Meet Our Residency Award Recipient

Artspace Southern Illinois & 3Arts Residency Award Recipient

Maxwell Senteney

An Expansive Musical Talent, Uplifting the Region’s Traditions & Music Scene

Songwriter, Music Producer, and Multi-Instrumentalist

“My music is about being a person in this wild world.”

Celebrating a multi-talented Southern Illinois musician — songwriter, multi‑instrumentalist, and music producer who also operates a community-funded record label along with passionate volunteers working to uplift and expand the reach of the Southern Illinois music scene and regional artists.

We’re honored to recognize and support an individual who represents our region with such commitment and creativity. His work and talent reflect years of dedication, and his contributions across his roles have helped shine a light on the region’s music scene and bring Southern Illinois musicians and the region’s musical styles to a wider audience.

This award is a $30,000 Residency Grant, an unrestricted award for performers, artists, and creatives, designed to offer support and flexibility, giving recipients the freedom to continue creating, exploring, and developing their work on their terms.

Watch his video to learn more about the musician and his perspectives.

Raised by Record Collectors

Senteney developed a passion for music at a very young age before becoming immersed in the DIY community of artists and musicians in Carbondale, Illinois. This close-knit scene of supportive creatives inspired him to begin writing his own music.

In his early twenties, Senteney joined renowned country-blues group Rev Peyton’s Big Damn Band as their touring guitar tech before stepping into the band’s primary drummer role, playing concerts and festivals all over the world, and adopting his stage name “Sad Max”. Over more than a decade with the band, they recorded three full-length records, two of which were nominated for awards by the Blues Foundation.

A Love of Roots Music — Expanding the Music of the Region

Senteney grew to love roots music and began exploring the history of American music, which led him to learn to play old‑time banjo, a style that became an early influence on American folk and roots music. He immersed himself in learning traditional tunes and wrote songs in this style.

In 2021, he founded River to River Community Records, a community-based record label supported by donations and operated by volunteers with a focus on uplifting Southern Illinois artists and expanding the rich musical styles and talent of the region. The label has released multiple vinyl records, dozens of digital projects, and a wide range of music videos.

Musical Storytelling | The Woodbox Gang & Lucas Wayne and the Cottonmouths

Currently, you can find ”Sad Max” playing drums with one of Carbondale, Illinois’ most successful and enduring bands, The Woodbox Gang, as well as with Lucas Wayne and the Cottonmouths, a soul-infused honky-tonk group playing music that shares stories about everyday experiences and life in the Southern Illinois Region. Sad Max also plays drums in the doom‑metal band Creeper Bud, whose first album is set for release in 2026.

An Expansive Musical Talent

Senteney is constantly writing and recording—moving from traditional‑style banjo, country, and folk to punk, experimental work, and everything in between.

Your Gift Supports Creatives Like This

Thanks for reading and for supporting the artists and creatives who keep our region’s music scene growing. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on donations from people like you to help us continue to support regional artists. If you’d like to help us do even more of this work, your donation of any size truly makes a difference.