Kevin Max Smith (born August 17, 1967) is an American

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

, and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group

dc Talk DC Talk (stylized as dc Talk) is a Christian rap and rock trio. The group was formed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They released five major studio albums together: ...

. As a solo artist following the band going on hiatus, he has recorded 12 full-length studio albums, including a Christmas album. From 2012 until 2014, he was the lead singer of the band Audio Adrenaline.

Early life

Adopted as a baby to Max and Elaine Smith, Kevin Smith was raised in

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. Kevin went to high school at Grand Rapids Baptist (now Northpointe Christian). He went to college at Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia. Kevin Max Smith legally changed his name to "Kevin Max" in 1997 as a tribute to his adoptive father, Max Smith.

Career

dc Talk years (1989–2001)

While at

Liberty University Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia ( Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Lib ...

, he met fellow

bandmates: Toby McKeehan ("tobyMac") and

Michael Tait Michael DeWayne Tait (born May 18, 1966) is an American contemporary Christian music artist. Michael Tait met Toby McKeehan in 1984 when he was in high school. Both Toby and Michael met Kevin Max while attending Liberty University in the late 19 ...

. They formed DC Talk in 1988 and went on to achieve great success in both

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

and mainstream music winning numerous Dove Awards and Grammys. The band went on to win 4

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s, 16 GMA Dove Awards, and other recognition. The band went on hiatus in 2000 to pursue solo careers.

Going solo (2001–2012)

Max's first solo album, ''

Stereotype Be ''Stereotype Be'' is the solo debut album of Kevin Max. The album blends progressive rock, world music (particularly Middle Eastern), spoken word, and traditional pop, with spiritual lyrics. Track listing Demo Sessions track listing # ...

'', released on August 28, 2001, was praised by

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

for " ombiningpop, rock, and world music to create a versatile and intriguing project.". Artists Adrian Belew and

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

Larry Norman Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 album ...

and drummer Matt Chamberlain contributed to the album along with Max's collaborator Erick Cole. It became a turning point in Max's career, as the project was a foreshadowing of Max's own brand of alternative music. While ''Stereotype Be'' has developed a considerable cult following, it was not well received in the Christian music market. Soon after its release, Max was dropped from his Christian label,

Forefront Records ForeFront Records is a contemporary Christian music and Christian rock record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo, and is a divi ...

. Undeterred, Max began to slowly build his solo career through live shows and word-of-mouth. He released independent albums via his website, including ''

Between the Fence & the Universe ''Between the Fence & the Universe'' is an EP by recording artist Kevin Max, initially released independently in 2004 and later by Northern Records in 2005. It is a compilation of previously unreleased songs that Max initially recorded for his sec ...

'' and a spoken-word collaboration with Adrian Belew, ''

Raven Songs 101 Raven Songs 101 is a spoken-word album by Kevin Max and Adrian Belew Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist ...

'', both in 2004. In fall of 2004, Max's word-of-mouth strategy finally began to pay off. He played the title role in the Visalia Theatre Company / Hutson-Cavale Productions revival of the classic

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ...

and

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musical ...

musical ''

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. ...

''. Later that year, he signed a new deal with Northern Records and released a second full-length album, '' The Imposter'' on October 11, 2005. He released a

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

album, ''Holy Night'', in time for the 2005 Christmas season. In April 2007, Infinity Music announced that Max had been signed to their label for his next project. ''

The Blood The Blood are an English, London-based punk rock band, formed in 1982. Led by Cardinal Jesus Hate and JJ Bedsore (AKA Colin Smith and Jamie Cantwell), the band formed in the early 1980s under the name "Coming Blood". Their music is a blend of ...

'' was released on December 26, 2007. According to Max, "The Blood is not a classic hymns cover project or a white/homogenized version of black gospel or soul music. It's a sensitive and stylized adaption of the music that was at the root of rock and roll, blues and popular culture." Max has attempted to create a name for himself apart from

DC Talk DC Talk (stylized as dc Talk) is a Christian rap and rock trio. The group was formed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They released five major studio albums together: ...

