Brighton songwriter Maximilian announces Diurnals EP and shares radiant new single ‘I Know You’

Brighton singer-songwriter Maximilian has announced details of his forthcoming EP Diurnals, due 8 May via Crafting Room Recordings, alongside the release of its radiant new single ‘I Know You’.

Recorded during the weekend of the ‘Super Beaver Moon’ last November, Diurnals feels imbued with a sense of quiet ritual and reflection. Conceived as a dedication to daylight, the EP centres on themes of gratitude, love and the importance of expressing positivity — something Maximilian believes we should all do more often. “We should all do so as often as we can,” he explains. “So I am.”

Marking his first release since last spring’s expansive post-rock piece ‘Long Time Gone’ — which earned support from BBC Radio 6 Music, The Line of Best Fit, Far Out and Clunk — the new EP embraces a more intimate approach. Recorded live with acoustic instrumentation and no click track, the project leans into spontaneity and organic performance, capturing musicians playing together in the same room.

The result is a collection that balances rustic folk intimacy with moments of chamber-pop warmth. At times recalling the closeness of Elliott Smith or the pastoral edges of Big Thief, Diurnals builds gentle crescendos that feel as luminous as sunrise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdW81g6RUKo

Leading single ‘I Know You’, released today (5 March), offers the EP’s most direct expression of its ethos. Produced by Bobby Smyth at Farm Road Studios, the track was recorded completely live, with the band gathered together — embodying the communal joy the song celebrates.

Speaking about the track, Maximilian explains:“Expressing and celebrating gratitude, in the face of whatever might change. Vocalising positivity, love and joy, because it’s a muscle worth building.”

A long-standing figure within Brighton’s DIY scene, Maximilian first emerged with his bedroom-recorded debut album Surrender, before sharing stages with artists including Naima Bock, Florist and Junior Brother. Within the city’s thriving independent circuit, he has also collaborated and performed alongside local acts such as Goodbye, ELLiS·D, Flip Top Head and Opal Mag.

With Diurnals, Maximilian distils that community-driven spirit into a set of songs that feel warm, open and quietly euphoric — an invitation to slow down and celebrate the daylight.