New York Strangers

April 2021 Update:
After a year of aggressively working on music and honing my production skills I decided to return to this song and rerecord/remix it. I'm very happy with the result and I hope you all continue to enjoy it.

Past Description (2019)
A tune ive been working on over the past 3 years and I am very proud of the end result and whats to come. 

I hope you enjoy the tune as much as I enjoyed making it and reflecting on the outcome. 

Cheers, HANKUS

Personnel: 
Everything - Me

Lyrics:
Let's talk about how you want to converse with one syllable words, faces and closed endings 
Cause I don't know what else I can still propose, there  are so many issues that you won't disclose to me, or anyone 

Let's talk about how you advertise, your desire to speak , well you aren't talk to me, or anyone

Should I pester you a little bit more, keep pushing for an answer, or just keeping asking more 
cause we're getting nowhere 

(instrumental chorus cause that's how i do it!)

Canceled dates and dynamic states
Searching for an anchor to bring you out of this 
The hopeful shift 

That slides it all back into place 
Gets you out there and brings you face to face with your evasions

then one day you'll take off from this, desperate, tired and over this 
of all the things you said you'd do 
I didn't think this one you'd choose 

I think helped you choose 

(bridge)
every conversation 
an interrogation 
mere frustration 
self isolation 

an adoration 
for contemplation
an aspiration
for devastation

meander around
up and down without this

lost and found 
stumble around without this

till ive taken care of that
hopeful shift

The Hopeful Shift (DEMO)

Cybernetic Organism

The Wandering Willow

Really happy with how this song grew in composition and production since I did it last year. And then again from the initial rerelease in July to now Mid August. I think this is probably one of my most ambitious mixes which the amount of layers and i think it came out quite clear.

Its a fun acoustic rock song exploring the idea of procrastination and how we can embrace "fake busy-ness" to fuel and justify the excuses we make. 

Instruments: Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums (played by me actually and not programmed this time) Vocals, Accordion, Vibraslap, Cowbell, Shaker


Lyrics:
You  are busy living your life
Well what did you make with it 
Besides your rainchecks

You are busy living your life
Well what did you get from it 
Besides your booked up calendar

You are busy avoiding 
Every responsible being
That may come patch up your life

You’ve got to distinguish 
The nails from the caulking 
The pedestal 
From the casket

I’m doing fine im alright
Im doing fine im like you 
Casted in this grand performance

You and I we’re in the same shoes
I get them all after you
Pre-conditioned and unquestioned

You’ve got to remember 
I’m jaded

You’ve got to remember 
That I’m lazy

Well here we are again
For the last time again
Well here we go again

You asked bout a thousand times
And i lied and said I'm Fine

You are finished living your life
Well what did you get with it

Busy Living Your Life

This song was created out of curiosity and love for music.

Memories

Dreamy synth & guitar, chill groove. Instrumental.

Dao of the Aether

Beat by Mixtape Seoul 
Mixed by Jack Rudman, Walter Wiggins III and S^2
Written by Kyle Simms

Verse 1:
I never had myself the fanciest of clothes and shit
I never found myself collecting all the hoes and shit
I was in high school, chillin playin in hyrule
Going to sleep and I drool in class i was never focusing
I never found myself gettin all of the highest grades 
I always found myself stuck in all of my childish ways
I never saw myself as the greatest of athletes
But shit the least I could've done was make myself a math geek 
Fuck it that's past me im never goin back to that
Im focused on the future and whatever is the aftermath
Some other mothafuckas just be stuck in all the blasts to past 
But all I really wanna do is bless yall with some classic raps 
Dont need all yall opinions everybody's got their own
But I'm a king so I suggest for yall to watch the throne
Listen I got a vision, Makin the right decisions
Imma perform for millions while the haters watch at home

Bridge:
Wait a second bruh you know I had to switch it up because theres something that I really needa preach
(Real shit real shit)
Never let somebody ever tell you that your nothing and dont let em tell you who you needa be 
(Real shit real shit)
And I know y'all felt this way before 
Where somebody tryna treat ya like shit
Well pull your straps up, tell that boy to back up 
then you tell em somethin like this

Chorus:
I dont give a damn, what the hell you niggas gotta say cuz yall should know
That I be paving my own way
I don't give a damn 
Imma keep on movin and adapting 
But the haters never seem to really change
I dont give a damn
Fuck you, I ain't in the right mood,
Put your hands up if you feel the same, I dont give a D-A-M-N, damn, D-A-M-N damn

