PRESENTED BY BARBARA
At the age of 12, Max Frost was overheard playing guitar in Austin's Strait Music store by Jon Goldstein, an LA-based music promoter and enthusiast. At the time, Frost was playing in a teen group called Joyride, a project shepherded by the group's mentor and teacher, Cid Sanchez of Austin School of Music. The quartet would go on to win the Texas 10 Under 20 award, and play sought-after gigs such as The Backyard and Pecan Street Festival.
But another band and more success were around the corner. Following Joyride, Max and drummer Chris Copeland along with bassist Kai Roach joined with singer Sasha Ortiz and guitarist/ vocalist Patrick Mertens to form Blues Mafia. The band would have a 3-year powerhouse run, highlighted by winning the right to represent Texas at Blastbeat, an international competition that took the group to Dublin, where they placed second in the worldwide competition and their music was noticed by the founders of Balcony TV, the international viral music video movement. Prior to Dublin, through Goldstein's connections, the group traveled to LA, playing The Roxy among other venues and appearing on the EXTRA television show. The band released two EPs and an album, using recording time won in band competitions. Their sound was blues-based, but quickly evolved into a neo-blues sound, characterized by Ortiz' strong vocals, twin guitar leads and driving rhythms.
During the same time, Max joined with drummer Victor Ziolkowski, to form a series of trios with the express purpose of entering band contests. They won every contest they entered, fetching acoustic Gibson guitars for each of them in the process.
Despite a history of band competitions, Max doesn't view music as a competitive event, preferring to find and collaborate with musicians who set their standards high and play for the love of music. He's found a compatible group in his current band project, The Ruby Jane Show, working with fiddle prodigy Ruby Jane Smith and her high-caliber band of artists. The group is managed by C3 and has played Austin City Limits, while Ruby Jane has toured with Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel, and the band is regularly paired with acts such as Rodrigo and Gabriella, Mumford and Sons and Sahara Smith.
In the summer of 2010, Max began working on a solo project and plans to release his debut album in 2011.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Max-Frost/165717926796987?v=wall
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