When we first spoke to The Main Squeeze back in 2017, they were rolling into our backyard of Asbury Park, NJ. They were fresh off a move from Chicago to Los Angeles and were a really fun band that combined synth, funk and rock, producing a fantastically fun danceable sound.
Fast forward to 2025 and the band has dropped their new album Panorama. This record beautifully mixes the core sound of The Main Squeeze yet adds these ethereal synth underpinnings which make for a more robust sound that envelops you in a beguiling audio aura. This sound is perfectly reflected in their scorching 50+ minute performance video from the Mojave Desert.
Recently, we caught up with Maximillian Newman – guitarist for The Main Squeeze – to discuss the band’s sonic, soulful and spiritual evolution since we last spoke to them back in 2016 as well as their new record Panorama, the live video in the Mojave Desert and so much more as they embark on a tour that brings them to Philly and NYC this week.
Eight years ago, when we interviewed the band Corey [the band’s lead singer] mentioned how your record, Without a Sound “was very much a culmination of our move out West to Los Angeles from Chicago. It was the first time that we ever really took time off the road with intentions of just writing and creating.”
Can you talk about the growth of the band — in regard to your songwriting, your musicianship and just you all as a unit?
That absolutely marked a turning point in our process and it feels like we’ve carried that with us and continued to refine it with every record we’ve made. Our songs become more and more personal, and the intention has been more and more to tell our story through song. Each member has grown as a producer during our time in LA, and that increased emphasis on production has had a positive effect on our songwriting.
Our musicianship will always grow because while each band member is a master of our crafts, we also remain students of our craft. It’s a lifelong journey to always get better. As a unit we’ve only gotten tighter, we’ve been through everything as brothers. Now some of us are married and we got to celebrate with two weddings just last year. The fact that we still genuinely enjoy being around each other after all of these years is a testament to our chemistry, and the more time that goes by, the more we can read each other’s minds on stage and off.
You dropped a brand-new record — Panorama. Can you talk about the creative process of this album?
We had sort of a false start with this album where we started a bunch of songs and ended up scrapping them. We had gotten together in a room and just jammed for almost a week straight, which is traditionally how we had written a lot of songs. But this time maybe we needed to try something new. Only one song out of the 20 that we started that week actually made the record.
After that, Rob [Walker – bassist] produced a couple of demos at his home studio and Corey wrote and sang on them. With the sound of those demos as well as the one song we wrote as a band, I started creating sketches and guitar loops in my home studio and sending them to Rob. The ones he liked; he produced out into demos. Smiley [Ben Silverstein – keys, keytar] did a couple as well.
At this point it started to feel like we had a real sonic palette and most of the musical skeletons, so in smaller groups we set out to write the lyrics and melodies over the tracks. It felt like we got something new out of creating individually and then collaborating from that space, as opposed to creating all at once as a group. Once we felt good about the songs and demos, we found our producer, Caleb Nelson, who was incredible. We recorded the songs in his studio and he brought the demos to a whole new level sonically.
Can you talk about how this album stands out from the rest of your catalog from a sonic and lyrical standpoint?
This record is our most polished while still being raw. It has a modern / synthy side which fuses with a vintage / organic side in the guitars and drums. It’s certainly the best mixed record we’ve put out as well. From a lyrical standpoint it tells the story of where we are at in life right now, which no other project could do by definition. A central theme on the album is realizing that you’ve “made it” while simultaneously knowing you have a long way to go and being excited for both.
You recorded a 51+ minute performance in the Mojave Desert. Can you talk about the inspiration behind doing a performance?
We got into making YouTube videos years ago because we’ve always been a great live band and it’s a great way to showcase that to folks that have never seen us. Our YouTube following has grown and grown and we’ve always tried to raise the bar on the content.
For our last album, To Be Determined, we recorded every song on the album live and posted each video separately. This time we wanted to do something live but we also wanted to switch it up. We came to the idea of doing one long video because it’s something we’ve never done before that we thought would really stand out. We made arrangements of the songs that are different from the Studio versions – more indicative of how we’re playing them live on the tour. So, it’s also sort of a preview to the tour. Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii was a massive influence, just in terms of the continuous performance and the backdrop being so epic and tying in with the music, creating an overall experience. The desert and the garden are themes that reflect in the music, the album art, and the production design on tour.
Can you put over who shot and edited this performance? They did an absolutely incredible job.
The video was shot and edited by our good friend, Rio Noir. He’s incredible at what he does.
If someone’s checking the band out for the first time — what song would you tell them to listen to in order to truly get what The Main Squeeze is all about?
This is truly an impossible question for an artist to answer because not only are your songs like your babies, but they also represent different moments and moods within your life. Some songs that we’re feeling right now: “Descent,” “Laurelwood,” “Endorphins,” and “Wildest Dreams.”
You all have dedicated so much of your lives to this band — what brings you back day in and day out to The Main Squeeze?
We all set out with the same dream: to create our own music on our terms and to travel the world playing that music. The Main Squeeze is the vehicle. It’s our business and it’s our family. As long as we have more to say and the will to keep evolving, The Main Squeeze will survive and thrive.
What are five things you’re excited for The Main Squeeze in 2025?
- Some of these things aren’t announced / fully confirmed, but here’s our five…
- Touring Brazil for the first time.
- Touring in Europe again.
- Finishing the next album.
- Being part of producing and performing in a Ballet.
The Main Squeeze is Currently on Tour:Â
3/13: The Foundry at The Fillmore – Philadelphia, PA
3/14: Irving Plaza – New York City
3/15: The Sinclair – Cambridge, Massachusetts
3/17: Adelaide Hall – Toronto, Canada
3/19: The Shelter – Detroit, Michigan
3/20: The Stache at The Intersection – Grand Rapids, Michigan
3/21: Ignition – Goshen, Indiana
3/22: The Outset – Chicago, Illinois
3/28: The Momentary – Bentonville, Arkansas
Click Here for Ticket Information.
