Max McNown Releases”This Side of Heaven”
Today, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Max McNown releases the soulful new single, “This Side of Heaven,” from his upcoming deluxe LP Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) out July 18 via Fugitive Recordings x The Orchard x Columbia Records.
Of the track, Max McNown says, “When I wrote this I was listening to a lot of Ray Lamontagne, who is a big inspiration to me vocally and as a songwriter. I love the folk-blues slide guitar solos, and we tried to be honest and heartfelt with the lyrics. It’s a love song but with that classic soulful feel you get from Lamontagne and maybe Chris Stapleton too who is another big influence on me.”
The new release follows McNown’s recent performance of his GOLD-certified breakout hit “A Lot More Free” during NBC’s 3rd Hour of TODAY, where he also announced his brand new “Forever Ain’t Long Enough” tour hitting cities across North America, and kicking off August 21st in Kansas City – watch here. This new headline tour will also include stops in Austin, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. – see full dates below and visit maxmcnown.com/tour for tickets and more information.
Recently Max also made his debut on the Billboard Hot 100 with his song “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes).” The song which has continued to fly up the charts has now amassed over 130 million global streams and has been a mainstay at Country radio – currently #39 on Top 40 Country. See the official music video – HERE.
All of this fresh off the heels of the recently released single “The Cost of Growing Up,” which is also featured on Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), which is available for pre-order on: signed D2C Exclusive Clear Black Ice Colored Vinyl, Amazon Exclusive Opaque Maroon Colored Vinyl, Indie Exclusive Opaque Bone Colored Vinyl, Opaque Tangerine Colored Vinyl, and Standard CD.
“Even though Night Diving was the length of a full album, in my heart it never felt complete to me,”shares Max McNown.“All of these songs were written in the same time period, and my intention was always to have them be one body of work.” The previously unreleased songs surfaced from a recent evolution of his mesmerizing sound, spotlighting an earthy tonality informed by his upbringing in the Pacific Northwest.
“Since my first EP I’ve been on the hunt to find myself as a musician, and with this album, I’ve officially made something that fully represents me, both sonically and in my songwriting,”he continues. Produced by Jamie Kenney (Colbie Caillat, Laci Kaye Booth) and made with an A-list lineup of session players, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) ultimately provides an extraordinary vessel for his profoundly moving and soul-baring storytelling.
At 23, McNown has already been on a storied musical journey. Taking control of his future, overcoming personal challenges, and drawing inspiration from his brother who was bravely fighting cancer, McNown packed his bags and drove from remote Oregon to Southern California. From there, videos of him busking on a pier made an impact online and eventually grew into a legion of supporters on TikTok (currently has 2.3M followers). After attracting interest from major TV talent shows, McNown auditioned for one and then decided it wasn’t for him and gracefully turned them down as he knew he needed to walk his own path.
Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Nashville-based artist set off on a meteoric rise largely fueled by his breakout single “A Lot More Free”—a RIAA Gold-certified track whose explosive success includes peaking at #1 on the iTunes singles chart and earning him a #1 spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. The song is currently #24 at Top 40 radio, #12 at Hot AC and #40 at AAA. Following the release of his widely lauded debut album Wandering, the Willfully Blind EP, and his acclaimed sophomore album Night Diving, the 23-year-old Oregon native continued his fast ascent to stardom and made his TV performance debut with an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this year, in addition to selling out his first-ever headline tour within just hours. Named a 2025 Artist To Watch by Amazon Music, Holler, and Country Now, McNown now embarks on a thrilling new chapter with Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up): a 21-song powerhouse that shows the complete depth of his artistry like never before.
One of the “brightest newly minted stars to come out of Nashville in recent years” (GRAMMY.com), McNown has impressively sold out every stop of his debut headline tour after spending the past year opening for stars like Wynonna Judd, Wyatt Flores, Michael Marcagi, Sam Barber, 502s, Corey Kent, Trampled by Turtles, JOSEPH, and more.
With the resounding success of the current run for the “A Lot More Free Tour,” McNown added a handful of more shows to officially mark the end of the triumphant tour. The series of southern stops include Knoxville, Orlando, Richmond, and more. He is also scheduled to perform at upcoming major US festivals including Lollapalooza, before embarking on the “Forever Ain’t Long Enough” tour later this fall.
The Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) deluxe album is a powerful milestone for a prolific young artist rooted in his craft. Even as his star quickly rises, McNown stays true to his small-town soul—anchored by humility, heart, and a deep love for honest songwriting. With every track, he continues his mission to make music that lets folks feel seen, heard, and understood. Check out more on Max McNown here.
TGR Rating 7/10