“Live well, have enough, and you’ll have a happy life.”
-Max's Mom
It reads like a viral self-help meme. The kind of sage advice we would all love to get from our parents; and for Max and Paul of Live Well, it makes for an excellent best friends tattoo-turned-band-name.
New York natives, Live Well, have been through a heck of a lot of life together. The emo punk five-piece describe one another as the best of best friends, and that love between them comes through so clearly in the effervescent sound and deeply honest lyrics woven throughout their songs. When life got busy, Paul, Max, Luis, Neil, and Donald had to step away from making music after playing together for years; but they never stepped away from each other. Six years later, Live Well, is returning to their rightful place in the scene with the release of their new EP, “More Than You Can Give,” out today. The brief, but poignant, record is an elegant and mesmerizing conversation about the often unspoken ups and downs of “grown up” life. I strongly encourage you, readers, to give it a listen; but fair warning… you might want to have a box of tissues handy. If the quality of these new songs is any indicator of what is yet to come, the future is very, very bright for Live Well, and the fans who are sure to love them.
Keep scrolling to check out my lightning round interview with Max and Paul of Live Well. Be sure to follow along on socials (@livewellband on Instagram) and tune in to Spotify. Don’t forget to save the Under Exposed playlist on Spotify to listen to my favorites from Live Well, and the rest of the Under Exposed lineup!
Interview
Cameron Conrad sits down with Max and Paul
What’s your dream venue, the place that will feel like you’ve “made it” once you've played there?
Ooooof it was the first Unitarian church in Philly, but we got to play it 🙏🏽
So I’d have to say playing it again, main stage at warped annnd tiny desk
It'd be tight to play MSG.
If you could pick any band or artist, past or present, to tour with, who would it be?
1000% Joyce Manor always been a dream
I want to play with The Jonas Brothers. That'd be sick. Honestly though, my band is my favorite band and it doesn't matter unless I'm with them.
If each of you was a Disney character, who would you be?
For the record this question is wild 😂 (writer's note... thanks!)
Paul- both Scar & Mufasa
Donald- Rafiki
Neil- Nala
Luis- Pumba
Me (Max)- both the hyenas
What’s the craziest, cringiest thing you’ve done for the sake of your music?
Maybe equate all my bandmates to lion King characters 😂
I don't think I've done anything crazy but a long time ago I did make a music video where I got completely nude. That was weird.
If we gave out high-school superlatives today, what would each of you win?
Paul- homecoming king/ most charismatic
Luis- friendliest
Donald- class clown
Neil- smartest
Max- weirdest
Paul- Shortest
Max- Best Dressed
Luis- Most Likely to be a Comedian
Neil- Most Handsome
Donald- Loudest in the room
Any new music or upcoming tours we should know about? Anything brewing behind the scenes you can give a hint about?
We’ve got a bunch of ideas and things brewing!
I think a big thing about this band as we just wanna help each other realize each each other’s musical dreams.
We’ve got a song that we’ve been working on for the better part of eight years that hopefully will be working with a big producer on. Longtime dream of ours to do it exactly this way.
There will be a full length in the works
Show run in November, and maybe a couple one off Shows before that
And teaser I’ll Just say “Puerto Rico” 🇵🇷❤️🙏🏽
Our EP comes out on 9/3! That's hella exciting!