. While he does not shy away from vocally defending his faith, he has expressed a desire to create art with a universal appeal. He insists, "My music is for a

and a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

to pick up and still enjoy, as well as for an

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

. But it is there to prod and ask questions: What is my worldview? What do I believe in, and why do I believe it?" In February 2008, Max starred in the independent film '' The Imposter''. In the film, Kevin plays a character named "Johnny C", a singer who becomes addicted to OxyContin and loses his family and job as a Christian music star. The movie also features Tom Wright and

Troy Baker Troy Baker (born April 1, 1976) is an American voice actor and musician. Baker is known for his video game roles, including Joel Miller in ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and its sequel (2020), Booker DeWitt in '' BioShock Infinite'' (2013), Samuel ...

. In 2009, Max released Crashing Gates through dPulse records. It was critically praised as returning to his experimental side in the rock and pop genres. In February 2011, Max formed a supergroup with Broadway singer Tony Vincent and longtime collaborator David Larring. The band was tentatively named "Bad Omens". The three were writing songs when Vincent decided to drop out to pursue theater interests, leaving the new band in a state of pause. A song, "Control", can be heard on Max's SoundCloud. On February 27, 2012, Max released ''Fiefdom of Angels-Side One'', the first of two albums to coincide with the forthcoming novel series of the same name. The overall project were chosen covers of well known 80's rock songs, with one Kevin Max original and a

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...

cover set to lush orchestration. Ology Magazine describes the work as "a new wave mix-tape played at full volume through the Sistine Chapel".

Audio Adrenaline years (2012–2014)

In August 2012, Max became the new lead vocalist in a reunited Audio Adrenaline. He continued with the band until June 2014, when the band opted to take a different creative direction. Max has also contributed vocally to other artists projects including Mark Heard, Jonathan Thulin, Marc Martel, Michael McDonald, 3kStatic, and many others.

Return to solo career (2014–present)

In late 2014, Max released two singles, "Infinite" and "Light Me Up". On March 10, 2015 the album '' Broken Temples'' was released. In 2015, Max released another studio album of covers of pop standards ''Starry Eyes Surprise''. Max released ''Playing Games With the Shadow'' in 2016, ''Serve Somebody'' in 2017, and both ''AWOL'' and ''Romeo Drive'' in 2018. In 2020, Max released spoken word album ''Radio Teknika'' with electronic pioneers 3Kstatic and in the same summer released ''Revisiting This Planet'' a tribute to legendary rock artist

. Later that year, Max announced a new indie rock band called Sad Astronauts. In 2022, Max released the album ''FANTASY'' with co-production by Old Bear Records, Chris Hoisington. Singles ''Pure Imagination'' and David Bowie's ''As The World Falls Down'' were also released. A Kickstarter campaign was successful in supporting the new album ''Winter Woods'' to be released before December 25, 2022. In a statement made on his Facebook page, Max announced that he would be creating an album with Father John Misty Bassist, Eli Thomson in the Spring of 2023. Elijah Thomson was also featured on Max's album The Imposter.

Personal life

In 1997, Max married Alayna Bennett. They divorced in 2003. In April 2005, he married Amanda Lynn MacDonald, but stated in an interview that earlier the two had "a secret

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

and marriage vows were spoken and we had binding agreement together in front of a spiritual leader, but we decided to go with the public ceremony a little bit later." They have four children. In August 2010, Max and family moved back to

. In 2016, Kevin Max bought a farm an hour southwest of Nashville in Centerville, Tennessee, and called it "Blind Thief Farm and Studio". In 2018, the Max family moved to the Westhaven community in Franklin, Tennessee. The Max family frequently tours the states in a Winnebago/Mercedes RV titled ''Bilbo Waggons''. It is estimated that Kevin Max has a net worth of $6 million. Max is known for an annual Christmas show at his residences or local venues titled ''Winter Woods''. Max became vocal on social media about his politics and spiritual deconstruction in 2019 and 2020 during the pandemic. On the song "Shock Ra" from his 2020 album ''Radio Teknika'', he proclaims himself a "''gothic, hippie, inclusive, Jesus freak wanting peace"'', alongside other political commentary on the album''.'' Politically, Max has identified as both a

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

and an

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessar ...

and expressed support for a number of

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

causes. By 2021, he specifically identified as an " exvangelical", though he rejected claims that he was no longer a Christian and said that he followed "the Universal Christ".

Discography

With dc Talk

* (1989) ''

'' (

) * (1990) ''

Nu Thang ''Nu Thang'' is the second studio album from DC Talk, which was released in 1990. It was certified Gold by RIAA. Almost two decades later, the single "Nu Thang" and its YouTube video gained more recognition after a viral video was put up known a ...

