Max McNown Bares Soul On Stirring New Single ‘This Side Of Heaven’

Max McNown shared the gripping single “This Side Of Heaven” and an accompanying performance video. The track previews McNown’s forthcoming deluxe LP, Night Diving (The Cost Of Growing Up), set for release on July 18 via Fugitive Recordings x The Orchard x Columbia Records.

Eleven previously unreleased songs, including “This Side Of Heaven,” are featured on the expanded version of the rising country star’s sophomore studio album, Night Diving. The follow-up to 2024’s Wandering was issued on January 24, 2025. “Even though Night Diving was the length of a full album, in my heart it never felt complete to me,” explained McNown. “All of these songs were written in the same time period, and my intention was always to have them be one body of work.”

The Nashville-based artist was inspired to pen “This Side In Heaven” by the work of two fellow singer-songwriters. “When I wrote this I was listening to a lot of Ray Lamontagne, who is a big inspiration to me vocally and as a songwriter. I love the folk-blues slide guitar solos, and we tried to be honest and heartfelt with the lyrics. It’s a love song but with that classic soulful feel you get from Lamontagne and maybe Chris Stapleton too who is another big influence on me,” McNown stated.

Watch Max McNown’s “This Side Of Heaven” performance video below:

On August 21, Max McNown starts his Forever Ain’t Long Enough Tour in Kansas City. McNown will bring the excursion to cities across North America through October 20 before crossing the Atlantic for shows in December.