The Great American Desert

The calm, quiet life of a small Midwestern town moved Max Holmquist to pick up a guitar at the age of 15 and the introduction of alt-folk music shifted his tastes toward a love of storytelling. He used this small town as the backdrop and inspiration for downbeat, minimalist folk tales of family, heartbreak and loss called The Great American Desert (formerly, South of Lincoln). Holmquist started working on the album “Homes” in a local studio in the Fall of 2009. He had help instrumentally from John Feuerbach (of Bandit Sound/The Incredible Heat Machine) and Matt Hova (of The Incredible Heat Machine/Plan C Recording Studio) playing Accordion and Keys respectively. “Homes” was self-released in January 2011. His second album, “The Monsters/Bathroom Sessions” was released in June 2011 and was supported by an east coast tour. The 2012 album “Carson City” is fully stripped down experience, recorded in a living room by Ian Aeillo and mastered by Matt Hova. All you hear is guitar and hushed vocals weaving tales of gambling husbands, runaway daughters, troubled lovers and old run down houses that hold fond memories. It continues where South of Lincoln (his former recording moniker) left off, highlighting minimal guitars partnered with soft vocal melodies. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.