Maxwell Sterling

Maxwell Sterling plays bass on the Bryan Ferry & Amelia Barrett collaboration album Loose Talk.

Maxwell Sterling is a composer, producer, and double bassist. Originally from Manchester, he studied jazz composition and double bass at Leeds College of Music and film scoring at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Maxwell’s multi-disciplinary practice that spans collaborations with film directors, contemporary artists, and fashion designers is what makes him distinct.

Maxwell is an experienced film, television and media composer. He has worked with a range of directors, including: Max Kestner (Life and Other Problems), Marc Munden (Never Let Me Go), Ivan Olita (The Last Singer), Meredith Lackey (Cablestreet, presented as part of Sundance Shorts Program Films), and Ty Hodges (A Girl Like Grace). He has also composed music for leading contemporary artists including Fredrich Kunath, Linder, and Turner prize winner Tai Shani, and collaborated with fashion brands JW Anderson, Louise Gray, Nick Knight and Stella McCartney.

As a solo artist, Maxwell has developed a distinct sound working with double bass and modular synthesisers, combining his interest in improvisatory jazz frameworks, orchestral music and electronic sounds. Maxwell’s debut record Hollywood Medieval (Death of Rave, 2016) was a cult success, establishing his fascination with the glitches between acoustic and synthesised music. His second record Laced With Rumor: Loud-Speaker Of Truth (Ecstatic Recordings, 2020) was inspired by the work of the late artist Moki Cherry and featured samples of avant garde jazz trumpet player, Don Cherry. His most recent album, Turn of Phrase (AD93, 2021) is a body of work exploring the boundaries of time, taking inspiration from Gregorian chants and hyper-modern digital processing. In early 2022, he released a collaborative EP on tape with singer Martha Skye Murphy, Distance on Ground (American Dreams, 2022). Born out of improvised recording sessions, it comprises two long tracks focusing on the immediacy of musical communication.

Maxwell is an experienced film, television and media composer. He has worked with a range of directors, including: Max Kestner (Life and Other Problems), Marc Munden (Never Let Me Go), Ivan Olita (The Last Singer), Meredith Lackey (Cablestreet, presented as part of Sundance Shorts Program Films), and Ty Hodges (A Girl Like Grace). He has also composed music for leading contemporary artists including Fredrich Kunath, Linder, and Turner prize winner Tai Shani, and collaborated with fashion brands JW Anderson, Louise Gray, Nick Knight and Stella McCartney.

As a solo artist, Maxwell has developed a distinct sound working with double bass and modular synthesisers, combining his interest in improvisatory jazz frameworks, orchestral music and electronic sounds. Maxwell’s debut record Hollywood Medieval (Death of Rave, 2016) was a cult success, establishing his fascination with the glitches between acoustic and synthesised music. His second record Laced With Rumor: Loud-Speaker Of Truth (Ecstatic Recordings, 2020) was inspired by the work of the late artist Moki Cherry and featured samples of avant garde jazz trumpet player, Don Cherry. His most recent album, Turn of Phrase (AD93, 2021) is a body of work exploring the boundaries of time, taking inspiration from Gregorian chants and hyper-modern digital processing. In early 2022, he released a collaborative EP on tape with singer Martha Skye Murphy, Distance on Ground (American Dreams, 2022). Born out of improvised recording sessions, it comprises two long tracks focusing on the immediacy of musical communication.

Maxwell is an experienced film, television and media composer. He has worked with a range of directors, including: Max Kestner (Life and Other Problems), Marc Munden (Never Let Me Go), Ivan Olita (The Last Singer), Meredith Lackey (Cablestreet, presented as part of Sundance Shorts Program Films), and Ty Hodges (A Girl Like Grace). He has also composed music for leading contemporary artists including Fredrich Kunath, Linder, and Turner prize winner Tai Shani, and collaborated with fashion brands JW Anderson, Louise Gray, Nick Knight and Stella McCartney.

As a solo artist, Maxwell has developed a distinct sound working with double bass and modular synthesisers, combining his interest in improvisatory jazz frameworks, orchestral music and electronic sounds. Maxwell’s debut record Hollywood Medieval (Death of Rave, 2016) was a cult success, establishing his fascination with the glitches between acoustic and synthesised music. His second record Laced With Rumor: Loud-Speaker Of Truth (Ecstatic Recordings, 2020) was inspired by the work of the late artist Moki Cherry and featured samples of avant garde jazz trumpet player, Don Cherry. His most recent album, Turn of Phrase (AD93, 2021) is a body of work exploring the boundaries of time, taking inspiration from Gregorian chants and hyper-modern digital processing. In early 2022, he released a collaborative EP on tape with singer Martha Skye Murphy, Distance on Ground (American Dreams, 2022). Born out of improvised recording sessions, it comprises two long tracks focusing on the immediacy of musical communication.

Maxwell Sterling is credited on the following Roxy Music and Solo Albums