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Max Ehrich
MAX EHRICH
Photography IRENE CHEN. Fashion CALLI MARTIN.I thought we should start off with something fun. Have you heard of the game Would You Rather?
Yes.
Perfect. I have a few questions here that will be fun to talk about. My first question for you is, would you rather be an elemental wizard but risk causing a natural disaster every time you use your power, or would you rather be a shapeshifter but risk getting stuck as whatever you change into?
[Being a] shapeshifter would be cool.
What would you shape-shift into?
An animal would be cool.
What animal?
A lion.
That’d be fun.
Yeah, it’d be pretty cool.
The second question is, would you rather win a billion dollars in the lottery but lose 98% of it in a failing investment, or make five billion dollars as a CEO of a super successful company but lose everything you made in five years?
The first one.
So, you’d like to have a billion dollars?
Sure.
That makes sense because you would have a little bit left even if you lost 98%. Exactly.
What do you think you would do if you won the lottery?
[I’d] probably invest in property.
That’s a fair answer. And finally, would you rather restart your life from the beginning and have knowledge of every life event except the end, or have knowledge of the last few years of your life but sacrifice your favorite moment in life so far?
I’d go with the first one.
You were pretty young when you started getting interested in creative outlets and careers. You started out doing dance as a kid and then moved into acting and music. What do you feel like was the defining moment that made you want to branch out beyond dance to acting as well.
I’ve been doing plays since I was a kid, so I’ve always enjoyed acting. I did my first movie, High School Musical 3, and guest starred in Ugly Betty. I [always] knew I wanted to continue acting.
What was one of your favorite plays you did as a kid?
Hamlet. I went to a performing arts high school.
That’s always fun. When I was in school, we did a lot of different musicals. Oddly enough, we did High School Musical during my junior year. Awesome.
the opportunity to have a dance career now, is that something you think you would ever want to get back into?
No, I don’t think so.
Why not?
[It’s] not really one of my main passions anymore.
That’s fair. We all grow out of stuff. You started releasing your music back in 2016. Is being a musician something that you always knew you wanted to do in life?
I knew I wanted to act and create music because I loved both acting and singing. I always wanted to do both.
What was the thought process that led up to doing your first release?
I did a Netflix movie [called] Walk. Ride. Rodeo. I made a song for [that] movie, so that was my personal thought process.
We all draw inspiration from different things in life. What are some of the people and events in your life that you feel like have influenced your music and acting career?
My relationships with my friends and my family. My biggest [inspirations are] all [of] my life experiences.
That’s fair. Life is a powerful thing to draw inspiration from. Exactly.
You’re currently acting and doing music professionally. If you had
The creative process is different
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for everyone. Everyone who does music, acting, drawing, or painting has a different way of approaching each project. Obviously, it can change from project to project, but what does your process look like when you’re writing your music?
I go into a room with my producers, and I talk about what I want to write about. [I usually write about] what I’m experiencing at the moment. We go through some beats or start from the piano or guitar, and then [we] just write [the song].
What do you feel like are some key consistent moments in that process? What do you feel like is something that happens every time you go to make that new song?
A sense of excitement.
It’s always good to be excited about what you are creating. Yeah, one hundred percent.
The music you create is always evolving, but what do you feel like are some of the most identifiable elements in your music? What do you feel like will make someone immediately go, “oh, this is a Max Ehrich song,” when they hear your music?
The rawness of [a] lot of the songs I’m going to be putting up.
You released a single not too long ago called “Backroads.” It will be cool to see what else comes out. Yes.
You wrote one of the songs for Walk. Ride. Rodeo. If you were going to write a song to be a part of the soundtrack for one of the shows or movies you played in the past, which one would you choose?
I don’t have an answer to that. I actually don’t know.
You have a new movie coming out called A Cowboy Christmas Romance.
Yep.
What drew you to audition for your character in that movie?
I was offered that film. I read the script and thought it was [a] lovely script. [I] was excited to work with the people that were involved [in it].
When you’re taking on a new character role, what does the process look like for you to mentally prepare and connect with your characters?
I use research. [I do as much research] as I can on the character and read the scripts as much as I can. [I] do [a] script analysis and go from there.
Acting and being a musician are similar in some ways, but they are also quite different in other ways. What are some of the biggest similarities and differences between the two?
They both require emotion and focus.
Are there any skills, knowledge, or
experiences you feel like you draw from one to improve at the other? They both keep me in touch with my [emotions in life].
Having multiple creative careers can be quite a lot at times. What are some of the most important tips that someone should keep in mind when balancing multiple creative careers?
Time management.
That is very helpful when you’re doing those types of things. What do you feel like was the best advice you ever got for any of your careers?
To keep going no matter what.
Whether they’re fans of your acting or your music, what’s the most important thing that everybody needs to know about you?
I want to use my platform for good.
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