We recently connected with Conner Cherland and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Conner, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Cherland’s newest project is equal parts rapturous and refined, its main objective being to plumb the depths of human feeling while showcasing how he’s honed his craft. “I want music to be more of an unconscious act. I don’t just want to be a clever writer — I want these songs to cost me something,” he admits.

And certainly, this album is proof of the lengths Cherland has traveled for his music career. After quitting his tech job to go all-in, he released his first independent, self-funded EP and moved to Los Angeles in 2022. When contemplating what would come next, he kept returning to one of his biggest sources of inspiration: the score of the cartoon series Over the Garden Wall. He casually shot a message to the show’s team, not expecting an answer. Since then, they’ve offered him their mentorship by teaching him music theory and song composition, and their band, The Blasting Company, will be featured on LAKE.

Cherland spent four months taking the concepts he learned from The Blasting Company and tucking them into the folds of fifty songs, an experience he described as borderline religious: “The routine did feel special, because I called the process what it was: writing an entire album. Having a vision helped me settle into the act day after day, and the whole time I just believed there was going to be something there.”

At the same time, he was facing the extensive costs that go into recording and producing an album. Cherland made a case to his fanbase for crowdfunding, and the response blew him away. Within a matter of weeks, he was able to meet his funding goal.

What resulted is an album that honors the playfulness of Cherland’s signature acoustic style, while incorporating refined technical music components that create rich sonic landscapes. He decided to release three singles prior to the entire album: “Drugs,” “Rocket,” and “Happy.” Each of these songs explore the power of dreams, the journey of personal loss, and the weighty, ever-present souvenirs of love.

When asked how he approached this project, Cherland thoughtfully muses, “You don’t really get to pick what an album is about, do you?” After experiencing the death of a close family friend, much of his music composition was informed by the process of navigating grief, faith dynamics, and human intimacy. “People almost get to that point of sharing their burden and then won’t let it out. They don’t understand that it’s an honor to bear their pain with them. That’s what life is about — being in it together.”

That’s the ultimate project of LAKE. To give listeners brief moments of presence. To help them break through barriers. To share the weight.

Conner, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In his mid-twenties, Cherland chose music over a tech career and has since made a living playing everything from clubs and corporate events to parties and weddings while self-releasing a string of increasingly accomplished records culminating in 2022’s Call Waiting. His debut full-length record captures his tender songcraft, poignant lyricism, and tremulously emotive vocals more vividly than ever before.

tldr; I can put on one hell of a concert. I’ve got over 1100 shows under my belt, and a lot of songs and stories to share with you and your friends if you’re down to host me for a house show :)

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m on a mission to make the best song humanly possible. Not like the type of song that sold the most, but the type of song that eats away at you because you can’t believe people haven’t heard of it. There’s a Randy Newman song called “Wandering Boy”. That’s the sort of thing I really aspire to…it’s the sort of song that’s perfect, and simple, and heart-wrenching. .

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is feeling like I’m doing what I’m meant to do on the earth. Making music feels almost religious to me. I sit in a quiet place and I try to let the world do its’ thing for a second while I tune into something different. I feel devotion to the discovery that happens in music making, and I feel grateful for the silence when I show up. I feel grateful to be given the space to fill that silence with something beautiful.

Contact Info:

• Website: connercherland.com
• Instagram: @connercherland
• Facebook: @connercherland
• Youtube: @itsconnercherland

Image Credits
Josie Farrior