Conor Maynard Interview
Mayniacs…. Are You Ready!!!
Conor Maynard talks working with Ne-Yo and Frank Ocean on his debut album
You got your start on YouTube. What motivated you to post videos of yourself singing online?
“Until the age of fifteen, all I really wanted to do was act. I kind of enjoyed singing, but it wasn’t really something that I took very seriously. I remember there was this one moment when I was off to school, walking down the road with one of my friends, and singing a song. This girl a few paces ahead overheard and she came up to me and said, ‘do that again.’ The next day, she got all of her friends to come over to listen to me sing.”
“At the point, I was always watching singers on YouTube, so I thought I should make a video as well. I had to literally learn from scratch how to make a video. When I first started, I used two SingStar microphones from my PlayStation 2 and plugged them into my computer. It was more of a hobby for me. I just loved singing and letting people hear my music.”
How did your success over the Internet turn into a record deal?
“I started to receive random messages over the Internet from managers and record labels trying to get in touch with me. I didn’t really believe any of it, so I just ignored a lot of them, then I got this message from somebody saying that they knew Ne-Yo and that he checked out one of my covers and really liked it, so much so that he wanted to fly me out to America.
I thought, I don’t even know if he knows Ne-Yo. Is there any proof at all? Is this one of my friends pulling a prank?”
“A few days after I asked for proof, and I was suddenly on Skype with Ne-Yo talking to him about music. He told me that he wanted to sign me, and then I got to meet with a few different record labels. Eventually, I signed my first record label in the UK.”
Since then, you and Ne-Yo have collaborated. How did that go?
“He’s a mentor to me. My career was kick-started by him and so I’m always very thankful for the interest he showed and the support he gave, and even though I didn’t actually sign to his label, he still wanted to work with me. As I was finishing up my album, we organised a recording session in L.A. and recorded a song called ‘Turn Around.’ On the inside I was so excited, but on the outside I had to act normal and cool.”
Who else have you recorded with?
“I had a chance to work with Pharrell Williams and Frank Ocean on my album as well.”
Working with Ne-Yo and Pharrell was great, it really gives you that extra drive when he’s behind you.
How have you coped with fame? Has it changed your life in any way?
“Fame has been mad but for me it’s about surrounding myself with the right people to keep me grounded.
Depending on where I go I can sometimes get out by himself, however I now need to dodge young girls at Sainsbury which is strange. I get a lot of strange looks like ‘is that him’ and then when fans realise it is, I get chased down the street.”
Tell us about your most random fan experience?
One time my family came to show at Royal Albert Hall for a charity event— me, Pixie Lott, JLS etc were all performing. My mum and dad came to watch me perform for the first time so when I came off stage I called to say I’ll meet you at the door to say goodbye, thinking it’ll be fine as the show will still be on..NO! Little did we realise it was intermission and the place was packed with fans…Suddenly myself and my manager had to run down the hallways to escape them, which ended in me having to hide in a cupboard till my parents arrived and everything calmed down.”
Conor’s debut album Contrast is OUT NOW
