Singer, Song Writer & Heartthrob Conner Duermit Exclusive [RADIO INTERVIEW]
LASM x TDR: We have singer, song writer, producer Connor Duermit in the house. Tell us about you!
Connor: My name is Connor Duermit, I am a singer, songwriter, producer, from Asheville, NC. I came out to LA five years ago and got into the music industry, started writing and creating … whereas, I had just grown up singing and performing doing musical theater and productions.
LASM x TDR: What were your inspirations in Asheville, NC?
Connor: Honestly I listened to a lot of music with my mother and father. Both are very different … my dad listened to a lot of Mo-Town and R&B. My mom listened to a lot of R&B, but then also listened to rock and blues … so I grew up with a balance of all that. I also listen to a lot of music that I love on my own which is modern R&B … So Tyrese, DeAngelo, Baby Face and Justin Timberlake. I’ve actually been creating a lot of music like that lately. It’s something I did not tap into for a while, then I started to work with a band and putting together musicians … and we have been creating new music that is a lot more neo-soul inspired which I am really excited about.
LASM x TDR: Is there any particular moments that you are most proud of in your musical career?
Connor: I am most proud of 2 moments: I have had a number of people get married to songs that I have written … a husband flew me out to his wedding to perform and to surprise his wife for their first dance, so that was one of my prize moments; then I also had a former war veteran and lesbian woman who came out and fell in love with someone and said that my song inspired her to fall in love againand to allow herself to love another human being after she thought she couldn’t after suffering from PTSD. I got this long message from her, to me, that is why I do this… when I get stuff like that, I constantly have to remind myself that this is what music is for and meant to do.
LASM x TDR: Let’s talk about your new EP “To Love.” Is there a particular song that you like the most and tell us why.
Connor: My favorite song, it depends on what mood I am in, but I think “Never Letting Go” is the thing that inspired it all. It’s the first song I wrote about falling in love … It’s about to me what love is … which is not seeing so much in someone else, but looking into someone’s eyes and seeing how they see you. And if someone sees you as a better version of yourself, to me that’s what being in love with someone is. It’s loving someone who loves you for who you can be not even who you are but who they see you to be. I think that what really being in love and having a true relationship that is going to grow and last and stand the test of time – is that you have to be in love with someone who sees you for your potential and everything that they see in you and not exactly how you see yourself in that moment.
LASM x TDR: What is next for you?
Connor: I think the next step for me is really owning my truth in just being the artist that I feel called to be in this moment – not falling into this idea of molds. It’s honestly one of the most difficult things [in this industry]. I have been having this conversation with my team a lot lately because there has been pressure to conform to different things and to try and fall in line with pop culture and with trends. The hardest thing for me … its challenging to do all this, what’s even harder is to stay true to your lane the whole time. That’s the real challenge for me is to maintain a level of truth through out the process and saying, “If I make music that really means something to me, it will find its place in the world. It might not be everything that I hoped for, but my hopes are secondary to my truth.”
LASM x TDR: How do we find you?
Connor: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, all the hashtags, it’s all the same @connorduermit. It’s honestly my life. I pour myself out on that space as well. I love for people to reach out to me. And I hope that the day never comes that I don’t have the time or make the time to just connect people. It’s really what it’s about for me; I want to connect to as many human beings as possible and spread love. So, if you have any questions and want to talk to me about my music, message me. I almost always respond. See other interviews and follow him @connerduermit on Spotify and Twitter.
PC Credit: @abelr; @joeymartinez
