Max Rae Unveils 'Way Too Nice' and Dives into the Journey Behind Her Dance-Ready EP 'Live & Learn'

Hiiii Max!! We are beyond excited to have you at Pop Palace!! What have you been up to this week, anything exciting?

Hey!!! I just got back from Disneyland where I got to preview the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride that isn’t open to the public yet! I also am working on and promoting some new music that I will be releasing towards the end of this year!

With Live & Learn set to release on November 22, you've captured a unique blend of sultry vocals and dance-ready beats, what was the process behind creating this EP? Was it an organized process or creative chaos?

This one was actually more organized! You never know what you’re gonna get, but I flew out to London and wrote 10 songs in 10 days. This first EP is the first five songs that I focused more on a pop/dance vibe while writing. I’ve never written outside of the US before, and learned a lot along the way, I even wrote some of these songs while on a boat which was a first!

I heard you have killer dance moves, do you have a favorite song to dance to?

Oh man, there are way too many! If I to choose, probably any Bruno Mars song, especially from his 24K Magic album.

Do you have any hobbies or passions you have beyond music?

As you can maybe tell from my first response, I am a Disney freak. I’ve been every year since I was born and it’s my happy place! I also love reading and learning. I’m getting my degree right now in music production at Berklee.

Why did you choose Way Too Nice as the lead single for Live & Learn? What about this track made it feel like the perfect introduction to the EP's sound and themes?

While writing this in the UK, I was exposed to new genres of music. UK garage music was something I found super appealing! It has a very Dance house type of feel and you can hear that throughout the EP. This song has a special meaning for me as well as my team thought this would be a stand out song!

What has been the most rewarding experience you have had during your music career?

I think so far my first ever tour as well as my first billboard charting song! Tattoo reached number 35 on the billboard charts, and my tour ran for over 20 dates in the UK and that was surreal seeing the fans sing my songs and being able to bring these songs live.

Finally, here at Pop Palace, we all have our own little 'Royal Court' of artists who inspire us and keep us going. So, if you could build your own musical palace, who would be sitting on your throne, and who would be in your royal court of all-time favorite artists?

How fun! Well, I think Bruno Mars would take the throne. P!nk, Michael Jackson, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Whitney Houston would be in the royal court for sure!