Big Hassle Media NY
40 Exchange Pl, Ste. 1900
New York, NY 10005
P 212.619.1360
Big Hassle Media LA
3685 Motor Ave Suite 240.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
P 424.603.4655
Jim Merlis
jim@bighassle.com
Cory Councill
cory@bighassle.com
Folk-rock singer-songwriter Mara Connor arrived on the scene with her first single “No Fun,” which garnered praise from the likes of Rolling Stone (as a “Song You Need to Know” and playlisted with Neil Young and St. Vincent) and was named Buzzbands’ “No. 1 Favorite Song of 2018.” Her follow-up single “Someone New,” a duet featuring Langhorne Slim, was also named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now” (along with Mavis Staples and Lukas Nelson). Last year the LA native made her SXSW debut and was called one of the “12 Best Up-and-Coming Artists at SXSW” by Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune. Her debut EP “No Fun” is due in April.
“Southern California singer-songwriter Mara Connor pays tribute to her roots with her delightfully bright debut single, ‘No Fun.’ Connor recorded the track in Nashville, and tinges of country blend seamlessly with Sixties and Seventies beach-pop here. It’s a promising sign for this newcomer, and all that retro flavor never stops this song from sounding like right now.” — ROLLING STONE
LOS ANGELES-NATIVE MARA CONNOR RELEASES
DEBUT SINGLE “NO FUN”
70s-INSPIRED MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERED VIA BUZZBANDS
VIDEO RELEASE SHOW SATURDAY OCT 20 @ HIGHLAND PARK BOWL
LISTEN TO “NO FUN”:
https://soundcloud.com/maraconnor/nofun/s-6AuOa
WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO:
“”No Fun” is the title track, strings-swept and swoon-worthy, a confessional that’s equal parts girl-group pop and ’70s AM radio finery, her buttery voice somewhere between Allie Crow Buckley and Lana Del Rey.”
– KEVIN BRONSON, BUZZBANDS
OCTOBER 17, 2018 (LOS ANGELES, CA) – Today, Los Angeles native Mara Connor releases her debut single “No Fun”, along with a comically droll companion music video. The track premiered by way of Buzzbands yesterday.
The new single was recorded to tape at the Bomb Shelter in Nashville, produced by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Margo Price) and mixed by Noah Georgeson (The Strokes, Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom). “No Fun” serves as Connor’s introduction to the industry as an artist, though as an LA local, she’s already deeply engrossed in the music scene with an experienced network of friends and collaborators. “No Fun” seamlessly blends folk and rock for a sound that simultaneously has elements of southern charm mixed with SoCal breeze. While writing “No Fun” she was listening to George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass,” influenced by the poetic lyrics of singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell and retro production styles of “Wall of Sound” ’60s girl groups and British Invasion bands.
Expanding further on the track, Connor shares “the song came to me the night before I flew to Nashville to record…I threw a piece of paper with some scribbled lyrics in my suitcase and finished writing the song in the studio as we started recording. There’s an added level of excitement and urgency to it because it was so new.”
The music video was directed by Similar But Different (The Chainsmokers), shot by Christopher Ripley (Kendrick Lamar, Phoebe Bridgers, Mac Demarco), edited by Ross Kolton (The Avett Brothers) and styled by Aza Ziegler (whose LA-based fashion line Calle Del Mar is featured on the skater girls in the video).
“The video for ‘No Fun’ was (ironically) a lot of fun to make,” shares Connor. “I filmed it with friends from childhood and college. It was inspired by 1970s film and fashion and explores themes of social anxiety, female empowerment and finding happiness from within.”
“No Fun” will be the first single off Connor’s forthcoming debut album, which will also include duets with Langhorne Slim and Joseph Arthur. To celebrate the release, Connor will perform this Saturday, October 20, at Highland Park Bowl accompanied by her ‘No Fun Band’, with music selections by William Reed and appearances from special guests Pete Molinari, Desure, Albert Hickman, Paige Calico, Kat Myers, Austin Manuel, and Sam Morrow. Admission is free, doors at 8pm, ages 21+.
For more information and concert tickets, visit maraconnor.com.
# # #
MARA CONNOR & LANGHORNE SLIM
SHARE “SOMEONE NEW“
OUT NOW ON SIDE HUSTLE RECORDS
TRACK AND ACCOMPANYING VIDEO PREMIERED VIA
“Southern California singer-songwriter Mara Connor pays tribute to her roots with her delightfully bright debut single,
‘No Fun.’ It’s a promising sign for this newcomer, and all that retro flavor never stops this song from sounding like right now.”
– Rolling Stone
One of the ’12 best up-and-coming bands and artists at SXSW’:
“[Connor] demonstrated poise and a clear voice…”
– Chicago Tribune
No. 1 Favorite Song of 2018:
“Equal parts girl-group pop and ’70s AM radio finery, her buttery voice somewhere between
Allie Crow Buckley
and Lana Del Rey.”
