How AJR transform everyday insecurities and anxiety into an escapist world of theatrical magic | Interview

With an impending deadline, the band were forced to confront their feelings, their creative process becoming not only an act of catharsis, but a timecapsule of a difficult, life-changing period. “We had to collect these moments and have them immortalised forever or else we probably would have forgotten a lot of what that felt like in the moment,” says Ryan. Sadly, their father passed away on the day they released their fourth single “God is Really Real,” a track that confronts their reality from a candid perspective.

The Maybe Man is a concept record, pinned around the namesake central character who acts like a big, sad superhero, unsure of who is really is. The idea was inspired by a conversation between the brothers. “We really started thinking about who we are as people and I think it was Jack who told me that he really feels like a different human being depending on who he’s talking to. It’s, I’ll be this for you and I’ll be this for you, and how little that leaves inside of him and how unfulfilled he feels not knowing who he is at the end of the day,” says Ryan. “We really wanted to make this a concept and we really wanted to present a problem in the beginning and sort of a resolve at the end. This is the first album we’ve ever made where the protagonist has literally learned a lesson throughout the course of the album as we literally learned this lesson.”

Throughout The Maybe Man AJR pull on the big picture for context. Less than a coming-of-age record, it’s a realisation of maturity via circumstance. While the question of ‘who am I’ could pose an existential panic, the demands of who’s depending on you become the bigger theme. “I’m A Mess” celebrates the nihilistic moments that can come mid-crisis, while fan-favourite “Steve’s Going to London” throws the everyday realities of growing up and moving on into the spotlight.

Even if the overarching themes may sound heavy or difficult, the energy of The Maybe Man is vibrant, rich and playful. Full of upbeat tempos, bright harmonies and inventive musicality, the brothers create a world of sound that’s truly their own. The production is bountiful and the songwriting hook-driven with every lick an ear-grab.

For the brothers themselves, the process of looking after their father informed the record in strange ways. “It’s really sad, but it’s also really beautiful. You realise how much you could rise to the occasion and become the grown-up that you never thought you could be, taking care of the guy that took care of you when you were a baby. It’s the weirdest way for your brain to expand,” says Ryan. “So I think that me, Jack and Adam all had our own paths of growing exponentially while we were writing this album and weirdly, I think that we started writing the album as kids and ended writing it as adults.”