Canadian producer Conor Patton, more commonly known as Conro, has been destined to be in the music industry from day one.
His musical journey began at the age of seven, when he started playing the violin. With a musical family behind him, he went on to play in the Saskatoon Youth Symphony orchestra for three years before taking on the piano, guitar and drums.
Over the years, Conro has taken inspiration from a wealth of musical genres including rock n’ roll and folk, before developing his current sound. Today, he is known for his standout style of electronic music, which has allowed his career to snowball.
Conro released his debut track ‘Axiom’ in 2012 and hit #8 on the Beatport electro house charts, which was the catalyst for a number of exciting events in his life. He also garnered support from the likes of Porter Robinson, Tommy Trash, Knife Party, and plenty more.
Over the years, Conro’s catalogue of stellar productions has continued to grow, with a number of acclaimed tracks and remixes to his name. His most recent offering is ‘Chardonnay’, a collaboration with Karra, which is sure to set the dance world alight.
Conro recently took time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about ‘Chardonnay’, his remixes, summer shows and what the rest of the year has in store.
We love your recent track, ‘Chardonnay’ featuring Karra. How did the collaboration come about?
Thank you! Well the hook ‘Watching the waves sippin on Chardonnay’ was in my head for a long time, I believe my older brother came up with the line and I thought it was golden! So when I went to LA and met up with Karra, we started with that as the inspiration and kinda worked backwards from that! The production was also inspired from that same vibe.
What was the inspiration behind ‘Chardonnay’?
Just the feeling of wanting to get away from busy life and sit on the beach with someone you can’t get enough of and drink a big ol’ bottle of wine. Life can get hectic and sometimes we all need a break.
What was the production process like on the track?
I wrote the backing track in 2015, although it was just a rough idea. When I brought the track to Karra in LA, she was inspired by it so we started building the song and wrote the lyrics around it. With some more love and attention the song took shape!
‘Chardonnay’ was released through Monstercat. What are they like to work with?
Monstercat is amazing, they are the best label I have worked with to date. They are forward thinkers and motivated to make things happen. Young guys with a big dream, just like me.
We heard you are playing at a number of events across Miami Music Week! Where can fans expect to see you play this year?
Yes, lots of amazing things happening this year, one of them being Miami. Well I can’t announce everything but I can say that I will be playing Tomorrowland and Mysteryland this year. Will be announcing more as the line ups come out!
We love your remixes, especially your spin on The Chainsmokers’ ‘All We Know’. How do you normally go about remixing a track?
I usually put the a capella on repeat and listen to my own version in my head. I try to envision what I hear with the vocals rather than the production that has already been done on it. Thanks for the support on it!
You were born into a musical family, and started playing violin at the age of 7. At what point did you think to yourself, ‘I want a career in music’?
I think I decided officially that when I was grade 11. I bought a mic and downloaded a free recording software program and recorded music non stop. It hasn’t stopped since then. Music is what keeps me grounded.
You’ve experimented with a number of sounds over the years, including rock and folk. How did you decide to evolve into electronic music?
It was a combination of things, probably a big part of it was the explosion of early electronic acts like Skrillex, Zedd, Porter, Wolfgang Gartner etc. I found myself spending more time researching this electronic music than writing on my guitar. So I made the decision to try it out and now I’m here!
How do you see your sound progressing in the next few years?
I want to just keep an open mind, I don’t ever want to be put in a box with writing. I just want to continue to surprise myself, so that question is a little tricky to answer.
Has your Canadian roots influenced you musically at all?
I’m sure it has. I can’t necessarily tell you how, but with writing music, everything that you are influenced by effects your music in a dramatic way. Canada is awesome and probably has more influence on my writing than I even know.
Which three artists would you like to work with next?
Grey, Youngr and Porter Robinson.
What are the biggest changes/challenges you’ve faced in the music industry?
Making money! Haha, It’s a big struggle for every artist to get to a point where your music can pay and support your life. But I’m in a great place now and not looking back!
What does the rest of 2017 have in store for Conro?
Tons of new music and shows! I hope to surprise the world with my sounds and continue to grow my fan base. Loving life and looking forward to meeting new people and hope to go surfing somewhere cool soon.
Thank you to Conro for his time. Keep up to date with him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Soundcloud.
‘Chardonnay’ is available now.
Let us know your thoughts on our interview with Conro on Twitter @CelebMix or by dropping a comment below.
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