Max McNown Announces Expanded Edition of Sophomore Album 'Night Driving (The Cost of Growing Up)'
- Crucial Rhythm
- 16 hours ago
- 5 min read
FEATURES ELEVEN NEVER-BEFORE-HEARD SONGS
NEW SINGLE “THE COST OF GROWING UP” OUT TODAY
AN ETHEREAL, ROOTSY MEDITATION ON THE BEAUTY THAT COMES FROM GROWING PAINS ANYWHERE BETWEEN MINOR INCONVENIENCES TO DEVASTATING LOSS
Today, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Max McNown released the sublime new single “The Cost of Growing Up” alongside a new album announcement. An expanded edition of his stunning sophomore album with eleven new tracks, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) is slated for release on July 18, 2025, via Fugitive Recordings x The Orchard x Columbia Records. Available for pre-order on: Signed D2C Exclusive Clear Black Ice Colored Vinyl, Amazon Exclusive Opaque Maroon Colored Vinyl, Indie Exclusive Opaque Bone Colored Vinyl, Opaque Tangerine Colored Vinyl, and Standard CD.
Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence that McNown partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California just a few years ago, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) takes the latter half of its title from a gorgeously textured track that perfectly exemplifies his newly refined sound. With its rootsy and ethereal instrumentation—luminous steel guitar, lush mandolin, soulful organ—“The Cost of Growing Up” arrives as a clear-eyed but melancholy meditation on the inevitability of pain.
“To me, the cost of growing up is an acceptance that difficult things are going to happen—from minor inconveniences to devastating loss, it’s all a part of life,” says McNown. “But there’s also beauty in that because, without those hard moments, you wouldn’t be able to truly love.”
The new single is one of the 11 never-before-heard tracks featured in Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), the drastically expanded edition of his sophomore LP. “Even though Night Diving was the length of a full album, in my heart it never felt complete to me,” reveals McNown. “All of these songs were written in the same time period, and my intention was always to have them be one body of work.” The previously unreleased songs surfaced from a recent evolution of his mesmerizing sound, spotlighting an earthy tonality informed by his upbringing in the Pacific Northwest.
“Since my first EP I’ve been on the hunt to find myself as a musician, and with this album, I’ve officially made something that fully represents me, both sonically and in my songwriting,” he continues. Produced by Jamie Kenney (Colbie Caillat, Laci Kaye Booth) and made with an A-list lineup of session players, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) ultimately provides an extraordinary vessel for his profoundly moving and soul-baring storytelling. At 23, McNown has already been on a storied musical journey. Taking control of his future, overcoming personal challenges, and drawing inspiration from his brother who was bravely fighting cancer, McNown packed his bags and drove from remote Oregon to Southern California. From there, videos of him busking on a pier made an impact online and eventually grew into a legion of supporters on TikTok (currently has 2.3M followers). After attracting interest from major TV talent shows, McNown auditioned for one and then decided it wasn't for him and gracefully turned them down as he knew he needed to walk his own path.
Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Nashville-based artist set off on a meteoric rise largely fueled by his breakout single “A Lot More Free”—a RIAA Gold-certified track whose explosive success includes peaking at #1 on the iTunes singles chart and earning him a #1 spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Following the release of his widely lauded debut album Wandering, the Willfully Blind EP, and his acclaimed sophomore album Night Diving, the 23-year-old Oregon native continued his fast ascent to stardom and made his TV performance debut with an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this year, in addition to selling out his first-ever headline tour within just hours. Named a 2025 Artist To Watch by Amazon Music, Holler, and Country Now, McNown now embarks on a thrilling new chapter with Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up): a 21-song powerhouse that shows the complete depth of his artistry like never before.
Watch “Better Me For You” performance on The Kelly Clarkson Show HERE
Watch Kelly Clarkson cover “A Lot More Free” HERE One of the “brightest newly minted stars to come out of Nashville in recent years” (GRAMMY.com), McNown has impressively sold out every stop of his debut headline tour after spending the past year opening for stars like Wynonna Judd, Wyatt Flores, Michael Marcagi, Sam Barber, 502s, Corey Kent, Trampled by Turtles, JOSEPH, and more.
With the resounding success of the current run for the “A Lot More Free Tour,” McNown announced a handful of additional shows to officially mark the end of the triumphant tour. The series of southern stops include Knoxville, Orlando, Richmond, and more. He is also scheduled to perform at upcoming major US festivals including Boston Calling, CMA Fest, Lollapalooza, and others. Visit www.maxmcnown.com/tour for more information.
Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up) Track List:
Forever Ain't Long Enough
Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)
St. Helens Alpenglow
The Cost of Growing Up
Same Questions
Call Me If You Miss Me
This Side of Heaven
Marley
Wherever I'm Going
Where to Start
Night Diving (New Feature Version)
It's Not Your Fault
Take This Plane
Hotel Bible
Roses and Wolves (feat. Hailey Whitters)
Won't Let Me Go
Azalea Place
Love I Couldn't Mend
Freezing in November (Revisited)
Night Diving
Hindsight & Photographs
Tour Dates:
May 23 Fri- Boston, MA - Boston Calling Music Festival
May 30 Fri - Knoxville, TN - The Mill & Mine *^
May 31 Sat - Gadsden, AL - Bash at the Bend
Jun 1 Sun - Lexington, KY - Railbird Festival
Jun 5 Thu - Nashville, TN - CMA Fest at Stadium Platform
Jun 6 Fri - Nashville, TN - CMA Fest at Riverfront
Jun 13 Fri - St Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live ~
Jun 14 Sat - Orlando, FL - The Plaza Live ~
Jun 15 Sun - Jacksonville, FL - Five ~
Jun 17 Tues - Isle of Palms, SC - The Windjammer ^*
Jun 20 Wed - Lewisburg, WV - Wild Trails Festival
Jun 19 Thurs - Richmond, VA - The National *^
Jun 21 Sat - Chattanooga, TN - The Signal *^
Jun 27 Fri - Bloomsbury, Australia - Country Fest Queensland
Jul 4 Fri - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
Jul 18 Fri - Redmond, OR - Fairwell Music Festival
Aug 2 Sat - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
Aug 8 Fri - Elkhorn Precinct, NE - Pinnacle Bank Championship Concert Series
Aug 21 Thu - Kansas City, MO - KC Live!
Aug 30 Sat - Aspen, CO - Jas Aspen Labor Day Experience
* Lee T. Baker
^ Ethan Luke
~ MYFEVER
**Weston T. Hine
Follow Max on his socials: TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | www.maxmcnown.com