Maxime. – mile end (kiss ur friends) – track by track

Canadian alternative artist and producer, Maxime., has shared his new EP, mile end (kiss ur friends).

The songwriter has started to gain traction within his home city of Ottawa and beyond thanks to his DIY approach to writing off-kilter and infectious anti-pop tunes. Proving to be a versatile creative, Maxime. writes, produces, performs and engineers everything related to his art. The rising artist has just dropped his new EP, mile end (kiss ur friends) and it makes for such an enthralling listen. Maxime’s vocal delivery is smooth, his production work is vibrant and experimental, and there’s an element of unpredictability that keeps you invested from start to finish. The project as a whole thematically looks at Maxime.’s highs and lows over the last few years, including his move to the diverse neighbourhood of Mile End in Montreal,  some of his childhood memories, broken relationships, and moments of personal growth he’s experienced. Undoubtedly, it’s a body of work which is striking and acts as a clear example of why this songwriter is continually making waves.

To celebrate the release of his new EP, Maxime. has penned a track-by-track playlist for 1883 Magazine where he delved into the meaning behind each song on the six-track extended play.

 

mile end

The first track I wrote on the EP. I spent the first 20 some years of my life in Ottawa Ontario, the capital of Canada. Love Ottawa for what it is but I felt I had had my fill of the city. Finally I decided to make a change and landed on Montreal as the next place to call home. Mile End is the name of the borough I lived in in this beautiful city. I left behind lots of friends and family in my hometown, and this song explores some of that; as well as childhood memories growing up in a city which I mostly pulled from talks with my dad about the shenanigans he got up to.

 

vacation

This song only exists because of Zoom. I met a wonderful man named Franco Reid over the internet and he is the only person I’ve really successfully collaborated with wirelessly. This song is basically about getting tired of and ending a rocky relationship. This was a fun writing exercise because, while I certainly have experience in this department from the past, my current (beautiful) girlfriend (who I love very much) would overhear me recording this song (which is in no way about her) and have a few questions for me.

 

mint condition (good as new)

This one is about dealing with anxiety and insomnia. I am so happy with how the sound and feel of this song came out. The happy-go-lucky melodies in the pre-chorus against the chaotic chorus really paint the picture I wanted. Since the pandemic, both anxiety and insomnia have been rough for me and writing this song during a sleepless night was incredibly cathartic. Sometimes it just feels good to whine a lil, and that’s what I’m doing with this song. Wah. I’m a big baby. Let me drink a beer and take a two-hour long nap on a Tuesday.

 

cherry stems

This one I originally came up with the idea after a fancy dinner I paid way too much money for. One of the appetizers was foie gras with a sour cherry coulis on top. Tasted okay, but I found out that I’m newly allergic to cherries. This was a pretty tough pill for me to swallow because I grew up loving cherries. Also because it made my throat swell up a little. When I was a kid my grandma used to buy this sour cherry jam and I loved that shit. Goddamn it.

 

wedgie

Sonically (i hate that word) my best song to date. I’m a proud guy about this one. The magic I felt the day I started this one is why I make music. The bassline and how it just stays glued to the drums make me very happy. And the little BAH BAH BAH BA-DAH part is so fun. I love it. Lyrically this one is firmly in the complainer category, but more so about how personal growth can feel contractionary at times. 1 step forward 2 steps back type beat. I think I was sad when I wrote this but I am happy it doesn’t sound like I was. This song is too fun to be sad while listening to it.

 

demo

This is a little mini song that was originally the outro of wedgie. I loved it so much I expanded on it and turned it into its own little thing. There is something so cool to me about melodic guitar chugging. The lyrics to this song have been lost to time since I forgot to write them down, but I think that’s okay. It doesn’t matter what I’m saying in this one, it’s about the feeling I think.

 

Maxime.’s mile end (kiss ur friends) EP is out now. Follow Maximemusic

The video for wedgie it out now below.

 

Intro Cameron Poole

Photography Lucas Kuhl

 

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