Take a listen to Connor Flanagan's latest album, Mountains, and you'll hear a lot of things: worship, hip-hop, flavors of great artists of days past (like Paul Wright and Above the Golden State), great production. But if you ask Flanagan, the Cleveland-based artist says he hopes you hear his heart.
Mountains finds Flanagan in new territory, musically--or more accurately, in territory he'd always envisioned, but never was able to execute. But as he's settled into a singer-songwriter whose lyrics reflect a style that's both playful and vulnerable, he's poised to share his thoughts on life, love and faith with an ever-growing fan base.
I chatted with Flanagan about his musical, spiritual and lyrical influences, and even asked him to tell us two truths and a fib. Get to know him in the 13 questions below.
OK, you're a songwriter. What's the fastest you've ever written a song? What was it about?
There is a song on my current album called "Without You." I wrote that song in about 20 minutes. I had just finished a great day with my fiancé (now wife) and when I returned home I began to feel the inspiration coming for a song. I tried to push it off because I was tired, but I couldn't shake it. So at around 2 a.m. I got out of bed, grabbed my guitar, made a cup of tea, and went and sat in my bathroom--trying to be conscientious of my neighbors--and wrote the song.
Who is Connor Flanagan? Tell us two truths and a fib. And then tell us which was the fib. Ha!
Alright, here it goes:
1) I played college basketball and was captain of my team three out of the four years I played.
2) I used to be a professional BMX racer.
3) I grew up playing the flute.
Any guesses? I never raced BMX, however I spent a large part of my childhood riding bikes and building trails and jumps in our backyard. I loved it, however I never did it professionally.
Your music is described as where worship meets hip-hop. Now there's an unexpected combo! Talk about your stylistic choices!
I grew up loving hip-hop. John Reuben, KJ-52, Grits, dcTalk, tobyMac--these artists were always on repeat in our house. But I also had a love for worship music. Rich Mullins and Jars of Clay were two of my favorites. As I got older and started writing music, these two genres started to come together as I would put lyrics to simple guitar chords. My goal for every song I write is that in some way shape or form it will point the listener back to our Creator. So whether the music sounds like today's typical worship music or not, I seek to point others toward heaven with my lyrics.
Even since your first album, you've made more of a shift from a folksy kind of singer-songwriter vibe to this hip-hop tinged acoustic-soul. Talk about that progression.
When I set out to record my first EP, all I had was my guitar, $500, and a few simple prayers that found their way to becoming songs. I really had no idea what I was doing and had no concept of production, song development, etc. You have to start somewhere, right? But ever since that project I fell in love with this craft and have just tried to get better every day. Deep down I always had this desire to create a much more produced, hip-hop influenced album, and it wasn't until my most recent project, Mountains, that I had the opportunity to bring that desire to life.
How'd you get started?
I grew up in a large Irish-Catholic family just south of Cleveland, Ohio. Music was always a part of family gatherings. From a very young age I started playing the Irish tin whistle, continued on to pick up the flute, and in middle school began playing guitar. I was part of a small band named "Collision," which was the pinnacle of my middle school career! We played one show and wrote a total of three songs. Ha! It was at this time that I started writing music and fostering my desire to share my thoughts, feelings, and faith through music.
Fast forward five or six years and you'll find me in college, studying abroad in a small town in Austria. It was here that I began writing some of the songs that made their way on my first EP. Upon my return home I started to gain a small following at my college, and started to seek out opportunities to share my music; coffee shops, youth groups, church's, conferences, you name it, I was banging down their door.
When I graduated from college, I took a job as a youth pastor in Pittsburgh. It was there that I discovered a newfound passion for church ministry, which only fueled my desire to write songs that could engage and inspire the youth of today. I continued to take any gig I could find, and slowly but surely made some connections that has led me to where I am today, working with some of my childhood heroes in Nashville. It's been a wild ride.
Who are your biggest influences, musically speaking? Imagine you're building a playlist; who's on it?
Oh man, well you'll definitely find some good ol' irish tunes on there, probably from the High Kings or Lunasa. It's a staple. When it comes to my writing and song production, Mat Kearney, tobyMac, Macklemore, and Jon Bellion seem to be my biggest influences, but I listen to everything. I am always seeking to grow in my creativity as a songwriter and as a producer.
