By Nick Christophers
It took the boys from across the pond, the Beatles, to ignite a fire in Max Vanderwolf to jump on the music train and make his own mark in the industry. Growing up Max was very much inspired by the magic that the Beatles offered to the world, and it was them that taught him how to build his own creative skills. Max sunk his teeth into music playing such genres like
postpunk, hardcore, various psychedelic resurgences, improvisational downtown noise/jazz, acid-jazz, scum-rock, anti-folk, metal and hair-metal. He would be instrumental with such groups as King of Kings and Naked Sun.
“The Beatles. It all goes back to the Beatles. Once you submit to the Beatles the rest is easy. And you don’t need any formal training once you achieve full Beatledom. Don’t get me wrong like anyone else. I’m a fan of the Minutemen, Lee Dorsey, Funkadelic, Tom Jobim, The Mothers of Invention, Smokey Robinson, Television, Jessica Pratt, Flaming Lips, Carla Bley, Gang of Four, Andy Shauf and the Meat Puppets – but the Beatles taught me everything.”
When it comes to genres of music, Max is not a fan of labelling music but engulfing it and appreciating its magic. Yet if he was to admit to one style that as he would say, “floats his boat” it would be Acid-Polka. Max has been influenced by and celebrates the genius of such artists as David Bowie, Patti Smith and Ornette Coleman. It is no wonder that he offers such a plethora of styles in his own music. His London band, Last Man Standing’s first album was “False Starts and Broken Promises” . He would follow this up with the EP “When The Fire Grows Cold/Extinction!”, the first to be recorded under his own name included legendary guest musicians Robert Wyatt and Daevid Allen of Soft Machine and Gong.
Max would suddenly move to London, the birthplace of the band that inspired him most, The Beatles. Living in London for almost 10 years he began work on the full-length album titled “12 Little Killers’. That album offered twelve tracks recorded in London and co-produced and mixed by keyboardist Sam Sallon. While in London, he worked on several recordings with producer/drummer, Chris Wyles and guitarist Chris Cordoba. His band Last Man Standing performed at such music festivals like Glastonbury, Reading Festival, Bestival and Wilderness.
His native land was soon calling for him and he returned to the US and landed in LA, but it was not the best timing as it was during the pandemic. During his time in LA he linked up with drummer, Angie Scarpa and bass player Chris Roy. He also brought in from New York Phil Alloco and producer/keyboardist Dennis Martin. Together they would end up working on the album “The Great Bewilderment”. The concept album captures Max’s experiences as his life in London spiraled down into in a nomadic rootless existence amongst the pandemic And other difficulties and eventually finding nirvana in sunny LA.
“Well, it was quite easy. LA just opened its warm sunshiny arms and I melted. After more than a decade in London and a year in Covid NYC it was very good to get space, light, warmth. But finding musicians and getting the process going in LA requires some chutzpah.”
Since re-inventing himself Max is now on a mission to release six singles in 2025. The first one being “As the Sun” which has already received accolades from fans and the press alike. Max has proven his ability to alter his talent and skills with new and imaginative works of art and these new singles should set the tone for what will eventually be a full-length album by the end of the year. Be on the look out for another inspiring sound that he calls the “Vandewolf genre”.
