“Blues is the Truth. It is essentially the music that people wrote about their Lives and circumstances ....we need that honesty in music. the Big labels will always copy from it and make it generic but Blues and Roots artists keep the truth front & centre.”

Johnny Max: Rhythm & Blues Friends 

The award-winning Johnny Max Band, led by the charismatic and whip sharp Johnny Max, have been touring Canada and Europe for over 30 years and bring their remarkable rhythm & blues, Memphis meets Chicago and New Orleans sound to enthusiastic crowds wherever they go. With two JUNO award nominations, eight Maple Blues awards nominations, and the winner of the International Songwriting Competition Award for “Daddy’s Little Girl”, off the album A Long Road. The Johnny Max Band consistently wows audiences with joyous, sometimes raucous rhythms and masterful showmanship. 

(Johnny Max / Photo by Glenn Rogers)

The Johnny Max Band are embarking on another exciting chapter with their 8th album, Johnny Max & His So Called Friends, to be released November 25th, 2025. The album features danceable and well written songs, along with a frontman who is not afraid to take risks,and with guest appearances from several of Ontario’s brightest musicians including Jim Casson, Quisha Wint, Dylan Wickens, Suzie Vinnick, Jay Burr, Bill Evans and more. “Johnny Max & His So Called Friends came about from talking about having all sorts of friends come in and help the JMB with different sounds and styles and needing or wanting other people to play with”, says Max. 

Interview by Michael Limnios                         Archive: Johnny Max, 2012 interview

Special Thanks: Sarah French Publicity

How has the music influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your music life the most?

I'm not sure I understand the question. Unless it's to say that the different types of people that I meet on music, whether it's is promoting or performing. Everybody is so welcoming when it comes to music...

There are so many moments that music changed my life, from hearing The Beatles, Sam Cooke, Howlin Wolf, Keb Mo etc for the first time to playing at our first festivals here and then travelling to Europe and playing for the throngs that are hearing you for the first time...

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

I think I have grown just in professionalism, from doing our own booking to producing our own albums. The song process has remained the same, I come up with lyrics and an idea and we flesh it out between the members in the band, in order to get that feel.

Why do you think that the Blues music continues to generate such a devoted following in Canada?

I think that Blues in Canada specifically, is still viable, as it is the Roots of most popular music (of a generation) and it is a stepping stone to playing live. There are fewer places to play, now but I think the love of the message and the simplicity is what makes it easily accessible.

“There are so many moments that music changed my life, from hearing The Beatles, Sam Cooke, Howlin Wolf, Keb Mo etc for the first time to playing at our first festivals here and then travelling to Europe and playing for the throngs that are hearing you for the first time...” (Photo: Johnny Max Band)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

Not to sound like an old guy but I think most of today's artists/ producers look to hear what the trend or the sound is, and then copy it. whereas previously we were all looking for the new thing, the new sound, the different sound... I miss the differences... my hopes are that parents and aunts & uncles bring their kids and nieces & nephews to Live music... be it theatres, clubs, venue or festivals.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Don't take rejection personally. there is room for everyone, as a friend of mine keeps telling me... be persistent and keep trying to find your voice.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

Well we keep writing and keep bringing in other styles to our music...we still make albums physically but try to keep up with the digital media and social media angles... it seems that the younger generation listen to music with their eyes now....

Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? What is the role of music/musician in today’s society?

As it has been said before, Blues is the Truth. It is essentially the music that people wrote about their Lives and circumstances ....we need that honesty in music. the Big labels will always copy from it and make it generic but Blues and Roots artists keep the truth front & centre.

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

I don't think I would want to go back. Always look forward and enjoy your time where you are or where you plan to be. Looking back is nice for a memory but we tend to look back at only the good times ...as the saying goes, looking to the past through rose coloured glasses...you can never go back.

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(Photo: Johnny Max)