Conan Gray discusses debut projects, tour


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Although singer Conan Gray recently sold out two consecutive shows on his debut EP tour, the Texas native told the Daily Trojan that he intends to stay true to his small-town roots. (Kasvi Malhotra/Daily Trojan)

Conan Gray isn’t in Texas anymore. From establishing a YouTube channel with over 1.1 million subscribers to performing sold-out shows across the country, the 20-year-old songwriter from Georgetown, Texas sticks to his humble roots through music. After signing with Republic Records, Gray moved from his small town to Los Angeles in 2017 to attend his dream school, UCLA, and pursue his musical career. With dreamy tracks like “Crush Culture” and “Generation Why,” Gray has been on tour nonstop since the release of his debut EP “Sunset Season” last winter, and he even opened for Panic! At the Disco shows in February.

While getting ready for L.A. rehearsals one Friday morning, the artist chatted with the Daily Trojan to discuss how he’s balancing music, YouTube, friends and everything else life throws at him.

Though Gray is currently on leave from UCLA for his tour, when asked about whether he bought into the USC-UCLA rivalry, his loyalty to the Bruins was clear.

“Oh yeah. I hate you guys,” Gray chuckled. “One of my best friends goes to USC, so I’ve actually been spending a decent amount of time on your campus. I’ll give it to you, you guys have a really pretty campus, and the [USC] Village looks like Hogwarts.”

Gray said building his musical career while at UCLA was like his “Hannah Montana” moment — taking classes during the day and pursuing music outside of school.

“I feel like now, it’s super special because I get to actually hug the people I’ve seen on my phone for so long,” Gray said. “I actually get to sing and see these people face-to-face, and it feels so much more rewarding and so much more intimate than making videos on the internet, so it’s just been really, really nice.”

Though promoting his EP is currently a priority, Gray dedicates time in his day to engage with fans on Twitter and YouTube, two platforms he credits his success to. Die-hard fans know there’s a distinct difference between his personalities on the two platforms, which Gray explained reflect what it’s like getting to know him in real life.

“All of my friends who are really close to me know that Twitter Conan is the real Conan, and YouTube Conan is like the acquaintance Conan, the person that you meet on the street and will hug you and be very, very nice,” Gray said. “Twitter Conan is just like angry, angsty, very shy and introverted. It’s just really who I am.”

Gray noted that moving around a lot while growing up and living in a small town played a crucial role in shaping his identity and, ultimately, his music. Even though he is currently living in Los Angeles and touring the country, Gray finds ways to stay connected to his hometown in order to stay in touch with his Southern roots.

“I FaceTime my best friend from back home, Ashley, every single day,” Gray said. “It’s pretty hard to forget my hometown when I’m talking to her constantly,” Gray said. “And I think I’ll always be a small town kid no matter what. I think there’s just something about being from the South and also just being from a place where nothing ever changes, and it really does impact your youth, and I think I’ll never really be able to forget that small town mentality and the slower-paced life that’s back there.”

Currently, Gray is living a fast-paced life, performing two sold-out shows at the El Rey theatre in Los Angeles on March 14 and 15. The singer, however, is relishing doing what he loves.

“Songwriting is the love of my life,” Gray said. “I can’t wait to be making music for as long as I can.”