'' (Forefront Records) * (1992) '' Free at Last'' (Forefront Records) * (1995) '' Jesus Freak'' (Forefront Records) * (1997) '' Live in Concert: Welcome to the Freak Show'' (Forefront Records) * (1998) ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

'' (Forefront Records) * (2000) '' Intermission: the Greatest Hits'' (Forefront Records) * (2001) '' Solo (EP)'' (Forefront Records) * (2002) '' Free at Last: The Movie'' (Forefront Records)

Solo

Studio albums

Other notable projects

* (1994) ''At the Foot of Heaven: a Mini Audio Book'' (spoken word,

Starsong Star Song Communications is a Christian record label that was started in 1976 by Wayne Donowho, who recruited his friend Darrell Harris. It gained notoriety when it issued Resurrection Band's ground-breaking debut album, Awaiting Your Reply in 19 ...

) * (2010) ''Traveler (Mora Brothers Remixes)'' (dPulse Recordings) * (2010) ''Unholy Triad'' (dPulse Recordings) * (2010) ''Unholy Triad Remix'' (dPulse Recordings) * (2015) ''Same Wavelength'' (Kevin Max & Service Unicorn) (Blind Thief Recordings)

With Audio Adrenaline

* (2013) '' Kings & Queens'' ( Fair Trade Services)

Collaborations

* (1995) ''In the Bleak Mid-Winter'' from ''Noel'', (as Kevin Smith), produced by Steve Hindalong & Derri Dougherty * (1996) ''Lonely Moon'' (from '' Strong Hand of Love: A Tribute to Mark Heard'') * (1996) ''Louie's Solo''

Petra Petra ( ar, ٱلْبَتْرَاء, Al-Batrāʾ; grc, Πέτρα, "Rock", Nabataean: ), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō, is an historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Ja ...

cover with Passafist, from ''

Never Say Dinosaur ''Never Say Dinosaur'' is a tribute album dedicated to Christian rock band Petra. The album includes 11 revisions and re-imaginings of classic Petra songs and one original composition by Kevin Smith of DC Talk. ''Dinosaur'' contained an eclectic ...

'') * (1997) '' The Canticle of the Plains'', (musical written by

Rich Mullins Richard Wayne Mullins (October 21, 1955 – September 19, 1997) was an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter best known for his worship songs " Awesome God" and "Sometimes by Step". Some of his albums were listed by ''CC ...

) * (1998) ''Save Me'' (from '' Awesome God: A Tribute to Rich Mullins'') * (1998) ''

Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many re ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

cover, from

ForeFront Records ForeFront Records is a contemporary Christian music and Christian rock record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo, and is a divi ...

' '' Ten: The Birthday Album'') * (1999) ''There's Something About That Name'' (with

Sonicflood Sonicflood (sometimes stylized as SONICFLOOd) is an American contemporary worship music band from Nashville, Tennessee, that has been touted as "The Fathers of the Modern Worship Movement." The group took the name "Sonicflood", a reference to a ...

, from '' Listen Louder'') * (2002) ''Just an Illusion'' (from ''Songs For a Purpose Driven Life'', Maranatha! Music) * (2003, 2009) ''

'' (collaboration with Adrian Belew, Blind Thief Publishing) * (2006) ''

Help Me Rhonda "Help Me, Rhonda" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys, appearing first on their 1965 album ''The Beach Boys Today!'' (where it was spelled "Help Me, Ronda") and subsequently in re-recorded form on the following 1965 album ''Summer Day ...

'' (from '' Making God Smile: An Artists' Tribute to the Songs of Beach Boy Brian Wilson'') * (2006) ''The Day Is Dawning'' (with

Jill Phillips Jill Anne Gullahorn (''née'', Phillips; born February 15, 1976) is an American Christian musician based out of Nashville, Tennessee, who brings a folk rock and roots rock sound with contemporary Christian music themes. Early and personal lif ...

), from '' The Prayer Of Jabez...A Worship Experience'' * (2007) ''Blue'' (feature appearance for Manic Drive, Whiplash Records) * (2009) ''Sugar Evolver'' (with 3kStatic, from ''Evolver'',

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...

