Teen Beats #1: Maxxant

At just 16 years old, Max Martinez, who performs under the stage alias maxxant, emerges as an innovative force in New York City’s music scene with his unique blend of melodic rap and guitar-driven songs. Beginning in his freshman year of high school, maxxant’s musical journey was fueled by an intrigue in music production after witnessing the rise of like-minded teens on social media. Martinez transformed his bedroom into a personal recording studio, where he records and produces every track he releases.

What is your favorite song you've written and why?

“My favorite song I’ve written is ‘roach’ because I felt it captured my emotions during the writing process perfectly—everything about the song was very raw, from the mixing to the lyrics to the guitar playing. I wrote about a cockroach who falls in love with a person but is unaware that humans view roaches as pests and often rush to kill them. The cockroach’s infatuation with the person is fueled by its naivety.”

Describe your engineering process

“I record all my songs on my computer; my essentials are my audio interface, which is where I plug my microphone, headphones, guitar, and studio monitors into, and FL Studio, my digital audio workstation. Over the years I’ve developed a few vocal presets [templates] with the help of a couple friends who make music, and I adjust the equalizer and plugins to fit my vocals over the beat. When I record music, I often record about four to five layers of vocals to have a more complete recording and add ad-libs [vocal improvisations].”

Who are your biggest inspirations?

“Currently, I think my biggest inspiration is Alex G. Listening to his music helped me realize that I don’t have to be a conventionally amazing singer to make music that resonates with people, and once I started singing more without autotune, I discovered a newfound confidence in my music.”

How do you find a balance between creating art that both you and your fans will like?

“When I record a new song, I see it as an opportunity to improve from the last song I recorded. So, to me, any song where I [try] a new technique or display improvement… is a song that I like. Of course, I want my listeners to like my music, so when releasing a song, I’m careful about what songs I release. If there’s a song I really like that I know won’t fit my discography, I’ll release it on a burner SoundCloud or YouTube account where I can re-listen to it or share with friends [and] supporters who are interested.”

Tell me about the community of teens making music

“I’m a junior in high school, and there are countless artists around my age in NYC who are making amazing music out of pure passion, some of whom have even started lucrative careers. I love networking with peers in the teenage rap scene; I have an unreleased song with my Italian friend Piage. He recorded his whole verse in Italian, which was pretty interesting… The teen music scene has so much to offer, and I feel like music has just been evolving so much, and there’s so much appreciation for all genres among younger artists.”

Do you have any advice for teens trying to get into music?

“Meet people who are experienced and are willing to guide you through the basics of using a digital audio workstation and recording and engineering your songs. Nobody starts off amazing, so it’s also important to be consistent when practicing, recording, and engineering songs. If you don’t have any friends to give you tips on creating music, there are thousands of tutorials on social media that can teach you how to efficiently create songs in multiple genres.”

As maxxant continues to evolve as an artist, his story serves as inspiration for young creatives everywhere. In a world where music transcends borders and genres, Max Martinez reminds us of the importance of authenticity, exploration, and the possibilities that come with truly embracing one’s voice.