Singapore-based Indie Pop artist Max Jordan is putting out his EP ‘Scared To Fall’ today, a six-track story about a guy whose fear of getting hurt costs him the love he wanted. Electro Wow got him to open up about how he got started, why heartbreak songs come so easily, the music video out alongside the EP, and much more.
1. Did you start out as a singer, a songwriter, or a producer? And how long would you say it’s taken you altogether to build up all those skills?
I actually started out as a songwriter! My musical journey began in January 2019 after meeting my cousin, who’s a rapper from Maryland. He introduced me to his music, and seeing someone so close to me creating his own songs inspired me to try writing my own. I quickly fell in love with the entire creative process.
My interest in production came a little later when my uncle bought me a loop pedal. I was heavily inspired by Ed Sheeran at the time, particularly how he used his loop pedal to build entire performances by layering different sounds. I started experimenting with it myself, and that opened up a completely new world of possibilities.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, a friend of mine who was already producing music introduced me to FL Studio, also known as Fruity Loops. I spent much of that period experimenting, learning, and discovering how to translate the sounds I imagined into actual recordings. Interestingly, that same friend is someone I still collaborate with today!
It’s been about seven years since I started writing music and six years since I began learning production. Looking back, I think what I love most is that there’s always something new to discover. I’m constantly learning, and that’s what makes creating music so exciting to me.
2. Some say self-taught artists are more authentic; others say formal training gives you an edge. Where do you land?
I think authenticity has less to do with how you learn music and more to do with what you choose to express through it.
Personally, much of my musical journey has been driven by curiosity. I didn’t necessarily start out knowing what I was doing. I just knew that I loved creating music, and that passion pushed me to experiment, make mistakes, and figure things out along the way.
At the same time, I think formal training is incredibly valuable. There’s so much knowledge and experience that you can gain from learning from people who have dedicated their lives to mastering their craft. I don’t think being self-taught automatically makes someone more authentic, just as having formal training doesn’t make someone less creative.
For me, the most important thing is finding your own artistic voice. You can learn all the technical skills in the world, but ultimately, what makes music special is the person behind it and the experiences they’re trying to communicate.
I think that’s something I’m still discovering myself. Every song I write, and every project I produce, teaches me something new about the kind of artist I want to become.
3. How different is your mindset when you’re producing a track versus when you’re writing the lyrics?
I think producing and songwriting bring out two very different sides of me. When I’m producing, I usually enter the studio with a particular sound, genre, or musical direction in mind.
I might be inspired by a certain atmosphere, an instrumental texture, or even a song that I’ve been listening to. From there, it’s about experimenting with different sounds, melodies, and arrangements to bring that initial vision to life.
Songwriting, on the other hand, is a much more emotional process for me. Instead of starting with how I want something to sound, I start with what I’m feeling and the story I want to tell.
A lot of my writing comes directly from personal experiences, particularly emotions that I sometimes struggle to express in everyday conversations.
I love the idea of creating music that’s uniquely mine but still relatable to someone who’s never met me. It’s fascinating how two people can go through completely different experiences yet connect with the same song because they recognize the emotions behind it.
I guess production is where I get to explore my creativity, while songwriting is where I get to explore myself. Bringing those two worlds together is probably my favourite part of making music.
4. Among your songs, do the ones about heartbreak feel harder or easier to write? Why?
Interestingly, I think heartbreak has always been one of the easier subjects for me to write about.
I’ve naturally gravitated towards sad songs for as long as I can remember. Some of the songs that have impacted me the most were the ones I listened to when I was experiencing heartbreak myself.
There was something incredibly comforting about hearing another artist put into words the exact emotions I was struggling to understand. I think that’s why writing about heartbreak comes so naturally to me.
When I’m going through something emotionally difficult, songwriting becomes an outlet where I can process everything I’m feeling. Sometimes the words just flow because they’re coming from such a genuine place.
There’s also something beautiful about turning a painful experience into something that another person might find comfort in.
If someone listens to one of my songs while going through heartbreak and feels a little less alone, I think that’s one of the most meaningful things I could ever achieve through my music.
5. What’s the reason behind naming your EP ‘Scared To Fall’? Are you exploring your own fears or vulnerabilities through it?
When I started putting the project together, I wanted to create something that went beyond a collection of individual songs. I wanted listeners to experience an entire story, almost as though they were following the emotional journey of a character through different chapters of his life.
Across the six tracks, we follow the story of a boy who falls in love but struggles to follow through because of the fears and emotional wounds he’s carrying from his past. Having witnessed and experienced pain, he’s terrified of the possibility of getting hurt again.
Eventually, those fears become so overwhelming that he convinces himself that letting the girl go is the right decision. Unfortunately, it’s only after losing her that he begins to realize how much his fears have cost him, leaving him with the regret of what could have been.
Although the EP tells a particular story, I think the emotions behind it are incredibly universal. I’ve heard so many stories from people who were either afraid to fall in love themselves or had their hearts broken by someone too afraid to fully love them.
That’s really what I wanted to explore through this project. Sometimes our fear of experiencing pain can become the very thing that prevents us from experiencing the love we’ve always wanted. And sometimes, in trying so desperately to protect ourselves from heartbreak, we end up creating it.
6. The 6 tracks touch on different chapters of your life. How do you think your lived experiences can be relatable for listeners?
When I write music, I’m usually drawing from my own experiences, emotions, and relationships. But I’ve come to realize that although our circumstances might be completely different, the emotions we experience are often incredibly similar.