Mountains is incredibly produced by your Grammy nominated producer Ric "DJ Form" Robbins. Tell us about your producer and what that process was like working together.
Ric and I got connected through a booking agent out of Nashville. I was really praying for the right producer to partner with on this project, and God opened a huge door. When I first learned who Ric was and who he had worked with, I definitely "fan-girled." Over the years Ric has worked with some of my favorites: Grits, dcTalk, and tobyMac, just to name a few. So to work with someone I had seen in concert over a dozen times was like a dream come true.
One of the things that surprised me the most about working with Ric was how down to earth and authentic he was. We spent a lot of time in the studio talking about church ministry--what it's like to be a father, a husband, etc. More than anything he did for this album, I was impacted way more by the authentic and loving husband and father he is. He was, and still is, such a witness to me, especially as I am just beginning this journey called marriage.
As a producer Ric is incredible. He was able to take my vision for the album and create something that I didn't even realize I wanted. We had to do a lot of the album long distance, but Ric made sure I was connected and in on everything he was doing. The further we got into the project, the more I trusted him with my music. He was the perfect procedure for this project, and I can't wait to start another project with him.
You have a track from Shonlock on the album. How'd you two get hooked up? What did that mean to you to have his stamp of approval on the project?
I met Shon when I was a teenager. He was selling his first CD out of a backpack after a tobyMac show. I bought it for $5, fell in love with his music, and have been a huge fan ever since. Early on in his career, my parents brought Shon out to our farm to play a show for my graduation party. It was at this show that we really got to connect, and casually stayed in touch from then on. Ric knew Shon really well, so when his name came up in conversation, he just seemed like a really good fit for the album. After getting to work with Ric on this album, having Shon featured on a track was icing on the cake!
Which of the tracks was the most difficult for you to share?
Definitely "Waterfall." I re-wrote this song over a dozen times from the time we first started working on the album to when we finally finished it. It started as a prayer. I was sitting at my desk one night, and it just fell onto the page: "I'm so far from perfect / I lean in to mercy / I will keep on working / on letting you love me." I struggle with it because I fear people won't want to listen to or sing along with a song where you admit that you aren't perfect. But that's the message of the song, and really speaks to where I was at when writing it. In all my sin, my successes, brokenness, joy, I need to let God in and love me in the midst of it. That takes humility, something I need more of. So as much as I struggle with it, it has become one of my favorites.
Have you performed the new material live very much since it released? Are you seeing some early crowd favorites?
Yes. I started performing this new album live before it had even dropped yet. "All I Need" is a crowd favorite for sure. It really gets everyone going. "Strong Is Your Love", "I Believe" and "Writer's Block" have gotten a great response as well.
What's your live performance like?
If you were to listen to my album or come see me live, one of my greatest hopes is that you would walk away having experienced a newfound joy. I am convinced that authentic joy has the power to change the hearts and minds of anyone and everyone. I try to witness to this in my live performance. From the spoken word beginning of "I Believe" to the jump-around vibe of "Strong Is Your Love", I strive to engage the audience, share my story, inspire people to be more faithful.
What's next for you in 2017? Touring? Any resolutions?
First and foremost, my wife and I are expecting our first child in August of 2017, so we are very excited for that. I have a new EP in the works, set to be released throughout the summer as a series of singles. I am currently working on booking a tour for this album, but a couple notable performances include a few big Church Conferences here in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada, as well as a trip to Guam to share the gospel. We also have a music video in the works. It's gonna be a great year.
How can people be praying for you?
Please pray for my wife and I as we begin life as a family. It can be hard to balance work, music and family life. With the long hours and lots of travel, my wife is so patient, supportive and encouraging, but it does get trying at times. Pray for this current project I am working on, and that I will continue to faithfully walk through the doors that our God chooses to open.
Marcus Hathcock is the Executive Editor of NewReleaseToday.com, a husband to Savannah, father of three and a worship leader living in Boise. He has released an EP, Songs For Tomorrow, and occasionally blogs at mheternal.com.
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