Max Fred from KC, MO recently submitted his new MaxwelLP. After being impressed with his gig calendar and the pure, raw energy that emanates from the man and his guitar; I hit him up for an interview.

Thanks go to Max for taking some time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions. Get to know more about this indie musician below.

Let’s break the ice. Tell us….who is Max Fred? Where are you from? What style of music do you create?

Hello! Thanks! My name is Max Fred besides singing, playing guitar and writing and watching music, I enjoy Major League Baseball, am an avid history geek, and huge Game of of Thrones Fan. I love living in midtown in Historic Hyde Park in Kansas City, Missouri and being able to go on long walks along Gillham Parkway with my wife and my dog and living within walking distance of Westport Entertainment District. I play alt-folk / bluegrass “Americana” music which is basically a fancy way of saying I’m a dude with a guitar who sings and writes songs, some of them in the vein of Bob Dylan, some of them more in tune with Elvis Costello and some I’m not even really sure where it comes from. Making music to me is an essential part of expressing myself and being able to share my emotions and ideas with other people is an exhilarating experience.

What’s your favorite part of the KCMO music scene? I noticed you have a steady stream of shows on your calendar.

My favorite part of the KC music scene has been the explosion of fans, venues and bands from Kansas City in the folk and bluegrass genres. There’s so much going on in Kansas City right now it’s very exciting. We’ve got The Westport Saloon and Knuckleheads, both really great and supportive venues and so many more that naming them all would take up a whole page. American Roots Magazine has also had a great impact. The International Folk Alliance Conference in February is also a great way to bring world class international acts to Kansas City and meet them in person. I think that the city’s had a lot of great things happening, with the Sporting KC Soccer Team winning the Championship a few years back, then the Royals winning the ALCS and competing in the World Series and the associated press and notoriety has been great for the city. It’s been wonderful to see the revival in this old bootlegging city.

What makes you and your sound unique? How do you stand out from the other writers/performers in town?

I take a very honest and barebones approach to my writing and performing. I want to tell a story with each song, but also to convey an honest and real emotion or set of circumstances. I also have a tendency to jump around a bit with genres, including bits of punk rock, jazz, bluegrass & country to create my own unique sound. I’ve also been told I have a very uniquely pleasing voice / vocal range.