Several Shades of Conan Gray

Republic singer/songwriter Conan Gray is breaking out with single “Heather,” which has earned him love not only from young fans but a certain pop/rock icon as well (see below). The song is but one of the beguiling cuts on the gifted 21-year-old troubadour’s debut full-length, Kid Krow; none other than Taylor Swift put the set’s “Wish You Were Sober” on her IG story.

You were recently praised by Elton John for your songwriting on “Heather.” At that moment, what did you feel?
It’s just an absolute mind-shattering honor to be acknowledged by such a creative genius. He has inspired me and so many generations of songwriters through his work, and I’m so grateful for him and his kind words. In that moment, I was simply starstruck, as you should be!

Who or what was the greatest creative inspiration for you when making Kid Krow, and why?
Kid Krow was very much a coming-of-age album to me. It’s me documenting all the complex, confusing, often overly dramatic feelings that come along with growing up. I wrote the whole album just sitting in my bedroom processing each little thing that happened to me each day, so it becomes a journal of some sort—now it’s an extremely public diary. There was so much I needed to say about growing up: falling in love, getting my heart broken, making friends and losing them. And I felt, with my first album, that I just needed to be brief and introduce myself and the world I live in.

While you have no collaborations on your debut album, is there any artist you’d want to work with in the future? If so, who?
So many artists have inspired me throughout my life, it’s hard to choose just a few. I would love to write with Taylor, who constantly recalibrates my love for and definition of pop music. I would also love to work with V from BTS; he and all of those boys are so awe-inspiringly talented. If anything, I would just love to watch them perform in person one day soon.

What do the Grammys mean to you? Did you ever watch the show growing up?
The Grammys are one of the highest honors you could receive. I’ve watched Adele’s first Grammy acceptance speech hundreds of times at this point. Teenage Lorde sweeping gave me so much hope for the future as an angsty small-town 13-year-old. It’s so special to see artists and songwriters get recognized for their work, and the Grammys represent the support and recognition of musicians over so many decades. The Grammys are classic, to put it simply.