M U S I C
M U S I C
A L B U M S / E P S
Sojourns is a departure; a brief glimpse into the formative moments of guiding turbulence and quiescence of the past few years. Each piece evolved from the literature and life lessons necessary to integrate an ever-evolving worldview and constantly shifting foundations.
Through the album’s cascading arc it flirts with genres like Americana, Punk, Folk, and Electronica, spiralling and interweaving common threads throughout.
So foundational to the understanding of self is the reincarnation, as it consumes and leaves one open to new experience. So reads the arc of Sojourns.
Released June 17, 2022
Written, performed, recorded, and produced by Max Hopkins, copyright 2022
Drums and bass recorded and engineered by Matthew Rederburg
Electric guitar by Joel Matthew Gray
Bass by Richard Charlton
Drums by Chris Morden
1/2/4/9/10/11 mixed by Shae Brossard
3/5/6/7/8 mixed by Max Hopkins
Mastered by Philip Shaw Bova
Visuals and art by Gabriel Cabrera-Lopez
On a placid Christmas Eve-Eve some seven years ago, a new wintertime tradition was sparked when Max took to the only quiet room in his family’s house to record an intimate rendition of Welcome Christmas from Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. From the initial effort, the tradition has earned more pizzaz and character with each passing year thanks to collaboration with fellow lover of yule Joel Matthew Gray.
In light of their mutual love of the holidays they have assembled an evening’s worth of beloved music including two original songs: a funky, blue-eyed soul, 2020 anthem of unity, Wintertime is Back!, and the Tin-Pan-Alley-inspired throwback waltz, O, the Holidays are Near!
This time of year has always held a special place in the lives of Max and Joel, and their intention has always been to try to share the utter joy they feel with others, regardless of how and what others celebrate. We hope you will enjoy listening through the musical journey upon which we have embarked over the years with many great friends, and will find a place for it in your yearly traditions.
Released December 11, 2020
Happy Holidays!
All songs recorded and mixed by Max Hopkins.
All songs engineered, arranged, and produced by Max Hopkins and Joel Matthew Gray.
Tracks 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12 mastered by Jon Martin at Green Recording Studio.
Tracks 8, 9, and 10 written by Max Hopkins, copyright 2020 SOCAN.
DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT CONSENT.
Visit maxhopkins.ca to stay up to date on shows, news, and media.
This album was recorded on the unceded territory of the Blackfoot confederation.
A trace; visible evidence of something that is no longer present. A part that is imperfectly developed in comparison to that of a past generation. Indelible marks from the kairos of a developing soul.
Vestiges is a rite of passage; an echo of our collective wisdom, a tribute to our fore-family, and an acknowledgement of the inseparable confluence. Born of youthful epiphanies and wielding a sophic nonchalance, Vestiges is a revealing look into the lasting power and influence of our personal and collective histories.
Released August 2, 2019
Recorded, produced, and mixed by Jon Martin at Green Recording Studio
Mastered by Philip Shaw Bova of Bova Lab Studios
All songs written and performed by Max Hopkins (copyright 2019 SOCAN)
Clayton Smith - Drums
Paul Holden - Bass
Joel Matthew Gray - Electric guitar
Album Design by Brandon Wynnynchuk
Photography by Angeline Simon and Kasia Sosnowski
Album cover by Kasia Sosnowski
Susurrant ― soft murmuring or whispering.
Something unexpected emerging and evolving spontaneously from itself.
The overlooked inkling; the subdued realisation; the emergent detail.
Impermanent, transient, evanescent.
sporAdic & abERrant
[ Still ][ Serene ]
/ dark / peaceful /
a forgotten face | a vague recollection
Released November 28, 2017
Produced and recorded by Matthew Rederburg and Max Hopkins
Mixed by Matthew Rederburg
Mastered by Philip Shaw Bova of Bova Lab Studios
Max Hopkins - vocals, acoustic guitar, accordion, virtual instruments
Stefan Cowley - glockenspiel
Joel Gray - electric guitar
All songs written and arranged by Max Hopkins
Electric guitar in Sciamachy written by Joel Gray
Lyrics to Wandrers based on translations of Goethe's Wandrers Nachtlied ii by John Waley
Album design by Ayden Broadhead
Photography by Max Hopkins
Typeface by Keely Hopkins
S I N G L E S
Inspired by the classic sounds of the Vince Guaraldi Trio and the imagery of Charles Schulz. Somewhere Between harkens back to core memories and feelings I assocaite with the holidays.
Released December 5, 2025
Bass - Richard Charlton
Drums - Chris Morden
Guitars - Jon Martin
Mixed and Mastered by Jon Martin
A tribute to the Christmas songs of old with a modern twist. Eclectic, yet familiar and bursting with cheer and nostalgia. Bruno Major meets Theo Katzman meets Stevie Wonder.
Released November 26, 2021
Written, performed, recorded, and mixed by Max Hopkins
Additional Vocal tracking by Phenix Warren at Alta Sound
Additional mixing by Jon Martin
Guitar by Joel Matthew Gray
Bass by Richard Charlton
Additional choir voices: Ava Wild, Ildiko Barraclough, Naomi Derksen, Nicole Warren, Olivia Whitaker
Mixed and Mastered by Jon Martin
Subsistence: the quality of having timeless or abstract existence. This song is a meditative chant based on the concept of ānāpānasati, meaning mindfulness of breathing. The text is borrowed from a book titled 'You Are Here' by Thich Nhat Hanh. It comes from the second chapter, 'The Heart of Practice', and a sub-section regarding stopping and deep looking. The text reads:
I have arrived, I am home,
In the here and in the now,
I am solid, I am free,
In the ultimate I dwell.
Arriving at home in the present moment and realizing that by returning, you have stopped running from yourself and from life. In returning, you will notice that the past and future can no longer grab you and pull you away from life. As a result, you are much more yourself; more sovereign; more free. This solidarity brings us back to the ultimate dimension, or reality, in which notions do not exist. You are one with all and all is one with you; there are no individual forces in the universe, merely different iterations of the same one.*
If any of the above information intrigues you, I suggest reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s 'You Are Here', and listening to Alan Watts’ lectures on philosophy: 'Still the Mind: An Introduction to Meditation' and 'You’re It!: on Hiding, Seeking, and Being Found.'
Max Hopkins – writer, engineer, mixer, performer (acoustic guitar, bass and vocals)
Joel Gray – engineer and performer (electric guitar)
Additional mix suggestions by Matt Wiebe and Cecil Mortensen
Mastered by Jesse Northey