Kat Harlton
Lead Photo: Provided By Artist
Singer-songwriter and actor Max Parker, is making his highly anticipated return to music with his latest single, RETRO. With over 2 million cumulative streams across Spotify and Apple Music, Max has built a following through his emotionally driven songwriting and anthemic pop sound. After spending the past two years exploring new sounds, producing and immersing himself in Toronto’s experimental music scene, he’s entering an exciting new chapter. RETRO marks a grittier, more experimental pop-rock direction and offers a first glimpse into the ambitious concept album he has planned for 2027.
I had the opportunity to chat with Max about his new single, his evolution as an artist and what’s next.
Kat: After spending the past two years writing, producing, and developing your sound, you’re making your return with “RETRO.” Why did this feel like the right song to reintroduce yourself, and what does it represent about the artist you’ve become during that time away?
Max: RETRO felt like the right song to reintroduce myself because it has the grit I had been searching for in my own sound. It also sits at the beginning of a much larger story that I’m building throughout this next chapter of music. In many ways, it represents both the sound I’ve been working towards and the direction I want to go with the music now, creatively speaking. There’s so much more on the way!!
Kat: “RETRO” signals a grittier, more experimental pop-rock direction compared with your previous emotionally driven, anthemic pop. What inspired this shift in sound, and were there any artists, genres, or experiences that influenced the new direction?
Max: RETRO was one of many songs I wrote in the year after returning from Italy, where I worked on the feature film Juliet & Romeo. Having more time in the studio allowed me to experiment with different songwriting approaches and explore sounds I might not have pursued before. Interestingly, the song began with the idea of writing from the perspective of a character who shares my first name. In a Spider-Man movie, there’s a villain named Electro whose real name is Max, so I decided to write from his perspective. That became the starting point for RETRO. Sonically, I was really drawn to ’80s music at the time, particularly The Police, INXS, Depeche Mode, and David Bowie. I even remember hearing a pre-chorus in one of The Police's records that sparked an idea I wanted to incorporate into RETRO. Those influences helped shape the song’s energy and attitude.
Kat: You’ve built an audience with more than two million cumulative streams across Spotify and Apple Music. How do you approach evolving creatively when listeners already have an idea of who you are as an artist? Is there a balance between honouring the sound that brought people to your music and taking risks that might surprise them?
Max: This is a really good question and something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I had some radio success with my first album and built a lot of momentum at the time, but stepping into film and continuing to explore other artistic areas of my life became an important part of my journey. When I returned to music, I knew I wanted to take greater ownership of the creative process and become the executive producer of my own work. That meant having more authority over the sound, the production, and the overall vision behind the songs. I think creative ownership is something artists should continually strive for. My longtime fans might have to get used to a slight change in direction, but the grittier sound still sits within familiar, accessible forms of music. I also believe the narrative behind this new project will give people another reason to connect with the songs, while hopefully welcoming a whole new audience along the way.
Kat: You’ve spent the past couple of years working behind the scenes as a songwriter and producer while immersing yourself in Toronto’s experimental music scene. How has being involved in that creative community changed the way you think about making music, and what have you discovered about yourself through collaborating with other artists?
Max: Being involved in the creative community has honestly taught me to let go a little more. I definitely have some perfectionist tendencies, so collaborating with other artists and seeing them in their element reminds me that not everything needs to be perfect to be meaningful. Especially with the rise of AI, I feel like there’s an even greater reason to embrace the human side of making music. Those little imperfections, unexpected moments, and raw performances are often what give a song its character. They’re part of what makes music feel real and relatable. That’s something the creative community continues to remind me of. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let go of the need to control every detail and allow the music to take you somewhere unexpected.
Kat: The title “RETRO” suggests looking back, yet the song introduces a new chapter in your career. Is there a particular meaning behind the title, and does the track explore any tension between nostalgia, personal reinvention, and moving forward?
Max: Haha, I like that you caught that juxtaposition! I think sometimes we need to look back in order to move forward. To me, RETRO represents something that feels original, nostalgic, or even like the first of its kind. There’s a real appreciation for the sounds and aesthetics of the ’80s and ’90s, and because RETRO draws so much from that ’80s sound, it also serves as an homage to an era and the bands I love. At the same time, I’m taking those influences and putting my own spin on them. So, while the song looks back sonically, it represents something new for me creatively.
