If you’re reading this… That means my debut EP is OFFICIALLY OUT!!! This has been an incredibly exciting, exhausting, rewarding, and enlightening experience making this music and putting it together on record in this way. I had a dream since I was a kid of someday having my name on a CD of my own music, and now, not only do I have that, but it’s music that in every way I crafted myself. Of course, I couldn’t have brought it to the amazing level you will hear, or possibly have already heard, without some help from some of the most talented people I know, but these lyrics, this music, this story… it’s all mine. I’m incredibly grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to do what I love and so I have to thank the people that made this possible: - First and absolutely foremost, to the best co-producer I could ever have asked for, Jackie Hynes. Jackie, you are unspeakably and immeasurably talented. You were patient with me during our numerous sessions of recording, mixing, producing, and mastering, and through all of the hurdles, my whacky ideas, and changes of plans on how we were going to get this motherf*cker done, you helped me the whole way through by coming up with solutions to problems and answers to all my questions. I LOVE knowing that someone thinks in the same creative vein as I do to the point where production ideas become a tennis match back and forth until something amazing happens, and I will work on any project EVER with you until the end of time. I love you!! - To Ben Ewing, Nikol Grandinetti, and Logan Ressler, for your time and your graciousness to use all of the equipment you have at your disposal in assisting me in getting this project done throughout this past semester and over this summer. You were all so accommodating, you’re all just genuinely amazing people, and I love you all for your help and for being insanely awesome! - To Kyle Hancock and Matt Subers, who played guitar and drums respectively on all of my songs: I’m in awe of your musical talents. Kyle, the way that you play a guitar is pure insanity, very much like your personality. Your playing is something that is so disgustingly unique to you, and I am so honored to have you playing with me on these songs. I only hope we get to do them live someday! And Matt, you’re talented at so much, so I don’t even know where to start, but I love it that you are able to take rhythms and various ideas that I know I’m articulating poorly as a vocalist communicating to a drummer/guitarist/superhuman, and just sitting down and DOING them as if you’re in my head. I can’t thank you enough for simply everything that you do. - To Zach Johnson and Mike Duncan, who played cello and trumpet respectively on the EP. I’m relatively new to this whole songwriting thing, and for a while, could not seem to think about orchestration outside of a piano, a guitar, and a drum set. But because of the parts you guys added to these songs, I feel like the story I tried telling with just the lyrics and a piano just became a whole new, multi-layered creation and I LOVE listening to your parts! I almost want to mute my vocals just so I can listen to your parts by themselves, they’re that good! Thank you so much for giving me your time and for adding another layer of heart to this music. - To my gang vocalists: Kiana Corley, Brenna Diehl, Kristin Athena Paradisis, Hailea Yocum, Emma Byler, Michaela Burns, and Matt Subers (that’s right, I told you he does everything!): Thank you all so much for lending your voices to “Storyteller”! The lyrics in that song are vindictive and vengeful, but just having you guys sing on it gave it a whole other layer of attitude that makes the song that much more fun to listen to! You all have been such a big part of my life these past couple of years and I’m so glad that this immortalizes that fact. I’m also glad that you reminded me how even though this song is meant to be spiteful, it’s also fun and that made it that much more enjoyable to record. You’re all the best gang vocalists a guy could ask for and UGH I love ya! - To Emma f*cking Byler, who is a creative genius and helped me bring about the EP artwork and photoshoots! I had a hazy idea for what I wanted this EP (and future album!!) treatment to look like, and simply by working with me, talking with me, being patient with new ideas, and doing what you do, we came up with some really amazing shots that were more than I could have expected. I am so excited to work with you on the treatments for the full album, I will work with you on ANYTHING EVER in the future because you are such a free, creative spirit, and you are the absolute BEST. - To my friends, Abby, Kylie, and Carrie, who were all so supportive throughout the years with this crazy dream of mine to put out music. Not once did they tell me that I was dumb for thinking I could actually put out music of my own, and even if I don’t ever get to take them to the Grammy’s, I know they’ll be at my shows, cheering me on, and that’s all I can really ever ask for :) - To my family, who were also very supportive in this whole venture! You guys are helping me go to school for something that’s a total risk but is really what I’m truly passionate about, and I can’t thank you enough for that. You already know the rest :) - To Dain Estes, who helped me bring my songwriting to another level. I had only entertained the idea of ever pushing myself to write a song for any other reason than for a school project, and now here I am looking to put out an EP, and soon, an album. Thank you SOO much for all of your assistance making my writing better, reminding me that not every song needs the f-word in it, and how to properly structure things so as not to beat the listener over the head with details they don’t need! Clearly, I still have length of the songs to work on, but what can I say, radio was doomed to hate me from the start, since I can’t seem to keep from cursing! - To Kevin Goldfinger, who is quite possibly the WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD. Nah, I’m joking, but in all seriousness, thank you for your constant encouragement to continue writing, to dive deeper, to think outside the box, to never feel like good enough is enough. You’re an insanely talented person, I’m grateful we hung out when we did and for your lyrical advice, and you know the rest :) - To the person who inspired all this music - you know who you are, and that’s all that really matters. These songs aren’t the full story, and there’s more to come that I promise is not as mean! But I want to say thank you. I never knew any of these emotions to any degree remotely close to this before you. You taught me a lot about life, about myself, and about what else lies beyond the world I thought I knew. Despite the fact that you pissed me off A LOT, you also made me happier than I’d ever been before, so though I may not always know where we stand, you should know that no matter what, this music is also yours. The future isn’t clear, but you have my number, and life is funny, so who knows what that means! But if nothing else, I’m glad that I knew you because hey! It gave me one hell of a story to tell. - To you, whoever you are! If you’re reading this, you’re supporting me and my music in some way, and that’s pretty f*cking rad. Thank you for that! I hope you enjoy the music as much as I enjoyed making it, and keep an eye out for the rest of the project coming next year. Till then… Connor