We didn't find Conner Cherland, he found us. He asked us to check out his music and we did. What we found was a young man from Santa Barbara, California who knows how to write a good tune and has one hell of a voice (we love when we get great submissions, keep 'em comin'!). His music features indie stylings along with silky-smooth vocals, it's perfect for relaxing with coffee. He also happens to be a guy that cares a heck of a lot about what he writes and what he puts out there, which is cool too. The first single from his new album The Choices of John Still drops on 9/7/18, you can get it on his website, (which we will plug later). The first single from the album is the title track "The Choices of John Still" and it drops this Friday, 8/17/18! His new album will be his third album to date. You should check out his music and check out our interview with him, you'll be glad you did!
1. When did you decide to become a full-time artist and can you tell us how you got to where you are today? "I became a full-time artist in October of 2016 after working in the tech field for two and a half years. I was building websites for property managers around the U.S. (and made 500 websites in that time…) and moonlighting as a musician at local bars and wineries. Eventually I had enough gigs that I could choose between less money playing music, or more money making websites, and I chose music! Knowing nothing about the industry, I jumped in, and have been learning as much as I could ever since. I’m quite the newbie, and in need of many allies. I’m friendly, and make awesome banana pancakes...which helps me make friends in the industry."
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music? "Sometimes an artist I love comes out with a new song and I need to play it on repeat. I’ll write my own words over their melodies and write it down in my journal. A few weeks pass and I find the lyrics and think 'hey, that’s pretty good' and I’ll put it to different chords. Other times it feels like the song is writing itself, which tend to be the most humbling since they all feel like gifts I didn’t earn."
3. What artists have inspired you in your career? "Shakey Graves, Hozier, Bahamas, Noah Gundersen, Brian Fallon, Ed Sheeran, LIGHTS"
4. Do you have any favorite gear (guitars, pedals, etc.) that you use and what’s the story behind them? "I use my Boss RC-3 loop station a ton. It helps me sound like something other than a guy with a guitar. I’m also a big fan of my Hall of Fame reverb pedal." 5. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music and you? "I want people to know that I’m trying to deepen hearts and minds through my words. Whether its music or conversation, I’m a pretty good feeler and thinker, and I believe my songs can help people develop." 6. Do you have any upcoming projects you would like fans to know about? "YES! This album, The Choices of John Still dropping on 9/7/18. It’s the best piece of work I’ve ever made."
FMI on Conner Cherland, please visit http://connercherland.com/. You can also find info on Conner Cherland via social meidia at (Facebook @connercherland and Instagram @ConnerCherland).