) * (2010) ''Come Together Now (Music City Unites for Haiti)'' ( charity single, relief effort led by Michael W. Smith) * (2011) ''I Am Second'' (feature appearance for Newsboys on ''God's Not Dead'', Inpop) * (2011) ''A Name, A Day'' (from "of Shadows and Scars"] with Atlantic * (2013) ''Man On Fire'' (feature appearance for Newsboys on '' Restart (Newsboys album), Restart: Deluxe Edition'', Inpop) * (2013) ''The Living Years'' (feature appearance for Newsboys on ''Restart'', Inpop) * (2019) ''Love One Another'' (feature appearance for Newsboys on ''United'',

Fair Trade Fair trade is an arrangement designed to help producers in developing countries achieve sustainable and equitable trade relationships. The fair trade movement combines the payment of higher prices to exporters with improved social and envir ...

) * (2020) ''Under Pressure'' (feature appearance with Marc Martel) * (2022) ''You Did Not Have A Home'' (from ''Bellsburg'' album release) Old Bear Records)

Guest appearances

* Marc Martel -
Under Pressure
" * Michael McDonald – "Ain't That Peculiar" * Audio Adrenaline – "My World View" * Manic Drive – "Blue" * Jimmy Abegg – "These Daughters of Mine" *

TobyMac Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known ...

– "Atmosphere (Remix)" on 2004's '' Welcome to Diverse City'' *

SONICFLOOd Sonicflood (sometimes stylized as SONICFLOOd) is an American contemporary worship music band from Nashville, Tennessee, that has been touted as "The Fathers of the Modern Worship Movement." The group took the name "Sonicflood", a reference to a ...

– "Something About That Name" * Raze – "Forgive Me" * Newsboys – "

God's Not Dead (Like a Lion) "Like a Lion" is song written by Daniel Bashta and originally performed by Passion (with David Crowder) on the 2010 album '' Passion: Awakening''. In 2011, it was covered by Newsboys as "God's Not Dead (Like a Lion)" and released as a single fro ...

", " I Am Second", "Man on Fire", "

The Living Years "The Living Years" is a soft rock ballad written by B. A. Robertson and Mike Rutherford, and recorded by Rutherford's British rock band Mike + The Mechanics. It was released in December 1988 in the United Kingdom and in the United States as t ...

", and "Love One Another" * Michael Sweet - "This Time" on 2014's '' I'm Not Your Suicide'' *

tobyMac Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known ...

– "Love Feels Like" on 2015's '' This Is Not a Test'' *

Philippa Hanna Philippa Hanna (born 28 March 1984) is an English singer and songwriter. She has worked in a variety of musical styles, but is mainly associated with the contemporary Christian music genre. Career Hanna was brought up in a musical family. Her f ...

– "Embers" on 2016's ''Speed of Light'' *

– "Space" on 2022's ''Life After Death''

Singles

, rowspan="1", 2021 , 2021 , "A Pearl To Hide" , non-album single , - , rowspan='3', 2022 , "As The World Falls Down' , "Pure Imagination" , "Coventry Carol" , -

Filmography

Music videos * (2001) ''Existence'' (

) * (2003) ''Seek (Live)'' ( Northern Records) * (2010) ''Carry On My Wayward Son (with Kerry Livgren of Kansas)'' (Unknown) * (2015) ''Moon Over Bourbon Street'' ( Blind Thief Recordings) * (2016) ''Girl With the Tiger Eyes'' ( Blind Thief Recordings) * (2018) ''Moonracer'' ( Blind Thief Recordings) Film * (2010) '' The Imposter'' * (2014) ''As Dreamers Do''

Books

* (1994) ''At the Foot of Heaven'' (poetry/artwork,

) * (2001) ''Unfinished Work'' (autobiography, T. Nelson) * (2002) ''Slip of the Ink'' * (2003) ''The Detritus of Dorian Gray'' (poetry, Blind Thief Publishing) * (2004) ''Divine Erotica'' * (2005) ''PO/ET/RY'' (poetry, Blind Thief Publishing) * (2014) ''Fiefdom of Angels''

References

External links

*
NewReleaseTuesday.com Between The Fence And the Universe Interview

NewReleaseTuesday.com Exclusive The Blood Interview with Kevin Max

Interview with Kevin Max About ''The Blood'' with ''Wrecked for the Ordinary''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Max, Kevin 1967 births Living people American male singer-songwriters American male poets DC Talk members American rock singers American rock songwriters American performers of Christian music Christian writers Musicians from Grand Rapids, Michigan Liberty University alumni Audio Adrenaline members Former evangelicals Singer-songwriters from Michigan