July 14, 2023

D.C. Maxwell – Lone Rider: New Song Of The Day

Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand alt-pop artist D.C. Maxwell continues his ascent with news of debut album Lone Rider due Friday August 18 via Danger Collective (Momma, Surf Curse) digitally and on limited-edition vinyl.

Here’s the record company blurb with much more:

Title track ‘Lone Rider’, a new music video directed by Jack O’Neil and September tour dates across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne arrive today alongside the announcement.

D.C. Maxwell Hot off the back of a sold-out headline show at Auckland’s Whammy Bar in celebration of debut single ‘The Leading Man’, ‘Lone Rider’ is the beating heart of Maxwell’s debut album. Across the new track, Maxwell reveals a more tender side of himself – the song’s stripped-back composition and vulnerable vocal delivery a world away from the big-band studio rock of debut single ‘The Leading Man’. ‘Lone Rider’ tells the story of a grieving cowboy learning to cope in a world their lover left behind, capturing feelings of loss, grief, and the pain that comes from continuing to love someone who isn’t there.

D.C. Maxwell shares, “This song is about the choice you have to make when someone you love chooses to leave this world. Do you stay on without them? Do you wallow in grief? Or do you choose to carry on, keeping them alive through the love you continue to hold for them in your heart? I think choosing to continue to exist while your heart is broken is noble, but god does it hurt. I wanted this song to acknowledge that choice, and the people all over the world that make it every day.”

D.C. Maxwell

Complementing the new single is a music video made in collaboration with first-time director Jack O’Neil. The clip depicts Maxwell performing ‘Lone Rider’ on acoustic guitar interspersed with scenes of Maxwell and Dee the horse riding through the picturesque hills and native bush of West Auckland. For the video, Maxwell worked with renowned horse master and trainer Adrian Stent (Power of the Dog, Slow West, Mulan) and his horse dee ahead of filming to ensure the clip authentically captured the deep bond between horse and rider.

Maxwell shares, “Adrian, the horse master, really connected with the story of the song and we worked really hard together to form a real and natural connection between myself and Dee. It was actually quite emotional when Dee and I became locked in, really responsive and listening to each other.”

“This song really means a lot to me, so I was a bit nervous to put it to film, but Adrian realised the crucial piece was forming a natural connection between Dee and I, so we worked together to build that trust and relationship. I ended up falling a little in love with Dee. I’ve never felt like that with a horse before.” he continues.

D.C. Maxwell

D.C. Maxwell is the former frontman of high-octane punk band Roidz, who amassed a cult following in New Zealand and North America for their angsty teen punk anthems and no-holds-barred performances.

Grief and pain following the passing of two close friends led Maxwell to a three-year hiatus from music, studying creative writing, writing a novel and working as a journalist, before returning to the craft in 2023 with the launch of his new solo project. Combining the story-telling skills from his degree and background in writing, Lone Rider is a collection of vivid tales of lives lived on the outskirts – from a horse thief who sees their lover killed, to an old woman whose greatest love was a man she hardly knew, and a bank robber betrayed by his hostages.

Recalling the 1970s baroque pop of Lee Hazlewood and Scott Walker, 1960s hitmaker Glen Campbell, melodramatic balladeer Nick Cave and Flying Nun’s Chris Knox, Lone Rider was produced in close collaboration with Peter Ruddell (Wax Chattels, Captured Tracks), with contributions from a cast of established New Zealand musicians including Dave Khan (Marlon Williams), Liz Stokes, (The Beths) and David Harris (Princess Chelsea).

Behind the rich production of the record – framed by a rich orchestra with strong horn sections, a choir and a large backing band – lies a world of love and loss, embodied in the settings of roadside motel rooms and the inner lives of small-town dreamers as vast as the plains. While the album explores themes of anguish, murder, bank robberies, BDSM, heartbreak, horse thievery, and alcoholism, Maxwell is fiercely passionate about delivering each song with power and empathy for the characters within it.

Maxwell’s electrifying live show has earned him a slot on Village Sounds’ (Courtney Barnett, Aldous Harding, Alex Cameron) coveted roster, garnering a fast-growing fanbase with multiple sell-out shows and a support slot for Future Islands before ever releasing a single. Catch D.C. Maxwell live in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in support of the new album this September. Tour dates below.

‘Lone Rider’ is out now through Danger Collective Records (US). Stream ‘Lone Rider’ HERE, watch the accompanying music video HERE and pre-order the Lone Rider on limited-edition vinyl HERE.

Stay up to date with upcoming shows and releases by following D.C. Maxwell on Instagram.

D.C. Maxwell Lone Rider