Landon Conrath Shares New Album ‘Employee of the Year’ + Headline US Tour Dates on Sale Now!

Today, Minneapolis alternative artist Landon Conrath is proud to release his new album, Employee of the Year, out now via Nettwerk. The eleven-song effort sees Landon confront the highs and lows of growing up. It’s about human connection. From finding love (“How Does Forever Sound”) to relationships with friends, to dealing with life’s daily anxieties (“Doomsday”), Landon translates his emotions through textured indie gems and anthemic songwriting. For this album, he teamed up with some notable collaborators, including Day Wave, who co-wrote “Cool Guy,” and Sean Silverman of Beach Weather, who co-produced “Doomsday.” 

Listen & Share Employee of the Year on all digital retailers (here).

Landon is excited to bring the new music on the road. His high-energy shows with hard-hitting guitar solos and singalong choruses are Landon’s favorite part of being a musician. His shows have only grown larger and larger as fans flock to buy merch or say hi at the merch booth. Landon is also excited to conclude the tour with a residency at 7th Street Entry in his hometown of Minneapolis in January 2025. Find the full list of tour dates below and for more information visit https://landonconrath.com/

LANDON CONRATH IN HIS OWN WORDS:

Six weeks ago, I didn’t have a name for my album; I barely even had a track list. I remember walking through my neighborhood in the late weeks of spring, listening to a collection of demos that I had stored in a folder on Google Drive. A lyric in the chorus of a demo I had called “Chandeliers” suddenly stood out to me. It was simple, just five words: “Employee of the Year for now.” Something clicked, and the gears started turning as I began to form a plan for a new project.

In the months leading up to the formation of this album, I found myself working on “music stuff” but never really writing or producing anything. I was more caught up in emails, press quotes, social media, and the general maintenance that comes with being a mostly self-sufficient artist in today’s music industry. I was constantly chasing deadlines and always feeling like a failing “employee” to my record label, management, and everyone else. I felt more like a cog in the machine grinding to become “employee of the year” rather than an artist trying to figure out what I wanted to say to the world.

Within a few days of having the initial thought for a project, it was already in motion. The only problem was that none of the songs were fully done. So here I was, with emails and deadlines already hitting my inbox, feeling the stress of my “employer” crushing me again. I’m currently midway through the album process and still sprinting full speed ahead to keep up with the machine. I think this album has taught me that I’m ready for a break, ready to turn in my two weeks’ notice and take some time to find a new employer—hopefully myself.

I want this album to communicate the idea that outward success doesn’t mean inward fulfillment. I started releasing music for fun almost five years ago, and it turned into this thing that took over my entire life. Sometimes it feels like I didn’t even ask for this, and although I’m truly grateful for every opportunity that’s been given to me, I just feel like a beaten-down employee who needs a second to catch their breath. The goal of my music has always been to erase the idea that I am anyone special. All I want from my art is connection, and I hope that this project will find its way into people’s lives and leave them feeling like they aren’t so alone anymore.