For most students, summer break brings peace, quiet, and time to relax. But for junior Maxwell Seiden, this upcoming summer will be a journey of sound: his metalcore band Forever & Always will be touring the western United States this summer after recording their second extended play (EP).
Despite this recent success, Seiden’s guitar journey has not always been straightforward. In fact, he was not really committed to music until his teenage years.
“I first started playing guitar in second grade, but at that point it was more just something I did for fun,” Seiden said. “I didn’t really get serious about it until I joined Jazz Band in middle school and started practicing more consistently.”
Through jazz, Seiden developed strong technical skills and learned that succeeding in music requires consistent daily practice.
“Jazz is good because it helps you build technical skills, but as far as my musical interests, I always wanted to play something different with more energy,” Seiden said.
The summer before his freshman year marked a turning point.
“That summer, a friend took me to an underground punk show, and I was immediately hooked. The energy was completely different from anything I had experienced before and it just kept growing with every show,” Seiden said.
Seiden had discovered his true calling: heavy metal. Those shows inspired him to immerse himself in the local music scene and begin writing and performing his own music. He formed his first band with the same friend who introduced him to punk. Although the group eventually broke up due to differing musical interests, the experience pushed him to keep searching for the right musical fit.
“I saw a[n] [Instagram] story looking for a guitarist. I thought this could be what I am looking for and I immediately reached out,” Seiden said.
That message led him to a house in Alameda, where he met his current bandmates and found the sound he had been searching for.
“The first time we played together, we were just practicing at our bass player’s house in Alameda and honestly it went really well. We were just jamming, we had a great time, and the fit was ideal. It also helps that we have shared musical interest,” Seiden said.
Seiden said that sharing the same musical vision makes the songwriting process fun and collaborative, and each member’s voice is reflected in the final product.
“In this band, I don’t really write lyrics, I just play guitar,” Seiden said. “But I still feel my voice is there. Usually someone brings a riff to practice, and if everyone likes it, we’ll jam on it and build from there.”
One might think that after the songs are fully written, the job is done, however the real challenge starts there, Seiden said.
“Everything takes way longer than you think it will when you’re doing it for the first time, we thought that recording the songs would take two months. It took six,” said Seiden. “It was stressful and difficult at times, but seeing people actually listen to and enjoy the music makes it worth it.”
Seiden said music is less about perfection and more about finding how it resonates with each person and how it creates a sense of community.
“Go to shows, connect with people, and make friends in your scene,” Seiden said. “Don’t worry about whether your music is good. If it makes you happy and you’re having fun, it’s worth it.”
