Max McNown is a country singer-songwriter who grew up in Oregon. He packed his Subaru, drove to Southern California with his dad’s old guitar, and started busking on piers and beaches while working at Starbucks. Hundreds of posts and about 300 shows later, he has 2.5 million followers on Instagram and has released his album Leave On A Light.
In this conversation with Life FM’s Eloise and Baty, Max tells the busking story in full: the coworker who pushed him to sing for strangers, the rival busker on the next bench, and the Marines who wanted to sway along. He also explains why Isaiah 6:8 has stayed in his Instagram bio as his career has grown, how his name is a reminder to stay humble, and why the verse used to be Matthew 8:8. It’s an honest look at what keeps a fast-rising artist grounded.