collaborations because I truly believe working with other people brings you in a direction that allows for different and distinct sounds compared to what you would have generated on your own.
Where have you performed and where would you like to perform going forward?
Max: I have 7 of 10 songs recorded, mixed and mastered for the album. When I have the album completed I think that the 10 songs on it are going to be really strong numbers. And I would love to then go out performing to promote it. Definitely locally in New York. I am really excited about live performance and starting that part of the journey. I guess that is going to take some planning, set up and organization and right now all of my time has just been focussed on getting the songs recorded. Then the performing will begin. I am originally from Ireland so it would be nice to return there to play these songs too! I would travel anywhere to play a gig.
What do you like to do when you're not working on music?
Max: I feel enormously fortunate to live in New York City. I love it here and definitely see it as "home." So much of what I do when not working on music (which isn't a lot of time really) involves the usual city activities—going to restaurants, shows, movies, exhibits in museums. I like to jog in Central Park. I try to do some weights in the gym. Meeting up with friends. And every 3 or 4 months I travel back to Ireland to visit with my family. My Dad turned 90 last January and he is in great health thankfully. So I make a point to get back to Galway where he lives in Ireland regularly.
What are your plans for the near future?
Max: Immediate plans are to keep recording and releasing good music. The first 10 or so songs will go onto an album. I'll tour to promote that album and start working on the next album. There is a backlog of songs that I want to get produced. And also keen to start writing new music and collaborating.
What else would you like to share with our audience?
Max: Just wishing everyone a great Summer and to leave them with the thought that if you have a dream or a passion that you don't feel you are giving as much time to as you wish you could, try to figure out a way to give more time to your passions and purpose. I find that I am working harder now on my music than I ever worked in any other job but it doesn't feel like hard work because it's my passion and I am working for myself. I think that's a good thing to strive for as it mitigates future regret at not pursuing your dreams but also gives you great pleasure in your work. You may not be able to invest 100% in your dreams immediately but start looking at ways to give more and more of your time and energy to your passion.
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