If you’ve been following Milwaukee’s indie rock scene, you already know Max Niemann from his high-octane work with garage-punk trio Diet Lite. But Niemann’s long been carving out a different path with Max & The Fellow Travelers, a project that swaps power chords for storytelling and trades sweat-soaked club nights for something a little more intimate—without losing that unmistakable Milwaukee grit.

Last week, Niemann and The Fellow Travelers dropped a new two-track single, Jim’s Song / Drifter’s Wife, and it’s a welcome addition to his growing alt-country catalog. Both tracks lean into the narrative-driven, country-tinged folk-rock that’s come to define this project, while still carrying echoes of the restless energy you’d expect from the Diet Lite frontman.

“Jim’s Song” kicks off the release with a low-slung tempo and an atmospheric, melancholic mood—acoustic textures sitting front and center with Niemann’s earnest vocal delivery. It’s the kind of song that feels lived-in, like it’s been bouncing around the back of a tour van for a couple hundred miles. “Drifter’s Wife” picks up the thread, continuing the wandering, searching tone and proving once again that Niemann knows how to tell a story without hitting you over the head with it.

It’s a nice left turn for anyone accustomed to Diet Lite’s garage-rock chaos, and it proves Niemann’s range runs deeper than just volume. If you’ve been sleeping on the Fellow Travelers side of his output, this is a solid entry point.

Stream Jim’s Song / Drifter’s Wife now: