SOUNDTRACK CREATION | ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - Max Scialdone -INTERVIEW

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT – Max Scialdone -INTERVIEW

by Cyberjam on April 25, 2022 in Uncategorized

For the second Artist Spotlight of 2022, we’re speaking with superb musician and songwriter Max Scialdone about his journey in the music industry. Last year, Sefi mixed and mastered Max’s new album ‘The Ghost of Grey Woods, Part. III’ – a fantastic selection of iconic rock song covers.

Hi Max, please tell us a little about yourself

‘I started playing guitar when I was about 12. I was pretty much into whatever rock was on the radio at the time. 90s rock type songs. Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc. But even more so at the same time like a lot of people it was The Beatles. And listening to them constantly! Music, in general, was just always in my head. I really couldn’t get enough of it. I was always in a bunch of different rock and metal bands throughout high school. I was always writing things down in notebooks and recording little song idea clips on a small hand-held recorder that I always kept with me.‘

How long have you been creating music and where did your story begin?

‘I ended up going to school for music in Oneonta after high school. It was there I started listening to a lot of different music. Going back and studying up on music from 50s,60s, 70s, 80s, and a bit of country music. This was also because I played in a few cover bands as well so naturally my journey into a lot of this music was already happening. I also studied a lot of jazz guitar in college. Through that I started to really dig into some stuff I didn’t know a lot about at the time. I met an amazing girl. And that’s where her and I started listening to things like Bowie, Talking heads, and Tool. So many more really but it’s impossible to list! I felt like I never knew what music could be until I really got to dig in.‘

Why do you write music and what inspires your creative process?

‘As far as writing I have just always felt drawn to it. And I didn’t even realize I was doing it all those years writing things down in my notebooks etc. I always loved the thought of making some music and putting together all the things I love and see how it comes out. It’s probably one of my most favourite things to do. Big time. I have always studied great albums and they were my whole world. I was completely in love with it.

Wrote my first album (not my first song) with my rock metal band that I was the lead vocalist called, Autumn Fire in 2010. We wrote another album after that as well a couple years later.

After that I wrote my first solo record called, “Days Like These”. It was honestly my first attempt at singer/songwriter/love song type songs. Which I have no idea where that comes from. Lol Next, I started a metal band called, Into Shadow with my brother from college and guitar wizard, Juan Canteli. This was a big turning point for me personally because I had been writing this kind of music and didn’t really have and place for it to go. And a lot of it went here. It was a very, “let’s try everything” type moment for me which I had never experience yet. We came out with our first album titled, “Unknown Darkness” which holds a place very near and dear to my heart to this day. All my albums do but this one in particular for a multitude of reasons. We are currently working on another album that I cannot wait to share! ‘

Who/what are some of your key influences in music that have helped shape your sound?

‘As far as inspiration it’s mostly other music. But also movies, stories, real life, fantasy, scary stories, mystery, etc. I really just sit down with a guitar and see where it takes me. Usually it takes me somewhere and then I record little bits that I like and build songs around them. All this going on while playing in cover bands and solo acoustic covers.’

What was your favourite song to work on from your album ‘The Ghost of Grey Woods, Pt. III’?

‘That brings me to my “Ghost of Grey Woods” cover series. I recorded part one and it was set to come out just before the pandemic hit. So it was mostly abandoned and not completely finished. So it was just put out and focused on seeing what was going to happen.

Then I skipped ahead to “The Ghost of Grey Woods Part 3”. Which is where I met Mr. Sefi Carmel and he ended up doing a stellar job mixing this album! It’s hard to say which ones are my favourite to work on with this album. I got to do a Tool cover which I have always wanted to do. I also got to work with so many kickass amazing musicians and friends on both of these albums. Working with them and having them help me make such a cool album was everything. It was a long process but I loved every second of it. And meeting Sefi was the final piece of the puzzle! Sefi was excellent to work with and I hope to do it again soon! ‘

What can we expect to hear from you in the future?

‘New things on the horizon are a new Into Shadow record, a new prog rock solo album, and hopefully plan to put out a Christmas record. Hopefully all in this year if I work hard enough! ‘