Track By Track: Max Pope talks us through his excellent debut EP, with exclusive stream

Building on the tracks he put online in late 2015, the four-track debut EP features his signature clean, bluesy guitar licks and wistfully lilting melodies. It altogether makes for a dreamy, contemplative and thoroughly enjoyable listen. But don't take our word for it - Max is here to talk us through the EP himself.

"This EP consists of four songs that I wrote when I was between the ages of 17-20. So for me, listening to it is like reading a diary entry covering those years. I have been waiting for a long time to release some music, and it has been a fun but painstaking process so I am now very glad to have something out in the open!

Apart from one song, all of the tracks were recorded and produced at my friend Alex Burey’s house, in a studio at the bottom of his garden. Working with him has always inspired me – 'Gone To Count Sheep' was started and finished in one afternoon about three years ago and it was the first time we’d ever recorded together. Throughout the recording process of this EP we have developed a strong creative partnership."

Gone To Count Sheep

It was initially written about my step brother Luke, as the two of us had been through a difficult emotional time in our childhood. When Luke was aged 10 my step-father walked out on us, which jeopardised our relationship and caused a great deal of chaos. I watched him grow progressively more introverted and withdrawn, until it became very hard to connect with him. He seemed to have disappeared within a bubble and nobody could reach him.

On a broader scale, the track is an observation of how people deal with upset. Often our coping mechanism is to shut down in the middle of a crisis, resulting in a blank and emotionless state.

All That I Need

You only realise how much you love a person when they are gone. My girlfriend went travelling for a long time and I realised how much I missed her. It’s a pretty straight forward love song I think. At the time I was listening to "Hard Days Night" by the Beatles a lot, and other 60s music so it definitely has that vibe.

Less Than Nothing

A song about achieving ‘less than nothing' with your time, whilst trying very hard to be productive. I had a particularly dry spell of writer's block. At the time I was putting lots of pressure on myself and just trying too hard. For me songwriting works best when it comes from my subconscious mind, and I'm hardly even aware that it is happening. Eventually I just relaxed and a song was born…I achieved more than nothing…wuheyyy!

Home Of Stone

I once stayed at a place in which I felt very uncomfortable, and writing about it acted as my escape route. To me it seemed a sterile and characterless environment. I was afraid to sit on the sofa in case I squashed a cushion. I felt I should polish my guitar before leaning it against a piece of furniture. Having to put the lid back on the biscuit tin, between eating biscuits and I wouldn't have dreamt of moving the coasters from their carefully allocated position on each corner of the coffee table…hence the title "Home Of Stone".

Less Than Nothing EP is out this Friday, 29 January. Max plays The Waiting Room on 17 February and 2 March (both shows sold out).

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