An interview with Max and a look at “YHITOPIFAH”
As a community we easily throw around “DIY” as a way to describe anything not produced with labels. Really encompassing the do-it-yourself attitude when focusing on music and trying to craft the perfect work is really, really hard. Robo Pumpkin(Max Adams) can attest to that, with 3 albums and a multitude of singles before 22 years old produced almost entirely alone. With that, Max has yet to produce something he can be 100% proud of, always working on becoming a better artist.
“yourhouseistheonlyplaceifeelathome” was the first time Max has had any help producing an album and had to learn how to work side-by-side with others. The album is full of examples of the hardships of writing music while also real life lyrics that talk about growing up with friends, death, and depression. I personally fell in love with Robo Pumpkin in 2023 and this album only increased my interest in yet another east coast DIY project.
The general direction of an album is mostly up to the person absorbing it, but with YHITOPIFAH It feels like a story and we are listening to the author narrate it over driving midwest emo bass and blast beats from Daisy Soper. I love how most songs fade into the next, my favorite example being the first two tracks on the album that introduce blast beats and those fun tappy bass parts. The first two songs also do a great job of setting a theme for me, “callitscenedirection” being like a preamble to set the story and “safer spaces” showing off the general rhythms and beats that pop up multiple times.
The album highlights the problems that come with trying to create perfect songs, talking about how Max wishes he could write the things he’s heard from bands like Death Cab For Cutie and Worst Party Ever. This is something like a motivator for Max, who wanted to write a “John Green” type album. Max takes a ton of inspiration from books, with Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow being his most recent call of arms.
Max keeps the even mix on the album with plenty of slower, droning bass that quickly turns into driving, momentum shifts that force you to wait for it in every song. “From Away” is my favorite song on the album and it does a great job of hammering home that statement, telling the listener a short sad story only to reluctantly make them dance it out until the end of the song.
The next song on the album does the same thing, only making it better by giving us another voice to listen to with a higher pitch kind of like introducing a witness to the story. Once this one starts to build, I love how easily the lyrics help the listener realize the emotional change, not just the music. I love when albums have songs that feature different vocals, most of my favorite albums have it.
Getting direction and motivation to write is the biggest give and take for a DIY artist. Max talked about treating it like a job if you want to reap what you sow, mentioning that “if you want this to be your life, you really have to be about it, it’s not a joke”. Grinding for hours and somehow finding the right amount of time to stay sane and keep healthy relationships is a struggle for anyone taking the DIY lifestyle seriously, something Max definitely mentions in his music.
“Dio’s Best Friend” was originally going to be the title of the album, a song that highlights a lot of my favorite themes I’ve mentioned before like almost listening to a read along.Distorting the bass tone more than before with this song is cool and gets brought up again on the next track “Go Outside”.
Arguably the best song on the album, the catchy sound of “Tougher Times” was enjoyed by my neighbors for months before the full album came out. This song really got me excited for this project, with lyrics that you could put to experiences that a lot of people have felt even though it’s a specific story. I think this song does an amazing job of getting the listener a little addicted, for good measure, to the greatness that is a good bass lick.
Max changed the name of the album to “YHITOPIFAH” when he listened to the last song on the album, the ending lyrics being stuck on his mind. An epiphany made by this, Max loves that the listener might not understand the name untill someone hears the last lyric of the album, like a reward for making it to the end. I’ve made it to the end of the album plenty of times, and I think everyone should try it once and see why I cant stop talking about it.
Earning his way towards a video game music degree, Max takes on the struggles we often see DIY musicians have but with a hardened spirit. “You only have yourself to count on and also motivate the writing” is how he explained it and I couldn’t agree more with that. He could give up, “take a corporate job at a desk”, but that won’t work for his mentality. Taking on obstacles and just releasing art by yourself is rough when there aren’t other people motivating you to get it done, something Max is well-versed in.
While a tour is something he’d love to do, the reality of how much time and commitment that takes is something that holds back most DIY artists from spreading their gospel. Although he’s never lost money on a tour, it’s something that scares him and basically every band trying to compete with people who are already established. “Playing with a band is also something that can take and give so much” Max mentioned, “a group all working together but at the same time but compromising your own expression”.
Staying true and practicing what you preach are my favorite things about Max, someone i have grown to know more and more. Max should be a poster child for this community we love and uplift so much, truly putting in work to create art for his supporters. With all of bands, LPs, Eps, and singles, I still don’t think we have seen the best of what will come with Robo Pumpkin or Max Adams.
Robo Pumpkin has a weekender in the north east coming up in February, playing shows with Women in Peril (Daisys band) in Vermont and New Jersey.
FFO: addicting bass tone, driving midwest emo, real life lyrics, MCP, YY1KXY
https://robopumpkin.bandcamp.com/music
The Diygest 
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