Kat: You’re also an actor, which is another creative outlet built around storytelling, emotion, and inhabiting different perspectives. Do you approach songwriting differently because of your acting background, and has either discipline influenced the way you express yourself through the other?
Max: For this new project, I’ve definitely approached songwriting differently. I’ve developed different characters and perspectives throughout the larger narrative, and sometimes that even influences how I perform vocally on a particular song or within a specific section. Acting involves a lot of playing around, experimenting, and making choices that you might not necessarily make as yourself. Music isn’t so different! I’m trying to bring more of that same playfulness into composing and producing, whether that means experimenting with my voice, exploring different sounds, or approaching a song from a character’s perspective.
Kat: “RETRO” is the first glimpse of an ambitious concept album planned for 2027. When did the idea for the larger project begin to take shape, and how does the single fit into the bigger story you’re hoping to tell?
Max: The idea for this concept album started taking shape after I worked on Juliet & Romeo. I vividly remember sitting in a university lecture room after returning to school and having this massive “aha” moment. I realized that a string of songs I’d been writing before heading back for another semester could all fit into a larger story, revolving around a protagonist and his alter ego, who sometimes gets the better of him. What started as lecture notes quickly turned into a flood of ideas. Everything seemed to connect all at once, and I was scrambling to get it all down on paper. It was a pretty surreal experience. I remember getting full-body chills. It felt like something had landed in my lap, and I knew I had to run with it. RETRO fits into that story because, although the song radiates confidence and attitude, that might not entirely reflect what’s happening beneath the surface for Maximus, the protagonist. There’s a bigger story behind that confidence, and I’m excited for people to discover how it unfolds.
Kat: Concept albums often give artists the freedom to build an entire world rather than simply release a collection of individual songs. Without giving too much away, what themes, emotions, or ideas connect the music you’re developing, and how important is the listener’s experience of the album as a complete piece?
Max: I’d describe it as a coming-of-age story that explores a range of emotions, including angst, confusion, worry, confidence, false confidence, deceit, power, and strength. At its core, it’s about looking inward to better understand yourself, figuring out who you want to be, and finding the courage to keep moving forward. A major inspiration for the project is Where the Wild Things Are, a storybook I grew up with. I love the idea of using a character-driven story to explore emotions and experiences that are often difficult to articulate directly. For me, the individual songs are important, but they’re also pieces of something larger. I want listeners to be able to connect with each song on its own while discovering so many more layers of meaning when they experience the album.
Kat: You’ve described this next chapter as a new era of music, which suggests that the transformation goes beyond production or genre. Has your relationship with your own identity as an artist changed over the past two years, and what are you now willing to explore creatively that you might not have considered earlier in your career?
Max: My identity as an artist has absolutely evolved. I feel like this new music represents me more closely because I’ve had a much more hands-on role in creating it. I’ve been able to take the ideas in my head and bring them to life more directly. I also think it’s normal for artists to look back at something they’ve released and realize it doesn’t necessarily represent who they are in that exact moment anymore. Interestingly, working on RETRO has given me a new perspective on the song itself. I hear it differently now than I did when I first started writing it or even when I finished producing it. Creatively, I’ve been challenging myself to write in different genres and experiment with synths, textures, and instruments I wouldn’t normally gravitate towards. One of the most freeing parts of this process has been simply allowing myself to explore. Sometimes I’ll spend time playing with different sounds and following my ear until I stumble across something that excites me. That freedom has opened up a lot of possibilities.
Kat: As fans begin discovering “RETRO” and looking ahead to the 2027 concept album, what do you hope people understand about this new version of Max Parker? If listeners have followed your journey from the beginning, what do you hope surprises them most about where you’re headed next?
Max: I hope people understand that I’m building a much larger narrative with this project. These aren’t just individual singles being released into the world; there’s intention behind how everything connects. Of course, if someone doesn’t pick up on every connection, that’s totally okay too! That’s what I love about art. Everyone can take something different from it. But for those who connect with the story as a whole, I hope it becomes something meaningful to them beyond the individual songs. As for my longtime listeners, I know they’ll be a little surprised by the direction I’ve taken, but excited to come along for the ride. RETRO is just the beginning. Get ready to rock, groove, maybe tilt your head a little, and let some of these songs grow on you! I can’t wait to keep rolling out this new music!
Connect With Max:
https://www.instagram.com/maxparkerofficial