Rock Fusion The Max Allen Band

June 26, 2011

Rock Fusion The Max Allen Band
By Kristi Kates

Most of today’s up and coming bands - with good reason - don’t like to be pigeonholed, nor do they like to be limited. Indianapolis band Max Allen Band, who will be performing in Traverse City the first week of July, are no exception.
“This band has been influenced by way too many genres and artists to list,” Max Allen explains. “We like to call what we do ‘rock fusion’ - there’s some rock, rap, Latin, funk, blues, bluegrass, baroque, R&B, electronica - if it sounds good and it moves us, we’ll play it.”
See for yourself when the band plays the Loading Dock in TC this Friday, July 1.

SHAAN’S BEATS
Hailing from Indianapolis (“born and raised,” Allen says), Max Allen’s band formed in stages (no pun intended.)
“I met my drummer, Shaan France, through another friend,” Allen says. “My current drummer at the time couldn’t make the gig, so Shaan filled in for him. Later down the road, I needed another drummer to fill in, so I called Shaan again. A couple of months after that, the old guy called it quits, so I simply asked Shaan if he wanted the spot.”
Five years later, and France is still quite solidly the Max Allen Band’s man behind the drums.
“I don’t know if he’s good at putting up with antics (in general), or if he’s just become accustomed to putting up with mine,” Allen laughs, “but he’s one of the best drummers I know.”

DACE’S BASS
Bass player Dace Robie’s road to the Max Allen Band was a slightly different one.
“I will stand by what I have always said,” Allen states, “he was sent to me.”
Allen explains how he actually met Robie’s father, first, when the elder Robie was a stagehand at one of Allen’s earlier gigs.
“He told me he had a son who was a great bass player,” Allen remembers, “my thought was sort of like the bouncer’s response to the guy at the door of the club who runs the line, ‘my girlfriend is in there’ - I thought, ‘yeah, a lot of peoples’ sons are great bass players.’”
But a couple of months later, Allen’s bass player dropped out of the picture. “And I was left to find a new low-end frequency friend,” Allen jokes.
Allen tried out a couple of other musicians, but none of them “stuck.”
“Then, the same guy who introduced me to Shaan made a few calls, and came up with Dace’s name,” Allen says, “I gave him a call, he started filling in, and we just went with it - he’s been with us for about two and a half years now. So Dace’s old man was right - his son was, in fact, a great bass player.”

MAX’S MATURITY
Now that the trio’s firmly established - as is their own studio in Reelsville, Indiana (Big Walnut Records), Allen has recorded five albums, his latest with the Max Allen Band (France and Robie included) being their current set, Ending Sun.
“We’ve had great reviews on the album,” Allen enthuses, “I’ve had a lot of people say that they can see how I matured as a musician and a writer - although I still act like a child,” he laughs.
“I feel every album has to be better than the last - you gotta step it up, even if it takes recording it twice,” he continues.
The Max Allen Band - who actually like to sell their CDs in ‘bundles’ (“so you can get the history of the music we’re playing,” Allen explains) - are back at Big Walnut, and are also working at Indianapolis’ Static Shack, working on their next album, Everyone Thinks You’re Weird, to be released this summer.
“It’s our finest work yet,” Allen says, “we have string arrangements, organ, synth, guitar synth, and marimba, and we’ve been working with a great producer/engineer, Gary Mielke - his knowledge of music and recording is vastly greater than any of us in the band.”
That aforementioned guitar synth will reportedly be making an appearance at the Max Allen Band’s Traverse City show, too (“I know it sorta sounds cheesy, but it’s very cool,” Allen says) - but most importantly will be the focus on the songs, and the people who work together to craft them. Allen thinks the fans will see - and hear - the improvements in their next album, too.
“I’ve worked my whole life to surround myself with the best people I can,” Allen says, “and I think it will show with this next album.”

More info on the Max Allen Band can be found at www.maxallenband.com and www.maxallenmusic.com; the band will be performing at The Loading Dock in TC on July 1.