Windsor songwriter Max Vogel makes finals in national contest

Windsor country singer and songwriter Max Vogel, a former firefighter and emergency medical technician, is one of the top four finalists in the ARIUM 2024 Sounds of Summer contest.

Voting for the final round will run from July 22 to Aug. 16 at ariumliving.com/sounds-of-summer, with voters allowed to cast a new vote once a day.

“Something I think is important to say is that I’m so grateful for the support of the community,” Vogel said. “I wouldn’t be here without everybody’s support.”

Prior to making his way into the final round, the song that got him into the contest’s top 10 — which was narrowed down from 60 entries — was “Hey Dolly!” His entry in the voting to narrow the field to four finalists was a country lament titled “Drowning with You.”

For the final round of the contest, Vogel recorded a video of his song “Old White Church” during a trip earlier this month to Atlanta, where the three other finalists — from Nashville, Tennessee, Asheville, North Carolina, and Houston — also recorded their final entries.

Those videos will be posted July 22 at ariumliving.com/sounds-of-summer when voting commences.

A busy local musician, Vogel will perform solo Aug. 9 at the Barrel Brothers Brewing Company in Windsor, and with his band, The Pickups, on Aug. 11 at the Sonoma County Fair and Aug. 24 at Barley and Bine Beer Cafe in Windsor.

ARIUM is a national apartment rental brand, and the ultimate prize in the contest is free rent for a year. Open only to ARIUM renters when the contest started in 2022, it is now open to all, Vogel said.

The contestants also have a chance to get the backing of music industry veterans, exposure, free prizes, opportunities to travel and perform, and mentoring from celebrity performers.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On X @danarts.