Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Conor Michael Smith

Conor Michael Smith has emerged as one of the voices of his generation. Using his craft and words, he’s painting a picture and inviting listeners into his life, shining a light on topics and themes he’s passionate about, which is evident in his debut single, “With You In Mind”.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of chatting with Conor about his career, “With You In Mind”, and what he hopes to accomplish as an artist.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Conor: That’s a good question. My dad got me a violin when I was six. I remember being into Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and all those different movies. I would try to replay the songs even though I wasn’t that good at it; I only knew “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Eventually, I’d played them over and over and get it. My parents were like, “We need to get this kid lessons.” They put me into lessons, and it took a whole other level from there. I learned piano and then I started writing.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career, either personally or professionally?
Conor: The overall thing that I love about making music and writing in general is that a lot of times, people don’t really want to hear what you’re going through or what you have to say. A lot of the time, I feel bad for telling people if I have a bad day or if I’m going through something, but when you write a song about it, it kind of makes it okay. You put it in that little time capsule, and then you’re able to get through it. It’s like therapy. For the listener, they can also relate and empathize with you. It’s a lot easier for me than going and feeling like I have to confide in a bunch of people, but at the end of the day, I’ve confided in the whole world.

Personally, there’s a guy named Ray Jr. who was very, very helpful to me in the beginning of my career. I started rapping in Cleveland at my high school and he saw a video of it. He’s the reason that I was on that show Boy Band. He took a chance on me and put me in the studio. He introduced me to a bunch of people in the Cleveland scene, and eventually the Boy Band producers saw me.

PC: Speaking of Boy Band, you were a member of In Real Life. What was the biggest lesson you learned from that experience that you’ve now been able to apply to this next chapter in your career?
Conor: It was learning about fan connection and fan interaction. That was something that I was always really passionate about because all my favorite artists have really diehard fan bases. If there’s anything that I took away from that, I mean, aside from the performing aspects, learning how to do interviews, how to be on TV, and all that other stuff, it was establishing a personal relationship with fans and learning how to be vulnerable with people that you can’t see and can’t always talk to.

But I also learned the importance of meeting them face to face. I remember we did a couple headline tours and we would have VIP packages where you come in and you pay to meet us. But I always thought if I were a fan, I would love if the artists would come and talk to me, like outside of a meet and greet. I made it my priority after every show to go and speak to everyone, even if they didn’t get the meet and greet. I would sit there for however many hours to take pictures, chat, and share stories with people who came to support.

PC: You recently released your debut single with an important message that the world needs right now. Tell us about “With You In Mind”.
Conor: That song is how I felt for a while. Unfortunately, it took the death of George Floyd and a couple other people to get those words out, finally. It’s unfortunate it took that long. The fact that it was my first song, I’m very proud of myself. It was nerve-wracking to put it out, to be honest, because I wrote it with no intention of releasing it, and then when I saw the words, I was like, “Wow, this is actually probably the best work I’ve ever done.”

So, I think it’s important. It just became so much bigger than me and my ego when it comes to releasing my music. I was like, “Look, some people are going to hate what I have to say, and some people are going to love it, but regardless, it’s going to start a conversation, which I think ultimately is what needs to happen and has needed to happen for a while.”

PC: You’ve made it your mission as an artist to inspire the next generation of superheroes and have used your platform to spread words of encouragement and positivity, often exposing vulnerable sides of yourself. How did you discover your voice as an artist and as an advocate?
Conor: You can’t really empathize with people who are going through stuff unless you’ve suffered yourself. It’s funny: I would never call myself an advocate, but I guess that’s what I do. I try to take into account people’s feelings because I know how intense it is for me; I feel things very intensely. That’s why my art and my music come out the way that they do. It’s very in your face, like I need to tell you something.

My biggest thing is that I want people to tell their stories. I want to give you almost every detail of my life and the stuff that I’ve gone through so that people feel the confidence within themselves to admit those things and put it out in the world themselves.

I know that there’s going to be a kid after me who does so much better than me and doesn’t make the mistakes that I make and has better words, better flow, better production, plays the violin better, whatever it is. So, I guess I’m always thinking of the next generation. I’m always thinking about how I can continue something and involve music, and evolve, not only music, but the way that we look our children and the importance that we put on them.