We all know what it’s like to love someone, to experience rejection, to overthink situations, or to wonder whether we’ve made the right decision. Sometimes we even find ourselves hurting the very people we care about because of fears we haven’t learned to overcome.
That’s something I really wanted to capture in this EP. Each song represents a different emotional chapter, but I also wanted the entire project to feel like one continuous journey. As listeners move through the six tracks, I hope they’ll recognize certain moments from their own lives.
Perhaps they’ll relate to the excitement of falling in love, the fear of becoming vulnerable, or the regret of losing someone they weren’t ready to love. Ultimately, I don’t expect everyone to relate to every detail of my experiences. I just hope that somewhere within these six songs, they’ll discover a piece of their own story.
And maybe, through listening to mine, they’ll understand theirs a little better.
7. Who’s the listener you picture falling in love with your music the moment they hear it?
I’d say my music is for the hopeless romantics who think a little too much and feel a little too deeply. It’s for the people who replay conversations in their heads, romanticize the smallest moments, and sometimes find themselves getting lost in their own emotions.
I’ve always loved music that allows me to escape into another person’s world. Whether it’s listening to a song late at night or hearing a particular lyric that reminds me of someone, I think there’s something incredibly special about feeling understood by an artist you’ve never met.
That’s the kind of experience I want to create for my listeners. With ‘Scared To Fall,’ I want people to immerse themselves in the storytelling and experience the different emotions that unfold throughout the EP.
If you’re someone who has ever fallen deeply in love, been afraid of getting hurt, or found yourself wondering what could have happened if you’d made a different decision, I think you’ll find something in this project that resonates with you.
Essentially, I make music for people who feel everything, because I’m one of them!
8. How ready do you feel to expand your career into international markets beyond Singapore? Is it more about budget, luck, or timing?
I think it’s a combination of all three, but I also believe there’s a fourth element that’s equally important: consistency.
As an independent artist, I’ve come to realize that making music is only one part of the journey. You’re also responsible for building your identity, understanding your audience, promoting your releases, and figuring out how to get your music heard.
It’s exciting, but it can also be incredibly challenging when you’re funding and managing everything yourself.
I’ve been experimenting with different ways of introducing my music to international audiences, particularly in the United States. One thing I’ve learned is that reaching people and genuinely connecting with them are two very different things.
You can spend money promoting a song and generate thousands of views, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve gained thousands of listeners who genuinely connect with your music. For me, the goal isn’t simply to accumulate streams or numbers. It’s to build an audience of people who resonate with my sound and storytelling and want to continue following my journey.
Of course, having a bigger budget would open up more opportunities, and I definitely believe that timing and a little bit of luck play their parts. But those are things I can’t always control.
What I can control is the quality of the music I create, how consistently I show up, and how much effort I put into connecting with listeners.
I don’t think I’ll ever reach a point where I feel completely ready. But I’m excited to keep learning, experimenting, and taking steps towards building an international audience.
After all, you never really know how far your music can travel until you allow it to reach people.
9. Any plans for music videos or live shows this year to bring ‘Scared To Fall’ to life?
Yes! I’m actually really excited about this because I’ve just finished shooting a music video that’s scheduled to premiere on October 2, the same day the EP drops!
One of the things I’ve always loved about music is its ability to tell stories, and I think music videos offer another dimension to that storytelling. With ‘Scared To Fall,’ the entire project revolves around a particular emotional journey, so having a visual component is something I’m especially excited about.
It’s an opportunity to bring the music to life beyond just the lyrics and production. I’ve spent so much time working on the songs themselves that being able to finally share the project, along with a music video, feels like a really special milestone.
As for live shows, performing is definitely something I’d love to continue exploring. There’s something about experiencing music together in the same room that you simply can’t replicate through streaming platforms.
For now, my immediate focus is on giving this EP the release it deserves and sharing the music and its story with as many people as possible.
10. With ‘Scared To Fall’ out today, what’s next for Max Jordan? Is there a new sound or direction you’re already thinking about?
I think one of my biggest priorities moving forward is to continue developing the sound and storytelling that I’ve established through this project.
As an artist, there’s always the temptation to experiment with completely different genres or reinvent yourself with every release. While I definitely want to keep evolving creatively, I also think there’s something valuable about taking the time to establish your own musical identity.
I’ve spent years discovering the kind of music I love creating, and ‘Scared To Fall’ represents a sound and style of storytelling that feels genuinely personal to me.
Moving forward, I want to continue exploring that emotional Indie-Pop sound while improving my songwriting, production, and ability to tell stories through music. More importantly, I want to build a community of listeners who genuinely connect with what I’m creating.
I think about the people who’ve supported my music since the very beginning, and I’m incredibly grateful that they’ve chosen to follow my journey. As my audience grows, I want to continue creating music that stays true to the reasons they connected with me in the first place.
That doesn’t mean I’ll never experiment or explore new musical directions. I just want that evolution to happen naturally rather than chasing whatever sound happens to be popular at the moment.
Ultimately, I want to look back one day and know that I’ve built something meaningful. Not just a catalogue of songs, but a body of work that people can return to during different chapters of their lives. And hopefully, ‘Scared To Fall’ is just the beginning of that journey.
CONNECT WITH MAX JORDAN
Hi, I’m Erick Ycaza — a music blogger with a BA in Advertising & Graphic Design. I created this blog to keep you updated with daily music news. Surprisingly, I’ve been writing about music since 2007. If you’re an artist and would like to be featured, feel free to reach out: info@electrowow.net
