Conor Ross Talks New Music, Goals As An Artist, Dream Collab, New Styles and More!

The 16 years old Conor Ross is definitely one you should keep your eye on! Last year, Mixmash welcomed Conor Ross to the label with the club banger ‘Escape’ that even went viral in the Viral Chart Top 50 in The Netherlands. Following up with an official remix for Laidback Luke’s ‘Can’t Hold My Tongue’ and now back on Mixmash Records with a brand new release called ‘Every Way’. Besides producing, DJ’ing and playing the guitar, Conor Ross can do it all and he is even singing on this new track himself! The collaboration with Roses, ‘Every Way’ gives an uplifting feeling that gets you into the summer mood right away! We had the pleasure of celebrating this new release by interviewing this upcoming artist.

Speaking about ‘Every Way’, how happy are you and Roses with the finished product and its home on Mixmash Records?
“It took us a long while to get the track to the final state. I can remember us both working on it 2 years ago, and we’ve had so many versions of this same track there’d be too many to count. Finally, however, this version of ‘Every Way’ is the version we both feel fits our styles perfectly, with both of our influences coming through. We are also very happy to release the tune with Mixmash, as we think it is the most fitting label for the song! I’m very happy with my experience from releasing with the Mixmash team since late last year, so I’m looking forward to how this one turns out!”

We are just over 3 months into the new year and with ‘Every Way’ you have released a total of 3 new tracks. How is this year shaping up compared to others and are you excited to keep this high momentum rolling?
“2020 already has been a mind-blowing experience. Being able to travel more than I ever have in the space of a few months has been crazy, and I intend to keep up the constant workflow! I’m always working on new music, and that is simply my plan for the lockdown here in the UK – create as many new tunes ready for when festivals and clubs are back on track! I will 100% try to keep up the momentum and release as many tunes as possible – I always love being able to hear what listeners think of my projects!”

With 3 years of releasing under your belt, what are your goals, as an emerging producer, in the upcoming years?
“Well, I’m always very grateful for the support from my manager, my family and friends. They always push me to keep on making more music and show the world what I’ve been working on. Ever since I was very young, it’s been my lifelong goal to pursue a career in music – and the next few years are vital in making progress to try and make that a reality. I will always continue to work hard and try to create something fresh!”

With a massive remix for Laidback Luke’s ‘Can’t Hold My Tongue’ and a high-profile collab together with Jonas Aden on ‘Library Thugs’, who else would you love to work with in the coming years?
“That is a very good question! One of the best things for me about music is working with new people and collaborating and sharing techniques and ideas. I think it would be amazing to work Curbi or Ship Wrek, as at the moment I’m really loving that UK (ish) club sound they manage to create, and it’s the scene I’m trying to get myself on the map for. Also, there are the inspirations who pushed me to create dance music in the first place – Martin Garrix, Don Diablo, Tiesto, (and many more) however it might be a long while before I get to work alongside one of these legends!”

With your releases, you have cemented yourself as a future house artist with electro-infused sounds to set you apart from the crowd. Is there any other genre you would like to dip your toes into?
“I’m actually really glad you guys asked this because at the minute I’ve been putting together a new sound – a little bit more tech house / club influenced, however still with my style of sound design and melody influences. I have quite a few demos in this style already, and I cannot wait to show it to you guys! I think it will definitely be much easier to play out, and as soon as festivals are back up I’d love to be able to see how they sound live!”

When it comes to stepping into the studio, where do you get your main inspirations from?
“Seriously – this is a tip I recommend for a lot of producers and it only really hit me at the start of this year. I realised that if my room or my separate studio was super messy, I found it really hard to work and come up with ideas. It’s more of a subconscious thing – keeping the workspace clean keeps your mind tidy and gives you more space in your mind to create more fresh ideas. As well as this, on the way to the studio, I try to listen to as much of the genre I want to create as I can, so I have a well-rounded understanding of typical tropes and conventions that producers use in the genre, making it easier for the listener to relate to.”

Keeping on the topic of production, what comes first in your process: the drop, the breakdown, the build, the melody or all of the above?
“I usually start with the drop, but there will be some tracks where I feel the vibe of a break chord progression more and decide to base the drop from that instead. I tend to dedicate a certain amount of time to each individual section of the song, making it so I can put as much attention to detail without rushing anything!”

When it comes to producing tracks, many artists struggle to find a balance between producing and regular life. How do you wind down away from the studio and are there any tips for upcoming producers out there to improve their workflow?
“At the moment, the best way I can put it is to keep it professional – I work on music as my full-time job, so for a certain few hours I will get into the zone completely to get stuff done, and then I’ll take some time to relax and chill out whenever I feel like I’m musically worked out. I recommend watching films and TV shows, as they can provide a lot of inspiration to create while you aren’t working on music, as a really strong, immersive narrative can give you the right sort of push to produce something new – one of my older remixes (the Stranger Things theme) simply came from how much I liked the TV show and wanted to put my own spin on it!”

Last question… got any exclusive news for us? 😉
“All I’m allowed to say is, there’s a lot of stuff happening behind the scenes at the moment, and even though a lot of things haven’t been announced yet, I’m super excited to show you some of the new stuff! A lot of new collabs and new labels coming too ;).”

Stream ‘Every Way’ below.