Conor Walsh- Rising Musician Interview

Edition Ninety-Eight- Week Ninety-Eight:

Written by: Mercedes Barreto

What makes Conor Walsh a special and also unique
musician to hear playing at music venues, digitally, and more?

“That’s tough to answer. I feel like I ask myself what makes myself unique quite often. When speaking about myself as an artist – and really any artist – I am the synthesis of all my inspirations, my environment, and even of my dislikes. I am a culmination of my friends, family, town, and artistic preferences wrapped up into music. And I think that’s why music is so beautiful. We all share life on this planet, but we all interpret differently. Same goes for a song. I may write it with this one intention in mind, but once it’s out there, I’d like to reference the The Death of the Author theory, which is a literary theory that argues that the meaning of a text is not determined by the author’s intention, but rather by the reader’s interpretation. I want to be the sound track to people’s lives like my favorite artists were for me.

I think overall, I am a storyteller and I am a performer. I know I’m not the greatest singer or musician in the Hudson Valley, let alone the world. But I am unapologetically fun, sincere, and myself. I know how to write a good song. I know how to record music. I know how to put on a show. I see so many amazing and talented performers get on stage and get lost under the lights. The retract, and don’t engage with the audience. Sometimes, the music itself can make up for that. The moment I get on stage, I am interacting with the audience. I’m finding new ways to improvise and do crowd work. I find ways to tie the music into wherever I’m playing. I believe my performances are more like one-man-shows rather than simply hearing a musician play. There’s a mix of comedy, motivational speaking, sincerity, heartache, and storytelling within each performance.”

How do you feel your musical work, especially your weekly music video project, has made Hudson Valley proud? What were some key interactions?

“The latest music video project has been really amazing. For the last year, I felt like I wasn’t prioritizing my music, and simply speaking, myself. I was kind of going through the motions and doing what I thought I needed to do (what others wanted of me) rather than treading down my own path. I’ve had these ideas for these music videos for a long time, and I’m very happy to get out and do it.

I’m very much inspired by the work of Ed Sheeran, Amos Lee and Passenger, who will go out with their guitars and shoot a video in their environment. It will be just them and their guitar, and I find that super profound. There is so much beauty in the Hudson Valley, and I love getting to show off some of my favorite spots. In “Safe Haven,” I got to highlight one of my girlfriend and I’s favorite spots along the river, Quiet Cove in Poughkeepsie. For videos like “That First Step” and “Long Way Home,” I get to showcase special areas in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Highland, Hyde Park, Newburgh, and more. Not only do those spots mean something to me, but people can watch these videos, point out their favorite spots, and connect to the videos in their own way.

I’ll admit, I was fearful of going out into the community to shoot some of these videos. I felt self-conscious, I was afraid people messing with me, and I was nervous about criticism. Fortunately, majority of responses have been very positive. People have come up to me saying they really liked the music after doing takes. Others will go further and ask about my story. I’ve shared a lot of business card and music links with people.

One of my more meaningful interactions I had was with this guy named Jackson in Newburgh. My friends Harrison and I went down to the waterfront to film for “That First Step,” and we met Jackson fishing. We asked him if it would be okay if we filmed right near him, and he said sure. After the first take, Jackson goes, “Shit man, that’s a really good song. Honestly, there are a few things that I could really use taking that first step with.” And that led into a conversation that lasted for quite a while talking about backgrounds, goals, and dreams. It really meant a lot to me. I want my music and overall art to inspire people, make them think, and make them live their lives to their fullest extent.”

What is one song that you feel most resonates with your audience? Why and how so?

“I’ve been lucky enough to have friends, family, and fans tell me connections about my music, but I think the one that people always seem to come back to is “Yes.” I wrote “Yes” when I was hearing a lot of “no’s.” I was auditioning for a lot of parts, trying to get into vocal groups and bands, and trying to book solo shows. One time, I was told that my music was too depressing. Later that night, I said to myself, “I’m going to write a happy song, DAMMIT!” And I did, in 30 minutes, in my dorm room bathroom! My roommates had friends over, so to try to be out of the way, I wrote the song with my guitar and a pad of paper in the bathroom.

I think “Yes” resonates so much with people is that it’s about resilience. We all have things that we are striving for. We all have things we want to accomplish, and we’ve all been told “no” so many times. “Yes” pretty much asks people, “why not go out for it? Why not try?” I’ve had a philosophy (which I managed to squeeze into “That First Step,” which is a very similar-minded song) that I would rather regret doing something than doing nothing at all. Even if you fail or if you realize that it’s not for you, at least you know that you tried rather than living your life with the constant “What if?””

If you could collaborate with three people, who would you choose to work with in the foreseeable future?

“Three of my favorite dream collaborations would have to be Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Amos Lee, and Passenger. They are three of my favorite songwriters and lyricists. Their work and styles have influenced me so much.

As a bonus answer, I’ve recently gotten to work with John Ondrasik, aka Five For Fighting. Though we didn’t work together musically, I got to interview him three times for my radio show Townsquare Spotlights. Five For Fighting is one of my longest favorite artists, and the song “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” is still one of my favorite songs ever. That song, and John’s music in general, has meant a lot to my family and me. So, getting to interview him three times this year, hang out backstage, be on a first name basis with him, and to experience his show live in Tarrytown with my parents was all such a surreal experience.”

What are some incredible advancements that you feel great about that have occurred recently?

“Obviously, I’m really proud of the weekly music videos this year. I’ve seen a lot of growth in engagement online, and it’s helped my confidence and creativity overall.

But to step away from that for a sec, I also host two shows at Townsquare Media of the Hudson Valley, those being In Touch and Townsquare Spotlight. In Touch is the Hudson Valley’s Award-Winning Public Affairs and Issues Series. I get to speak with incredible leaders, businesses, activists, creatives and more, and I get to learn so much about my community each week. I feel like I’ve become very worldly just from sitting in the studio! Not just that, but I love hearing how the episodes help each guest. For one, sometimes it is the first time these people have ever been interviewed, and that makes them feel excited. Secondly, I love hearing how the episode increases engagement towards their cause. It’s awesome to hear when they get more volunteers, more signups, more donations, more clients, etc after an episode airs. As I said before, I pride myself as a storyteller. I’m proficient at interviewing, and I’m competent when it comes to weaving a narrative, whether mine or someone else. It’s a gift and a privilege to be entrusted with these people’s stories.

In Touch just won two of New York State Broadcasting Association’s Excellence in Broadcasting Awards, making that three awards total since I took on the program. Following the success of In Touch, I was able to create Townsquare Spotlight (which you can find Mercedes on 😉) which focuses on the art and entertainment of the Hudson Valley. I’ve been lucky enough to speak with icons like New York Yankee Legend and World-Renowned Jazz Musician Bernie Williams, Five For Fighting (who I’ve mentioned already), Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo, Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer Denny Laine, Comedic Actress and Founder of The John Ritter Foundation Amy Yasbeck, and so many more. While getting to interview these icons, I get to showcase up-and-coming Hudson Valley talents like John Newhall, Shane Renison, Jesse Walsh (no relation), Kieran Rhodes and more!

See, I grew up on shows like VH1 Storytellers, MTV Unplugged, E!’s Behind the Music, and Live from Daryl’s House. I love getting behind the music, the art, the craft, everything, and learning how things get done. It’s important to hear about the up’s and down’s that lead to success and progress. Those are the human experiences that lead us onward and inspire us to do more.

https://linktr.ee/intouch_hv “