Solitude is a central character in the story of Max Subar’s solo debut. With winter in full-on deep freeze mode outside, the guitarist for Windy City alt-country band Case Oats kicked off the recording of Anything Could Be (Merge) alone in a house on a frozen Wisconsin lake. Over the next 10 days, he tracked guitar and vocals with a mobile setup, limiting himself to a few takes.
Subar later returned to those initial recordings in his Chicago home studio, gradually layering on additional instrumentation. His brother Sam contributed percussion, while Case Oats bandmates Spencer Tweedy, Jason Gordon Ashworth and Scott Daniel supplied drums, upright bass and violin, respectively. Chet Zenor added electric guitar, Kelly Hannemann piano and Sarah Weddle vibraphone, organ and electric piano. Those carefully considered additions give Anything Could Be its quietly expansive indie-folk breadth, as arrangements seem to materialize around Subar, rather than close in on him.
Here’s more from Subar.
—Hobart Rowland
1) “Anything Could Be”
“This is a song I wrote after waking up from a dream of a spider spinning a web. I was in a period of my life where I felt like I’d become more aware of myself, some limiting patterns of thought and a lingering sense of stagnation. The awareness felt crucial—sort of like standing between what life was and what life could become. The image of this spider and web really stuck with me in that liminal, stream of consciousness state—the creativity, persistence and care that goes into spinning a web, without knowing how long it may last. Living with less attachment to outcomes in a time of instant gratification is challenging, but that process feels deeply human and the point of life … to be present in it all. Like the lyrics say: ‘The ticking of the clock doesn’t have to grow old.’”
2) “See Saw”
“A promise of clarity, an ode to the inevitable epiphany. It’s about anxieties and loneliness, cracked open by the realization that we get to do this thing called living in the first place. The way a knowing glance or conversation with a stranger can stop us in our tracks and remind us that we’re all—mostly—doing our best. I find so much optimism and liberation in these moments—in the way they can make life feel malleable again. I remember writing these chord changes and realizing the rhythm felt like being on a seesaw. I was excited for the music to reflect the natural pendulum swing of life.”
3) “Cat At My Door”
“I wrote this while spending a lot of time at home during the pandemic. A cat was returning to my door day after day. It would cry, and I’d put some food out. One day, while sitting in my living room writing, I heard it again. The cry of that cat I couldn’t ignore felt like the voice from within that I was beginning to hear more clearly. Much of this record is about listening, reconnecting with instinct and finding my way back to myself. Welcoming the cat at my door became a symbol of that process. The morning my band and I were leaving for this recent album-release tour, my brother found my neighbor’s cat standing outside my apartment door—a different apartment and cat but a strange synchronicity. There have been many moments like that lately, and I’m just trying to take them all in. This track features Sarah on vibraphone and organ, Chet on electric guitar and my brother on brushes.”
3) “I Never”
“This is a song about losing touch with myself through a difficult relationship with my father—finding forgiveness, letting go of blame and acknowledging the difficulties of his own lived experience. It took a lot of time, but that process has allowed me to live more freely and be more loving toward myself and others. The track originally had no drums and leaned on the chugging nature of the 12-string guitars and percussion. We couldn’t quite land on the right drum part during the initial sessions and just let it sit. While driving one day on the highway, this kind of explosive drum idea came to me. I recorded myself beatboxing manically along to the song and sent it to Spencer. He ran with it, and his playing really brought the track together.”
4) “Like You’ve Known It”
“This one means a lot to me. It was initially the title track of the album and feels like the alternative twin to ‘Anything Could Be.’ It feels raw and alive and takes me back to recording it in the middle of winter on the lake. After getting this take, I set up some mics by the water to capture the energy of the environment. The wind off the lake, the ice crunching against the shoreline, the neighbor’s wind chimes nearby. I’m grateful that the moment lives eternally now. This song is a promise that we can always return to instinct, truth and clarity—the deeper self that follows us through life like a knowing and loving friend. This one features Jason on upright bass and Sarah again on vibraphone. It felt like the perfect midpoint of the record.”
5) “History”
“This song is about new beginnings and letting life surprise you. There’s a natural potential for growth when we trust the passing of time. I wanted this one to feel like spring. Sarah played bowed vibraphone and organ, with my brother on drums.”
6) “As The Weather”
“I wrote this while navigating my way out of a depression. The song is about the dynamic nature of feelings, habits and preoccupations, inspired by the clarity of leveling with yourself and pulling back the veil. I hope this song can be a beacon for others, just like the record as a whole. The lyrics ‘someone else has got my name but they don’t say it the same’ really speak to the song’s meaning … the way our experiences can be so nuanced and different while also being fundamentally shared. Someone else out there has been in your shoes, too. Scott tracked some gorgeous strings on this one, alongside Kelly on piano.”
7) “Way Up”
“This song is about the many versions we carry and present to the world. The way others experience us can be astonishingly different from how we see ourselves. I’ve often found inspiration in hearing a friend’s version of me. It reminds me of important qualities I tend to forget and can help me be kinder to myself. Sometimes we need to see our reflection in others to remember who we are. I also love how this arrangement came together. It felt playful to go more orchestral. I pitched my pedal steel down an octave, which brought a richer, heavier texture—almost in a cello range—alongside Scott’s string parts. I used a similar pedal-steel approach on ‘I Never.’”
8) “Everything Is”
“An ode to the freedom, presence of mind and poignancy of childhood. Whenever I play it, it feels like a meditation or a dream. This take feels raw and kind of vulnerable—the way the electric guitars come crashing through alongside Scott’s fiddle and my voice.”
9) “Words Unkept”
“This one is about the natural cycle of relationships and how fragile they become when things are left unsaid. Without addressing old patterns and allowing them to evolve, connections can start to crumble. Our capacity to grow and change is so important to welcome in if we want our relationships to remain vital. Of course, this requires a certain trust in the unfamiliar parts of ourselves and each other.”
10) “The Day Will Be New”
“A song about eternal hope, befriending darkness and coming out of unfamiliar times with an appreciation for what has been and an openness for whatever is yet to be.”
See Max Subar live.
