The Truth Comes Out Eventually. Honestly is something that we should all aspire to live by. Authenticity is a word that's undervalued in today's fast-moving landscape and disposable culture, but authenticity and truth are interwoven, and if you have one, then the other naturally sidles up. There are a number of reasons Connor Selby has chosen this as his album title.
These two words have always been at the heart of the music of the young British troubadour Connor Selby. Having moved around as a child between the UK, US, and UAE before settling in his birthplace in Essex, he has always had a burning passion for the authentic rootsy music of the US - it was one of the few constants. This passion seeps into his very existence.
Authentic, roots-based voices have penetrated the mainstream in recent years; from the soulful yearns of early Leon Bridges, the groove of Gary Clark Jr., the booming voice of Jacob Banks, the raw and haunting delivery of Ray LaMontagne or the earthy tones of Rag ‘n Bone Man - those voices cut through, and they stand out, they make you take notice, because they don’t sound like everyone else.
Selby’s voice echoes these trailblazers; enveloping his music with an emotional integrity. He delves deep into his soul, all the way down into his core and the feeling of belonging. "The songs are about my feelings of being in the world, and not really feeling like I belong," he explains.
When you wear your heart on your sleeve and can only live by openness and honesty, you’ll likely get burnt in relationships, and life. Sometimes he feels like an outsider, looking in on the world. “I've always felt that feeling of not necessarily being able to live up to people's expectations,” he opens up. This has become a hurdle that he has had to overcome throughout his life.
This is reflected on the title track. “This song is about the feeling of not knowing or not being able to be the person that others expect of you, and the despair and confusion this brings trying to navigate a world where you feel like you’re playing to a different set of rules as everyone else,” he reveals.
There is a sense of hopelessness encapsulated in the song. The line ‘I was born with a broken heart’ suggests the protagonist feels they were born defected and eventually excluded, like a ‘stranger through and through’.
Selby almost stands alone in the world of contemporary music, outside the parameters of the genres he touches upon - no one is making the king of music he is, no one really sounds like he does. This all plays into his sense of identity and belonging.
We can all only be who we are. Once you're happy with yourself, you can be happy with life. But you need to find yourself first. When you’ve moved around like he has, that can take time. "You can try and fake it, but the truth will come out eventually," he reflects. "So you might as well make peace with it. That's the story of the song. I'm particularly proud of this one and it's one of my most personal songs."
"In terms of my music, it is a theme that's been consistent in my songs, going back to my first album," the multi-award-winning musician adds. He has already become one of the most respected young singer-songwriters in the UK; he burst into the attention of the wider world when he released his Provogue Records debut, a ‘MOJO Magazine Blues Album of the Year’ 2023's 'Connor Selby' which has already clocked up 2 million streams. It also received support from BBC Radio 2's Cerys Matthews, Classic Rock, Guitarist, and beyond.
The fast-rising star also featured alongside a host of superstars on Dire Straits legend Mark Knopfler's 2024 charity single, "Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)," which features the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Slash, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Sam Fender, Tom Morello, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Nile Rogers, Roger Daltry, and Ronnie Wood.
He was voted "Young Artist of the Year" at the UK Blues Awards for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022) and was nominated in four categories (Contemporary Blues Artist of the Year, Instrumentalist of the Year, UK Acoustic Blues Act of the Year, and UK Blues Vocalist of the Year) in 2024.
No stranger to touring, he has already clocked up thousands of miles across Europe and played the biggest stages in the UK, from supporting The Who at Wembley Stadium to a Hyde Park Festival alongside the likes of Pear Jam and Stereophonics and opened for powerhouse singer Beth Hart at the iconic London Palladium along with other dates on her March 2024 UK tour. He was the only artist to support the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band on his April' Trouble Is' 25th Anniversary UK tour. He's played shows with soul Icon P.P. Arnold at the world-famous Jazz Cafe and Betty LaVette at the prestigious Cadogan Hall, London, toured with Robert Cray and produced a standout performance at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
Unfazed by the big stages, it's something that he just takes into his unhurried stride. Contemplating the last two years, he says, "I'm really grateful to have been able to do it. The venues were amazing, super beautiful venues." But when asked whether the big stages swallow him up or if he feels like he belongs on them, he muses, "I suppose I feel like I do belong. The thing is, a stage is a stage. I just shut my eyes when I'm playing, and it's like you're just playing another gig. That's kind of how I wrap my head around it. But it was an incredible thrill."
When he talks about where his place is in this world and where he belongs, this is where he belongs.
You only need to see him perform on stage with his full bend behind him - evoking a calm, assured confidence at odds with many other guitarists' wild shredding. The poise and aura of players like Eric Clapton and Peter Green's emotive storytelling dance along his fretboard as he's lost in his thoughts.
