Jeriann Tripodi, A&E Editor Emeritus

Header image: landonconrath.com 

Landon Conrath is a singer, songwriter and producer from Minnesota. The indie-pop artist, who has a distinctive style of upbeat and feel-good choruses and hooks, made his debut in early 2020 and rose to fame after his track “Acetone” found viral success on Spotify. Conrath’s debut album, “Nothing Matters Anyway,” is now available on iTunes for download. Some fan-favorite tracks off this album are “Telluride,” “Casanova,” “Trader Joe’s” and “So, So.” 

Landon Conrath is currently on tour with pop band Yam Haus. Conrath took the time off from his busy schedule to answer a few questions. Let’s get to know him a little better. I hope you enjoy our Q&A session:

Q (JERIANN): Which song off your debut full-length, “Nothing Matters Anyway,” holds the most personal meaning for you?

A (LANDON CONRATH): I think this answer changes weekly, they’re obviously all important to me in some regard and they kind of ebb and flow. I think one of the tunes that has become an anthem for me in the last year was “Science Fiction.” There is a line in the song that says, “Believe me I’m messed up, my chemistry owns me.” These lines were one of the first times I felt successful in conveying the helplessness I was experiencing regarding struggles with anxiety/depression. I felt owned by my circumstances and helpless to defend myself against the thoughts that bounced around my own head. This song also continues to be meaningful to me since it’s one of my absolute favorites to play live. We always play it as the last song in the set and just absolutely thrash for the last chorus and instrumental. It’s so fun to play massive distorted guitar with my friends.

Q (JERIANN): What can the audience expect when they see you live in concert?

A (LANDON CONRATH): One thing that I believe really sets my set apart is that I am a solo artist that always travels with a full band! The finances of touring and live music, in general, are massively stacked against artists when it comes to traveling with a lot of people, but I truly believe that the sacrifice is worth it. My band is made up of my best friends in the world and I truly think that energy translates from our personal relationships straight through to our performance on stage. People always come up to us after shows and comment on how it looks like we’re having so much fun and that they enjoyed watching it so much. I really believe it makes a difference when a group of musicians have a long history of playing together, and we’ve known each other for a looooong time. I love it.

Q (JERIANN): Growing up, which artists did you listen to that inspired you musically?

A (LANDON CONRATH): I grew up as the youngest child with two older sisters who are almost 10 years older than me. I owe them my life in some ways because I was immediately listening to a ton of rockier bands when I was as young as 6 years old. My favorite bands growing up were Relient K and Switchfoot and they have been lifelong staples in my music listening career. As I got into high school, I transitioned into being the 1975 indie pop kid and throughout college, I was completely owned by artists like Bon Iver, Julien Baker, Hailaker, Novo Amor and others. Lately, I’ve been super into artists like The Beths, Slow Pulp, Indigo De Souza, Samia and Hippo Campus to name a few.

Q (JERIANN): What advice would you give to young aspiring musicians?

A (LANDON CONRATH): Get involved in music with other people. You can definitely develop great technical skill on your own (and personal practice time is obviously massively important) but I really think that the most growth comes from collaboration. I think when you marry the individual preparation with the group musical experience you can make leaps of progress in a short amount of time. All of the best production tricks and writing habits that I have learned have been gleaned from other people in a session or just watching from afar. Try and make friends with people in your local community of music and just put your head down and get involved. Also, side tangent, comparison is something that everyone (myself very much included) struggles with. Comparison will murder your music career; try to remember that you are an individual and you have something special to bring to the world that is different from everyone else. Lean into what makes you unique!!! It’s cliché, but true!

You can see Landon Conrath live in concert in Philadelphia on Thursday, Apr. 27, 2023 at Milkboy. The singer-songwriter will also appear at other US venues until Jun. 10, 2023. Below is the schedule of Landon Conrath’s remaining tour dates: 

landonconrath.com

Check out the official Landon Conrath website for merchandise and more information.