We can get into this another time, but the education system and all that stuff, I’m very passionate about, and I want to make an impact on it because it affected me so much as a kid. I want kids to feel they do have a voice and that people deserve to be heard. Sometimes people aren’t going to give you that chance or opportunity to say something, so sometimes you just have to say it and not worry about the consequences.

PC: In addition to being a rapper, you’re also a trained violinist. As you’re working on a new track, are you looking for opportunities to incorporate that part of your craft into the song?
Conor: Yeah, I am. Before I was in the band, I only really rapped. I’ve learned so many new things. I picked up the ukulele last year and that’s been really fun. With every new song that I do, I’m always trying to find different elements of personality. I feel I have so many tools: I can rap, I can sing, I play violin, I can play ukulele, I can play piano. One of my ultimate goals is to have an album that has those scattered throughout. That’s what makes it me. Everyone has their own rhythm. Everyone has their own type of music that they like to make. So, I think that if you have five instruments, it makes something so cool. If I can find a way to blend everything and make it sick, that’s my ultimate goal.

PC: 2020 has been a huge year for you. You did your first headlining solo show and released your debut single. As we look ahead to the rest of 2020 into 2021, what can fans expect?
Conor: Oh man. Thank you for acknowledging that. I forgot how awesome that was. It’s been a whirlwind. Even you mentioning the headlining show, I didn’t even really take a chance to think about that—that’s crazy. That was my first show. It was on the first day of this decade, which is pretty awesome, in my opinion.

What can they expect? I mean, we have so many restrictions these days, so there’s not much I can do. I’m doing my best to focus on the art right now. If I can create something that people can hold onto since I can’t see them, since I can’t meet or hug them, whether it’s music, music videos, mixed tape, whatever it is, I plan on doing everything I can to get my stuff out there.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Conor: I want to shout out Why Don’t We because they’ve been very supportive of me and I think their new single is fantastic.

PC: First album you bought?
Conor: It was actually the Indiana Jones soundtrack. I got it from Barnes and Noble.

PC: First concert you attended?
Conor: It was J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hills Drive tour. I’d been to orchestra concerts and stuff, but this was my first time seeing an artist and a rapper. At the time, I was just getting into rap. I was just starting to fall in love with the craft and releasing music, working on my skill. I saw his show and it was literally the reason why I do what I do. I saw him up there and I was like, “Yeah. That’s it. That’s what I’m going to do when I’m older.” Six years later, we’re almost there.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Conor: There are so many. I would say Late Registration by Kanye West. I would say Under Pressure by Logic. I would say Reasonable Doubt by Jay Z. I would say Eminem Show. Anything John Williams does.

There are so many, but the underlying theme of them all is that I fell in love with all these people’s stories. The reason I wanted to do rap was because at the time, back in 2010 when you could only get songs on iTunes, you had to be selective. We didn’t have Spotify playlists. We couldn’t just download any song at any time for free, you had to be selective. I gravitated towards the artist who had such an impactful story and had a way with words.

I’m attracted to wordsmiths and people that can paint a picture and take you into their lives. I love Kendrick Lamar, I love Biggie—all these artists who make you feel like you’re watching a movie, but it’s audible. All of those people still have an impact on me today. I still study every single one of them and listen.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Conor: The biggest dream of mine is to play Wrigley Field. I would feel like I’ve made it, I’ve done it all. I’m probably going to want to do a million more venues, but for me, it’s Wrigley Field because I was born in Chicago. I was born and I lived in Wrigleyville, which is right down the street.

I feel it would be a nice cap off to the story, to go back to the place where I was born and to sell out the baseball stadium. Baseball has been such a part of my life and my dad’s life. That’s something my dad and I share—our love for baseball. I know that’s something he would lose his mind over…if I did Wrigley Field.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Conor: Underwear and socks. People understand how important it is. On one of the In Real Life tours, our fans would bring us candy, gifts, shirts, and other stuff. They were so generous. We were like, “You guys don’t need to bring us anything, but if you want to, socks and underwear would be awesome.” We tweeted our sizes.

When you’re on a bus, you don’t want to carry around a bunch of dirty underwear and socks. It smells. You feel grimy, carrying a suitcase, full of dirty stuff. So, they would give us all these packs every show. We would put them on, take them off, and throw them out. It was the coolest. So, for future tours, that’s an absolute necessity.

To keep up with Conor, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify. Pick up or stream “With You In Mind” today.