Maxwell Hughes is a highly accomplished songwriter and musician whose talent and charisma has captured audiences with his unique sound, irresistible beats, and entertaining presentation. Passionate and energetic, Maxwell’s personality comes across in every song he plays, which is part of the reason he has a growing legion of fans.
Some of Maxwell’s most notable accomplishments include being a former member of The Lumineers and a Grammy Nominated Songwriter for his contribution on their chart-topping album. He’s also been a 3rd place finalist at the prestigious International Fingerstyle Competition, a multi-award winning instrumental guitarist, and a three-time winner of the “Best Instrumentalist” award at the FoCoMA awards. In the past he’s also been a support for Imagine Dragons, The Head and The Heart, Langhorn Slim, and Paperbird.
Perhaps most impressive is that Maxwell is entirely self-taught and began playing in 2002. Since then, he has self-produced two albums entitled Maxwell Hughes and Express. He’s also been a musical guest on TED Talks during their TEDxCSU event.
Maxwell’s influences include Tommy Emmanuel and Kaki King, but he also draws inspiration from rap, electronic, and video game music. Despite these influences, Maxwell’s performance abilities are something all his own, and fans have said, “The music is great, but the best part is watching him play it.” His iconic combination of drumming, fingerpicking, and a two handed tapping style is often confused with two guitars due to it’s deep, multi-instrumental sound.
Currently, Maxwell is sponsored by the Larrivee Guitar Company and is working on his 3rd album entitled Only In Dreams, which will be released in September 2013. He is also working on a guitar instruction system that will help those with disabilities.
In his spare time, Maxwell enjoys spending time with his friends and family in his hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado. He’s also an avid chess player.