LEONARDTOWN, Md. — When Max Tucker describes getting his first guitar at age 6, he says, “It was the only thing I ever did that came naturally.” From there, his story follows a familiar one for rock guitarists and country music hopefuls across generations: playing in bars, learning from seasoned musicians and finding the creative drive to keep going.
Tucker released his debut EP, titled “One,” under the band name Robert’s Revenge. The name comes from a ghost story passed down in his wife’s family and Tucker’s fondness for his pirate ancestry.
The four-song EP draws on Tucker’s many rock influences, and his country music upbringing is clear in the EP’s lean toward thematic storytelling. The EP was a long time in the making for Tucker, who spent years working on the EP’s second track, “Breathe Slow,” and wanted the opportunity to be more rock-focused and experimental.
“You always want to be doing something,” Tucker said. “When you’re not busy it’s like, what’s next? What can I work on?”
Though Tucker currently lives in Virginia, he started playing guitar with Robbie Boothe when he was only 17 and spent a good portion of his career playing in Southern Maryland. Tucker has played all over the country, including in Nashville, and says Southern Maryland has always been one of his favorite places.
“It’s laid back, but supportive,” Tucker said. “The audience is great and you can get really into what you’re doing.” He’s excited about the expanding music scene in the area, especially shows at The Rex in Leonardtown, and hopes to get back to playing in this region in the near future.
Tucker’s journey writing and recording the EP shows how hands-on modern musicians are in their work. The project was in large part about capturing his own creativity and finding his songwriting voice — he bought home studio equipment, taught himself how to use it, wrote the songs, recorded them and released the EP himself. He also played all the instruments except the drums and some backing vocals.
But nobody truly goes at it alone. Tucker’s humility speaks to the collaborative world of music and the people who support it — whether through teaching, family support, downloading the music or showing up at a concert. In a short conversation, he mentioned probably a dozen people who’d held a meaningful role in his musical journey, including his wife, Johanna, who “had to listen to the same riff for an entire day” as he worked out a song.
Tucker is excited to get back to playing live and is equally as eager to get started on more original music, even if the process is daunting.
“Doing something like this is always scary,” Tucker said. “It’s a lot of work so you’re doing it like, oh man, did I just waste all my time? But then hearing it back for the first time, getting to sit down and listen to them, you have such a sense of accomplishment. You start to feel like anything is possible.”
Listeners can find “One” by Robert’s Revenge on Spotify.
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So proud of you Max. You ROCK!