Max McNown Expands ‘Night Diving’ With 11 New Songs: Stream It Now

Max McNown is giving fans even more of his soul-baring sound. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter has released the deluxe edition of his sophomore album, Night Diving (The Cost of Growing Up), featuring 11 new tracks that chronicle themes of grief, healing, young love and self-discovery.

The expanded set, out now via Fugitive Recordings x The Orchard x Columbia Records, arrives as McNown continues a meteoric rise in the country-folk space. Led by the focus track “Forever Ain’t Long Enough,” the deluxe album also includes a new version of “Night Diving” featuring country artist Cameron Whitcomb.

Releasing the single “Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)” last November, McKnown recently told Billboard that he felt reluctant to share such a vulnerable single about his girlfriend of nearly two years. But the track quickly resonated with fans, becoming his first entry on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and the Billboard Hot 100 — and soon, the 23-year-old’s perspective changed.

“I wasn’t expecting a song that is so specifically about my girlfriend to do so well,” he reflects. “It gives me a lot of encouragement to keep writing personal songs about my life.”

McNown wrote “Better Me For You” in May 2024 during a session with Trent Dabbs, Ava Suppelsa and writer-producer Jamie Kenney, at the lattermost’s Nashville-area studio. At the time, McNown had a basic melody, a simple concept and the written phrase, “I didn’t know you’d have brown eyes,” which became central to the song’s chorus.

Produced by Jamie Kenney (Colbie Caillat, Laci Kaye Booth), the new tracks expand McNown’s signature blend of folk, country and indie pop, with earthy tones and introspective lyrics inspired by his Pacific Northwest upbringing. Tracks like “Same Questions” and “St. Helen’s Alpenglow” explore heartbreak and reflection, while “The Cost of Growing Up” provides a melancholic meditation on life’s challenges.

The Nashville-based artist will bring his new music to stages across North America on the Forever Ain’t Long Enough tour, kicking off Aug. 21 in Kansas City. He is also set to perform at Lollapalooza on Aug. 2.