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My name is Willoughby Thom and I am the founder, creator, and co-host of Max & Nigel.
I am from Los Angeles, California and I am currently a student at the University of Notre Dame, studying French and Art History with a minor in Philosophy.
You might be asking yourself, what is Max & Nigel? I'm not really sure. I may never really know, but, for now, it's a collection of ideas. It's organized chaos.
My name is Owen Gannon and I am the creative director, co-host, and producer of Max & Nigel.
I am from Fairfield, Connecticut and I am also currently a student at the University of Notre Dame, studying Economics and Accounting.
When Willoughby asked me to describe my music taste I told her that it can be described as "catchy melodies with meaningful lyrics." It may be vague but it's true! She also asked me while I was in the middle of economics homework...
We are here to share our love of music, art, and culture with you.
the origins.
Max & Nigel was created in the Spring of 2019 by Willoughby. It began as a zine with a limited run of only 75 copies. They were distributed at school and local record stores around Los Angeles, and, today, you can find Max & Nigel stickers posted in almost every venue in LA. The zine was created because of Willoughby's senior thesis where she explored the philosophical roots and nature of punk rock. Because of this project, she had the opportunity to interview punk-legend Henry Rollins, Jesse Wells, and Jim "Poorman" Trenton. Thanks to these interviews, she compiled them into the first edition of Max & Nigel. The zine also included various poems, artworks, and personal musings.
After graduation, she went on to work for Jim "Poorman" Trenton as his "new-music" program director on his radio show "Poorman's Morning Rush" on Orange County's 101.5 FM KOCI. Willoughby worked with Poorman to find new music for his morning drivetime show, and coordinated interviews with various members of the underground music scene. She continued to find new music remotely from her dorm room at school, but branched off to become more involved with student radio and student journalism at Notre Dame.
the present.
When Willoughby and Owen met and fell head-over-heels for one another in the Fall of 2019, they decided to take on the project together.
Today, Max & Nigel is a radio show on Notre Dame's student radio station WVFI. Max & Nigel is hosted by Willoughby and Owen every Friday from 2-3pm EST. Here they spin records from Willoughby's personal collection and the station's own collection. It's less of a talk show, but one where music is played the "old fashion way," giving not only the hosts a new appreciation for music but also their listeners. It's a challenge (they now see why technology evolved...), but it forces them to be more selective and intentional with the music they play. Their love and passion for music is evident in each show and it's a breath of fresh air; especially when the air-waves are filled with mainstream, censored bullshit.
the future.
Willoughby and Owen are not exactly sure what's in store for Max & Nigel. There are currently many ideas in the works. They are hoping to generate more content; whether it's in print, radio, or events. There are no rules. They are aware of the endless possibilities in Max & Nigel, and they hope to keep it that way.
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