Verse 2:
You might have never went and driven all the fastest cars 
You might have never got to flex with all your master cards 
But its irrelevant I can tell that your getting it yeah you can set a precedent long as you keep on workin hard
You might have never had an easy opportunity 
You might be told that every goal you got is lunacy
But you can do it, better create the blueprint then you start pushing through it lifes coming together beautifully
I ain't gone lie to you achieving ain't the easiest 
And every single day is gonna seem harder then the previous 
You cooking in the kitchen with the finest of ingredients 
While haters shut they mouths like you police and they goin plead the fifth
But still be grateful for the skeptics critics all the doubt
They there to motivate but all they lookin for is clout
Still if they steppin out of line you better call em out 
And show em xactly why you're here and what you're all about

Pre Chorus: 
All that really matters is you knowin that you're talented and everything starting falling into place 
Foot is on the gas as you start mastering your craft and then nobody will be standing in your way
And if they spray that bullshit then you say
Mind your business and im bout to mind mine
The hard work it shows
You know how this shit goes 
Lemme hear it one more damn time

Chorus:
I dont give a damn, what the hell you niggas gotta say cuz yall should know
That I be paving my own way
I don't give a damn 
Imma keep on movin and adapting 
But the haters never seem to really change
I dont give a damn
Fuck you, I ain't in the right mood,
Put your hands up if you feel the same, I dont give a D-A-M-N, damn, D-A-M-N damn

Damn! (prod. Mixtape Seoul)

I wrote Die Alone sitting on the floor of my room. It was really different from my other songs at the time, but it stuck with me. At first I recorded it with GarageBand on my computer with loud vocals and noisy guitars. My brother Alec and I recorded it later with our band The Peaches for our Flyover Country album. Later, I redid it for fun, first in Garageband with some of the backing instruments that can still be heard in the final version and then took that to my friend Jake Whitecar Orangutan Sound studio in Montana where we recorded the final vocals, instruments, and live drums. I can’t believe there was a time when we could actually travel

Jake asked Jon Filkins to provide real, live drums and Amanda Ceaser to add background vocals. He also played bass, some synths, and some guitar. The song wouldn’t be what it is without their amazing contributions and I can’t thank each of them enough for participating

The result is peppy, but also dark. It has a heavy beat and some really cool vocals. I especially love the bridge where it gets really quiet and echoey and then builds to the most intense moment of the song

I recorded this song at a really hard time when I had to go to voice therapy because I had hurt my vocal cords and I was just recovering after a year wondering if I’d ever be able to sing again. I still hadn’t fully recovered during the recording process, but the result is cool because my vocals are a lot breathier than usual. My philosophy is: turn that mud into gold if at all possible

Die Alone. It’s about knowing that something or someone beautiful is gone, hoping they might come back someday, but not waiting around because you also have a life to live. It’s a dark song. Not exactly happy, but not unhappy either. Just fresh and raw from the pain and disappointment. The title comes from the phrase “You don’t die alone on the road”, which came from nowhere but really fits the overall energy, about moving forward despite all the uncertainty

In my mind, it’s a lot of dark night driving images which is going to feature in the video that will be released in the weeks after the song.

Die Alone will be out on ALL streaming platforms on Friday, September 25th. Here’s a pre-save link for the fans who don’t want to miss release day: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/maxoakland/die-alone

Listening to it, following me on Spotify and other social media, and sharing it will help me make this hard-won song as successful as possible. Thanks for your support, it’s always helped me keep motivated

Lyrics:
Oh I know it’s gone forever, but I can’t help but wonder
Can’t help but wondering
Filth dissolved in rain, like the clouds crashed and we're OK

You don't die alone on the road. Too many monsters to take your soul
You don't die alone on the road. Just gonna sell everything you know

Oh I know it’s gone forever, but I can’t help but wonder
Can’t help the wondering
Salts like cyanide washing away in the tide

Keep this one in my pocket to remind me of younger days
when the smoke we saw was dragons evolving in their caves
into you and your little sister all alone now in the snow
have we become the monsters when we drive away all alone?

You don't die alone on the road

Credits:
Songs by Max Oakland
Produced by Jake Whitecar and Max Oakland
Mixed by Jake Whitecar at Orangutan Sound in Missoula, MT
Performances
Max Oakland - Vocals, Guitars, Synths, Programming, Slide, Samples
Jake Whitecar - Bass Guitar, additional guitars & synths
Jon Filkins - Live Drums
Amanda Ceaser - Background Vocals

Dao of the Aether

Myrcene