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Singer/Songwriter Max Gomez grew up in Taos, New Mexico, where he fell under the influence of country blues early on and developed a songwriting style that was uniquely his. He received critical acclaim upon the release of his debut album Rule The World (2013, New West Records); and his subsequent EP, Me and Joe (2017, Brigadoon Records), contained a freshly minted classic, “Make It Me,” which has gained over 4 million listeners on Spotify alone.
As a budding performer, Max apprenticed in the rarefied musical micro-climate of northern New Mexico, where troubadours like Michael Martin Murphey and Ray Wylie Hubbard helped foster a Western folk sound both cosmic and country.
He has shared billing on hundreds of stages with stalwarts of the genre like James McMurtry, Buddy Miller, John Hiatt, Patty Griffin, Tommy James & The Shondells, Jeff Beck, and Johnny Depp. Judging by the company he keeps, Gomez is poised to emerge as a prominent voice of Americana’s next generation. The forthcoming album, Memory Mountain, will release this summer.
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Thomas Csorba is getting to the good part. On his forthcoming album, Windchimes, he delves into the slow, reflective and “at-home” nature of starting a family as well as the hopes and fears you encounter along the way. Windchimes unfolds as an exploration of life's seasons, a delicate dance through the past, present, future and the tension that arises as you navigate through it all.
When he last released a record in 2020 Thomas was unmarried, childless and cooped up in his house like much of the rest of the world. Now married, a father and releasing an album with a full team it can feel like a lot more is at stake. “Modern life can make you feel like you have to prove yourself to others constantly. I don't know if that's always great, but it's definitely something that’s a part of me,” says Csorba. Luckily, starting a family and the process of making Windchimes have helped to find a counterbalance to the pressures that come along with ambition - honest and open collaboration. Collaboration in a family unit, with business colleagues and of course with fellow artists.
In the months leading up to recording Windchimes, Csorba dove deep into co-writing with other musicians. He says of the process - “There's an aspect to co-writing that's therapeutic. The start of any session usually involves sitting down and catching up. Asking each other questions about our lives, troubles and goals. These conversations helped me prepare myself for the new season in life I had ahead of me”. They also helped him write his most personal collection of songs to date.
On songs like "Getting to the Good Part" and "Give it Time" Csorba invites the listener to embrace the unknown on the other side of tomorrow. Whether it's the sometimes exciting and sometimes frightening chaos that comes with parenthood or the inevitability that nothing lasts forever, his lyrics find ways that are both poetic and playful to describe the cosmic roller coaster we're all on.
The theme of perspective and gratitude continues on in the beautiful and nostalgic slice of the American Dream that is "Worth the Wait". A song that feels like the soundtrack to a home movie of all your best childhood summers. Complete with sno-cones and lazy days sitting by a pond with a fishing rod.
"I'm in a stage of life where I want to be focused on those playful things. I want to teach my kid that this world isn't a place to walk through with your head hanging down - but instead - look up, embrace all the beauty in this life, and don't take yourself too seriously.
"Back Up the Hill" is a rollicking number that bubbles over with buoyant horns and soaring background vocals. It asks the existential question "Am I capable of making something of myself?" The answer with a joyful wink and nod is that "There's only one way to find out".
The achingly beautiful "Grieving Angel" explores love that can't be broken by death, and the desire to continue caring for those you've left behind. "I don’t wanna be a stranger / Just another memory slipping through your hands / Let me be your Grieving Angel / If I can’t be your man."
The album, produced by Robert Ellis & Josh Block, was recorded almost entirely live and in one room. The production is classic and simple which allows Csorba's introspective songwriting and warm vocal performances to remain the focal point. While the recording is built around acoustic guitar, upright bass, and drums, the instrumentation isn't without surprises - pedal steel, mandolin, saxophone, flute (and yes, chimes) all weave deftly into the tapestry of Windchimes. The musicians’ performances are so stellar they feel effortless and create the perfect space for these songs to exist in.
With Windchimes, the 26 year old has found a voice that is wise, playful and only getting better. It's true that the path to success for an artist is steep and riddled with pitfalls, but if this album is any indication, Thomas Csorba is ready to dig his heels in and keep rolling the rock up the hill.