This post was updated Nov. 4 at 10:33 p.m.
Whether in Westwood or on televised singing competitions, Max Wright is holding the high note of his musical journey.
A lifelong singer from Nevada City, California, the fourth-year communication and music industry student said he found opportunities to perform and hone his vocal talent at UCLA. After founding the band Max Wright and The Wrongs in 2022, Wright said he has performed in venues across Westwood and the greater Los Angeles area while also participating in shows such as the 2025 Netflix series “Building the Band.” Nearing the end of his time at UCLA, Wright said he aspires to discover his own sound as an artist by emphasizing the emotional strength of his voice.
“I want to make people feel certain emotions that they may be hiding away,” Wright said. “I want to create music that people can care about, love and makes them remember nostalgic things in their life or happy moments.”
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Wright said his passion for music originated from constantly singing during childhood car rides, leading him to join Voice Academy in Roseville, California, as a youth singer. Being part of Voice Academy introduced him to musical performance in a group setting, which Wright said was crucial to his technical growth as a singer – especially because singing was not a popular hobby in his hometown. He added that his musical inspirations include Daniel Caesar, Bruno Mars and SZA – artists whose blend of catchy pop and soulful acuity he admires.
Wright added that he has always loved singing vocal riffs because they allow him to blend artistic confidence with emotional connection – two important elements of his style. While he often performs upbeat pop crowd-pleasers with his band at Westwood gigs, Wright said he personally gravitates more toward the R&B and soul-infused style of ballad that allows for deeper emotional resonance.
Wright’s singing coach, Cassie Ivazes – who has worked with him for over 10 years – said Wright’s voice carries an innately soulful feeling that distinguishes him from other singers. Even after his vocal range shifted during puberty, she said Wright never faltered in practicing to retain that range and achieve his artistic goals.
“As a vocal teacher, you can teach all the technicalities – teach pitch and how to sing scales and things like that – but it’s really hard to teach that charisma, and Max has always had that,” Ivazes said. “It just comes natural to him.”
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Being part of “Building the Band” encouraged him to further build his vocal presence, Wright said. He described the show as “The Voice” meets “Love Is Blind,” where 15 out of 50 singer contestants are selected to be sorted into bands. As a contestant, Wright said he and the other singers were not allowed to see each other, judging one another only by the sound of their voice. After singing a cover of “Snooze” by SZA for the show, Wright said he was proud of the positive reaction his performance received, as well as the people he met throughout the production of the series.
Beyond singing in more intimate settings, Wright said one of his favorite aspects of music is performing in front of a live audience. He said he hopes audiences take away the same level of spiritual inspiration he experiences when attending a live concert. When on stage, Wright said he loves the interactive element of engaging with audience members – not just through song but dance.
“I come alive when I’m on stage in front of a lot of people. I hit notes that I didn’t know I could hit, and I do dance moves I didn’t know I could do,” Wright said. “I literally just get everyone fired up – not even in the crowd, but in my band as well.”
Andrea Wright, the singer’s mother, said Max Wright’s path to success has been paved with rejection. Despite auditioning for other shows such as “The Voice” and not getting in, she said her son was not deterred from seeking new performance opportunities. She added that she hopes audiences feel the same positive energy watching Max Wright perform as he imparts in his music.
Many of Wright’s performances in the LA area have been with Max Wright and The Wrongs in venues ranging from the Rose Bowl Stadium to Winston House, he said. The six-member band was formed through SLAM at UCLA – an organization that encourages student musicians to form bands and provides mentorship opportunities – he added. Wright said he has written original songs with the band that he hopes to release in the near future.
With many of The Wrongs graduating this year, Wright said he hopes to shift his focus to a new group with the working name of The Situations. As an artist relatively new to songwriting, he added that creating songs with his bandmates allowed him to approach his art in a more collaborative way.
“I love the feeling of creating something that didn’t exist before,” Wright said. “That process is what I’ve fallen in love with.”
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