The latest release from Maxine Edmonds is a colorful and refreshing pop single that balances itself of a contemporary platform and does an amazing job of giving off a vibrant and energetic youthful feel with some outstanding musicianship and flowing backing vocals that stand strong behind her naturally soulful pipes that are super quick to grab your attention.
"Advil In California" is an absolute banger that brings together a few different genres that all manage complement each other on this track. Guitars float around the song's ether and synths swell, vocals bounce, and it all gets this sort of cinematic tonality to it.
The single certainly has a warm summer pop feel to it and Edmonds has a way of getting that hook stuck in your brain for hours.
It's got a great style and her attitude and character are all really perfected while the music is mature in a way which is so good when brought together with that young approach.
It's all bright and honest. It feels good to listen to and the song actually paints a vivid picture and can cause memories to just start popping up in your head without notice.
With such a great single, we wanted to have a chat with Maxine to find out where this actually came from and what may be next for her.
Here's what happened.
BuzzSlayers: Okay so let's start with “Advil In California”. This single has a very summer-pop feel to it and came through with a colorful vibrancy!! Where did this single come from?
The name and lyric ideas for this song arose when one day I was exclaiming how I physically left my Advil in California. I then started thinking about how this could be used as a metaphor for someone acting as your “painkiller.” When my co-writer, Sam French, played this guitar riff, I immediately knew that I want to add these lyrics on top because it had the California summer beach feeling. Since I grew up in California, that vibe has always been a part of me and I wanted to capture that feeling in a song. I write a lot about my personal experience so that is also where the lyrics come from. When Sam and my other co-writer/producer, Will Lockyer, and I wrote this song, we were honestly just having fun and dancing along and I think those emotions come through the sounds that we have created.
BuzzSlayers: So how did this all begin for you really? When did you fall in love with making music?
Since a very young age I loved watching musicals and putting on my own shows using my kitchen floor as a stage, so when I began acting and singing in community and school musicals it was no surprise. I truly began studying music at age 6 when my mum took me to weekly piano lessons. My favorite part of these lessons was always the music theory and therefore, I started to write my own songs with the knowledge I was learning. I would write lyrics in a dairy and constantly make up different rhythms and melodies to songs because I thought it was more fun than playing what was written on the sheet music. My first music achievement was when I was 12 years old I arranged “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen for my a cappella choir to sing. This became the major event that prompted my commitment to continue arranging and writing, to sing in choir for 7 years, join music production classes at high school, sing in talent shows, and ultimately, to study Songwriting and Music Production and Recording at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
BuzzSlayers: Who is in your headphones right now?
Recently I have been listening to Peach Tree Rascals, Lauv, and Ariana Grande. However, I’ve also been listening to a lot of indie pop artists too. My playlists are all over the place in terms of genres. I love adding in some soft rock and country music, along with my main love, pop. I love the 2010’s pop and also 60’s music such as the Beatles.
BuzzSlayers: Were you always a vocalist or is there an instrument that you started with first?
I first started learning classical piano and then when I performed in musical theater, I started training my voice. In high school I began teaching myself ukulele and last year I taught myself guitar.
BuzzSlayers: What inspires you to write a song?
I feel most inspired to write a song when my emotions are high. This usually revolves around any type of relationship, which may be at a really high or a really low point. I like to write about how I feel, in the hopes of having people relate to it and it allows me to release my emotions. My brain is a constant run of thoughts and so when I finally write it down in a song it allows me to move forward. A lot of my inspiration comes to me when I am people watching or running.
BuzzSlayers: I'm hearing some great styles on this song. Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
My biggest musical influence is Queen because my dad played all of their songs for me when I was very young. I love the style of Freddie Mercury because he uses his entire vocal range and his attitude was to always be his authentic self. Also, Queen adds different styles together, such as operatic and classical, into the rock feel which created my love for combining and singing different styles.
BuzzSlayers: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I am a cross country runner so when I’m not working on music I will be working out or running on the trail by the river. Additionally, I am a big traveler. This summer I have traveled to England, Iceland, Oregon, and gone on a road trip in California. Also, I am a big family person so when possible I spend time playing family board games, hiking, and visiting art museums with them. Having conversations with friends and new people is my favorite past time because I love learning about others and spending time with people who are special to me.
BuzzSlayers: Are you performing live right now?
When I return to Boston to continue my studying at Berklee, I will be performing live with my backing band at restaurants around the city. One show that I have confirmed is October 15th from 8pm-12am at ‘The Jungle.’
BuzzSlayers: How do you write your songs? Is it melodies or lyrics first? chords? How does it work for you?
Every day I write down phrases that I think may be a good lyric. Usually at the same time, I have a melody and rhythm in my head for the lyric. Sometimes I think that lyrics create their own melody. Then when I feel in a creative mood I sit down with my guitar or piano and look over the phrases. I pick a random key, usually something different from a song I wrote before, and create a chord progression around the melody that I gave the already written phrases. From there, I improv lyrics and melodies and continue building a song form and lyrics. I try to make each of my songs different, so if I recently wrote a song in a minor key, next I will write in a major key. This provides interest for me, and hopefully for my audience.
BuzzSlayers: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
Fans can expect a lot more singles! I have another song coming out this September 2022, and another in November 2022. Definitely an album will be released in the future, along with more live shows, music videos, TikTok vlogs about my daily life, and Instagram videos of me singing. I am also all for connecting with other musicians and fans, so I have collaborations with artists being released soon and I am always up for working with new people!
BuzzSlayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music
Thank you so much for listening and following along on my journey and I really hope you enjoyed dancing to “Advil In California” it as much as I did. Follow me on instagram (and all the socials!) and reach out if you have questions or would like to collab! Remember to always do what you love and spread good vibes :)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/max_louise/
Website: https://www.maxineedmonds.com
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/maxineedmonds
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