Minneapolis Artist Landon Conrath Shares Midwest Emo-Leaning Indie Pop Song “How Does Forever Sound”

July 12, 2024 BY Emma Orland

Making a record isn’t easy. Although you wouldn’t know it from the endless string of hard-hitting anthemic guitar-pop gems from Minneapolis alternative artist Landon Conrath. Yet despite all the streaming and touring success, Landon was feeling bogged down by the continuous number of deadlines, TikTok posts, and back-and-forth email threads associated with being a musician. He felt like an ‘employee’ of his own music. Turning his frustration into progress, Landon used some of his signature wit to craft his new album Employee of the Year. Today, he shares another stand-out cut from the record called, “How Does Forever Sound.” The Midwest emo-leaning, indie-pop song is full of textured guitars, a fiery backbeat, and lovestruck lyrics.

Listen to “How Does Forever Sound” on all digital retailers (here)

Landon spoke with Minnesota Monthly about the new album concept saying, “The idea I want to get out with [this album] is that outward success doesn’t necessarily mean inward fulfillment. I think that is a message that transcends being a musician. There are people who receive a lot of praise at their jobs and places of influence, but they don’t feel like they’re deserving of it or that it’s satisfying them. And they’re looking for something more, maybe. I’m not claiming to know what that something more is, but I wanted people to know that I feel the same way all the time.”

News of Landon’s high-energy shows with furious anthems and singalong choruses has spread like wildfire thanks to social media and good old-fashioned word of mouth. After every set the line of fans flock the merch booth to snap a photo or buy some merch from the newest indie-rock breakout. Landon’s headline ‘Employee of the Month’ Tour kicks off this September at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. 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.