Interview: Mara Connor is Ready to Face the Heat
Singer-songwriter Mara Connor talks with Afterglow about directing her own music video and standing her ground ahead of the upcoming release of her new EP, No Fun.
Photo courtesy of Mara Connor
The cliche of being an old soul applies to no one more than Mara Connor. The Los Angeles-based folk-rock singer draws from the sounds of those who came before her, like George Harrison, Kris Kristofferson, and Janis Joplin. But even with just three songs out right now, Connor has curated an image that is entirely her own.
Just listen to her first release, 2018’s “No Fun,” for a taste of the subdued yet powerful energy she brings to each track. Connor’s artistry is an exercise in contradiction — her voice rich yet soft, her guitar melodies both laid-back and upbeat, her lyrical references both vintage and modern. All these qualities culminate in a presence that makes Connor a star to watch.
Afterglow spoke with Connor about the origin of her folksy sound, the inspiration behind her latest song, “Wildfire,” and her diva mannequin co-star in the song’s music video.
As we know, SXSW was unfortunately canceled. What were you looking forward to most about the festival?
Yeah, it’s too bad it was cancelled. I was excited to see a bunch of friends and play some shows — and hang out in Austin. I love the city of Austin.
Were there any acts you were really looking forward to seeing at SXSW?
I was playing on a showcase with Thao & The Get Down Stay Down and Kate Davis, who I really like.
I know you went to SXSW last year — what was that experience like?
It was such a fun experience. I played one show every day of the festival and just ran around and made a bunch of new friends. I also got to go out to Willie Nelson’s ranch out in Luck and see him play an incredible show to just a couple hundred people. It was a really intimate, cool experience.
Transitioning into your work ... a lot of publications describe your sound as retro. Is that something you specifically aim for, or is it kinda just something that is natural to your sound?
That’s a good question. I think initially it wasn’t intentional. I grew up listening to a lot of music that my parents introduced me to, so a lot of stuff they were listening to as kids during the ‘60s and ‘70s. Like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan — I think that just comes out in my music naturally. But also I recorded in Nashville at the studio The Bomb Shelter where everything is recorded to tape, and it kinda has an analog, retro sound to it. So, I think that contributed to that as well.
What was the inspiration behind your latest release “Wildfire”?
That song came about when I moved back to Los Angeles from New York. I was living in this little house in Angelino Heights, which is a neighborhood in Echo Park. It’s a lot of old Victorian houses with palm trees and fog rolls in at night — it’s very romantic.
I was up one night listening to this Jonathan Wilson record Gentle Spirit for the first time. And then after listening to it, I fell asleep, and right when I woke up, the song “Wildfire” just came to me fully formed. It was inspired by Los Angeles, and I was thinking about the wildfires out here which are devastating and deadly — they’re also brought on by the Santa Ana winds which are these mysterious, notorious winds that come through Los Angeles and wreak havoc on our city.
But, they’re also very beautiful — I was thinking about how something so beautiful can also be so deadly.
I was also applying it to a romantic interest I had at the time, so the wildfire became a metaphor for a person and how something dangerous can be really alluring sometimes.
You co-directed the video for “Wildfire” with your mother. What was that experience like — not only having the opportunity to direct a video yourself but do it with your mom?
I did! I love directing, so this was a really special project for me getting to co-direct with my mom, who is one of my heroes and also my best friend — and a really talented filmmaker in her own right.
We hired mostly a female team. We had an incredible Director of Photography, Cristina Dunlap, who has done videos for Lizzo and Brandi Carlile. A bunch of friends came on board to help us, and we shot it all over Los Angeles.
My co-star, who’s a mannequin, which was really fun to work around, ended up being a total diva. He was very, very high-maintenance — he almost fell into the lake and drowned and we had to retrieve half of his body in a paddleboat. He was really heavy, so we had to have three different women carrying him and operating him at all times. And every time he had to move at all, you had to use a wrench to slowly move his positioning. It was a really, really funny shoot with a lot of talented people.
That sounds intense with the mannequin.
Yeah, it was, but really funny too. And putting him in all these different retro outfits to match me was very fun. My friend Aza Ziegler was the stylist, and she has a fashion line called Calle del Mar that’s based in Los Angeles that’s really cool and retro. Together, we conceptualized this look of the video with all these different ‘60s inspired outfits. It was a blast.
What was the songwriting process like for your upcoming debut EP? What were the motivations for it?
This EP is my first batch of songs, so it’s an introduction to me as an artist and a person. These are some of the first songs that I recorded, and I think this time in my life was a real learning experience for me and a time of growing and coming into my own as a person and a songwriter and collaborator.
These songs are like a little emotional time capsule. With all of these songs, they paint a picture of an outside who is kinda one foot in and one foot out, if that makes sense. “No Fun” is about unrequited love or a forbidden love — something that can’t come to fruition and the dream of what if it could. “Wildfire” is about, like I said, someone who is dangerous but alluring.
I think all of the songs are triumphant in terms of the production. But, the lyrical content and the stories behind them are more bittersweet.
Obviously, you have the release of the EP, but what do you plan on doing next after its release?
After this, I have some other songs in the works and possibly another EP down the line. I have a lot of duets that I’ve been recording, so there will probably be some sort of project around those. I’ve written more songs than I can count so I’m just figuring out what’s next to record. And obviously, a debut full-length album in the future and then some more shows and touring.
What advice do you have for anyone, particularly women, who want to break into the music industry but don’t know where to start?
That’s such a great question and something that’s really important to me. I would say for any women looking to get into the arts — just follow your instincts and stand your ground. Know that we need your story and we want to hear from you and that you matter. Even if it’s harder, even if it takes a little longer, it will pay off and it’s worth it.
This interview has been condensed and minimally edited for clarity.
Listen to Mara Connor on Spotify and find her on Instagram @maraconnor and Twitter @mara_connor