Clearhead is the musical project of solo artist Max Gensler, a multi-instrumentalist and DIY producer based in Chicago. Emerging from the pandemic in 2020, Clearhead leans into nostalgic post-rock and shoegaze influences like Circa Survive and Balance and Composure. Clearhead has been a way to process the big questions tied to getting older: the pain (and joy) at the loss of youth and naïevte, the importance of relationships and community, the harms and benefits of substance use, and the refusal to adhere to a system that insists on commodifying art.

Max draws from his experience touring as a visual artist with bands like Underoath, and Gym Class Heroes in cultivating Clearhead’s DIY creative direction. Now, Max is hard at work developing his debut EP with producer Nate Hopwood and Tunnel of Reverb studio, after releasing a series of singles over the past year.

At its core, Clearhead is art for art’s sake. It exists for the catharsis, joy, and clarity that Gensler receives via its creation.