Music has always been an outlet for artists to express themselves without having to feel like a burden of emotions.
Hailing from Boston, MA, indie pop rocker Kerrin Connolly recently released their latest concept album, Simpleton. Although this album is a big step forward in their musical career, they have been in the public’s view for a little while now.
In early 2019, Connolly began publishing covers of songs on YouTube and eventually built up their talent to write and produce their own music. This brings us to 2020, when “Fly in My Room,” a single composed by Connolly, went viral and ultimately amassed a large following.
Connolly has a very unique, DIY way of creating sound by using a variety of musical tech and even household tools and objects. Their sound is primarily indie-rock focused, with many songs following heavy guitar riffs and synth sounds, but more acoustic, intimate songs can also be found on this new album.
We got to chat with Connolly about the album and much more.
Can you tell us about where you grew up, and your introduction to making music and songwriting?
I grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts where both of my parents were in a cover band – we had instruments all over the house and music was all around me, so it was probably inevitable I would pick it up. I was always picked for solos in school concerts and wrote a lot of poetry when I was younger, but it wasn’t until my later teens that I realized I had something and should start taking it seriously and begin songwriting.
Who were some of your biggest influences that helped shape your sound?
It was definitely multi-fold, with a lot of my inspiration actually coming from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, which made me realize I could sing in the first place, and music teachers in school investing a lot in me before I knew what I was really capable of. Combine that with my teenage obsessions with Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and Paramore who inspired me to learn guitar and improve my skills from there.
Tell us a little about your single, “Big Amygdala,” from your new album Simpleton.
This one is about my struggles with OCD and anxiety, especially in the context of the internet. Googling answers to your compulsive life or death questions hoping to get some reassurance, but ultimately falling victim to rabbit holes and even more worry – having constant access to the internet has done a number on me! As usual, there’s still some playfulness in this one – taking the whole “Big ____ Doesn’t Want You To Know” and other popular bait headlines to underscore how having OCD can feel like everything is a huge conspiracy, but maybe your brain is just being mean to you and you need to let go a little to find and keep your peace. Stop ruminating on what ifs and be OK with not knowing the answer.
And how about your final single before the album release, “Flowers Pt. 1.”?
“Flowers Pt. 1” is mostly about not being able to take a compliment, or not being able to believe in your own accomplishments. I think it’s interesting we treat moments of sympathy and congratulations very similarly, with flowers and cards and kind words, and wanted to explore that within the context of being a performer and person who creates art – it always takes a huge emotional toll on me to finish a project or prep for a performance, so when it’s finally over, the phrases “congrats” and “get well soon” both end up feeling appropriate at the same time. There’s also something to be said about just not believing that you’ve done something good, so when people compliment you on it, you can only perceive it as pity.
What can you tell us about how and where the album was recorded and produced?
This album is self-produced, so I wrote, recorded, and mixed the album in my home studio/office myself. Friend and fellow musician Ellis Piper recorded my string arrangements on viola, Elaine Rasnake at Daughterboard Audio did the mastering, and artist John Green brought my album art concept to life – all remotely. While also working from home at my day job, I had to be very careful about how I used my time throughout the three months I gave myself to make it happen, so I think there might be an urgency and of course home-made quality throughout these tracks because of that.
Are there any common themes, messages, or motifs within Simpleton? And how did you land on the title?
The title was actually one of the first things to come. Back in 2019 when some of the first songs on this album were written, I knew I wanted to write a concept album following the classic hero’s journey, and I knew I wanted to play on the main character/narrator having a “title” like Superman or something.
The main themes this album explores are anxiety, repeating cycles, the creative process, grief, self-sabotage, and learning to try and live simply in the modern world. Within this context, the insult “simpleton” is representative of the main characters perceived rejection by others — feeling like they’re a fool and an imposter in their field, but by the end of the album you get a sort of reclamation of that word, where leading a simple life and trying to zoom out as much as you can is actually the point. There’s a reason the album cover is a mouse — a small thing obsessed with small problems, eating its own tail until it realizes the bigger picture.
What are one or two pinnacle moments for you as an artist so far?
In 2016 my music career was basically launched by one cover video I posted on YouTube, which was shared on Reddit to gain 300,000+ views and most of my current fans. Then in 2020, I had the supreme luck of having my single “Fly in My Room” go a bit viral, which has since hit over 2M streams on Spotify alone. Definitely huge milestones that I didn’t have a clue would be important at the time.
What else might you have planned for 2026 after the album release?
Back to writing for sure! I’ll probably return to my routine of making cover videos as well, and there’s an acoustic EP/album on the horizon as well.