– Buzzbands.la
LA native Mara Connor is excited to share her newest single, a lovelorn duet with Langhorne Slim titled “Someone New.” The single, the second from Mara’s as-yet-unannounced debut album, marks the debut release for Side Hustle Records — hear “Someone New” via all DSPs HERE. The track and its accompanying video debuted viaConsequence of Sound, who said, “Connor and Langhorne take opposite perspectives in the melancholy duet. Where Connor’s character is wrestling with her heartbreak… Langhorne’s is sorrowfully wishing she can find a way to move on.” Those in New York City and Los Angeles will be able to catch Mara on June 8 at The Mercury Lounge(supporting The Pierces) and on August 29 at The Moroccan Lounge, respectively.
HEAR “SOMEONE NEW” & WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
“Someone New” had nothing short of a banner debut weekend. The track was added to four Spotify editorial playlists — Fresh Folk, The Pulse of Americana, New Indie & Alt., and This Is Langhorne Slim. The track also made its radio debut via KCSN, whose Kevin Bronson also called it “a beautiful duet in the great tradition of beautiful duets” via Buzzbands LA.
Mara and Langhorne recorded “Someone New” to tape at the Bomb Shelter in East Nashville with producerAndrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Margo Price). It features some of Nashville’s finest: Jon Estes (guitar, bass, piano),Dave Racine (drums) and Billy Bennett (harmonies). “Someone New” marks the second single from her upcoming debut album.
The “Someone New” music video was co-directed by Mara and her filmmaker mom Kate Connor, edited by Ross Kolton and shot by Schuyler Howie. It takes a behind the scenes look at the genesis of the song and captures the analog recording process at the East Nashville studio.
Mara and Langhorne met briefly at a concert at City Winery in New York. Later that year Mara found herself recording her debut album at the Bomb Shelter in East Nashville, where Langhorne had also coincidentally recorded. After hearing his voice on the radio, singing on NPR’s World Cafe, she knew she wanted him to sing on the duet.
Mara’s first single “No Fun” was lauded by Rolling Stone (as a “Song You Need to Know” and in their “This Week in Music Playlist” along with Neil Young and St. Vincent) and named Buzzbands’ “No. 1 Favorite Song of 2018.” Mara just made her SXSW debut and was called one of the “12 best up-and-coming artists at SXSW” by Greg Kot at theChicago Tribune.
About Side Hustle Records:
Founded in 2019, Side Hustle Records is a digital label comprised of the music industry veterans at Big Hassle Media. Not tied to any one genre or style, but rather to musical artistry in all its forms, everyone at Side Hustle has set their sights on advancing artists’ careers in any way they can. Side Hustle Records is distributed exclusively by The Orchard. Look out for more exciting releases from Side Hustle in the coming months.
MARA CONNOR
LIVE 2019
6/8 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY *
8/29 – Moroccan Lounge – Los Angeles, CA
* – w/ The Pierces
# # #
LA NATIVE SINGER-SONGWRITER
MARA CONNOR
ANNOUNCES WEST COAST TOUR
WITH DEAD HORSES
SINGLES RECEIVE PRAISE FROM ROLLING STONE, CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, KCRW, 405, BUZZBANDS, THE DELI & MORE
STREAM “SOMEONE NEW” FEAT. LANGHORNE SLIM HERE:
https://orcd.co/eo4mp96
STREAM “NO FUN” HERE:
https://ampl.ink/glKzA
“Southern California singer-songwriter Mara Connor pays tribute to her roots with her delightfully bright debut single, ‘No Fun.’ It’s a promising sign for this newcomer, and all that retro flavor never stops this song from sounding like right now.”
– Rolling Stone
One of the’12 best up-and-coming bands and artists at SXSW’:
“[Connor] demonstrated poise and a clear voice…”
– Chicago Tribune
No. 1 Favorite Song of 2018:
“As for the song that landed at No. 1, Mara Connor’s ‘No Fun,’ I thought ‘stone cold classic pop song’ the first time I listened to it. And I thought ‘stone cold classic pop song’ the 100th time I listened to i
– Buzzlands.la
LA native Mara Connor announces new West coast tour dates supporting Dead Horses as well as solo shows in San Francisco and San Luis Obispo. The tour kicks off in Seattle at Sunset Tavern and ends with a homecoming show at The Echo in Los Angeles.
Connor’s new single “Someone New,” a duet with Langhorne Slim, recently surpassed 200K Spotify streams. It was named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Americana and Country Songs To Hear Now” (along with Mavis Staples and Lukas Nelson) and KCRW’s “Today’s Top Tune.”
Her debut single/video “No Fun” also received almost instantaneous praise from tastemakers on all ends of the music industry. Rolling Stone lauded “No Fun” in both their “Song You Need to Know” and “This Week in Music” columns (in good company with St. Vincent, Neil Young, The 1975, and Travis Scott) and Buzzbands named it their “No. 1 Favorite Song of 2018.”
Mara Connor’s live performance is not to be missed. She made her SXSW debut this year and was called one of the “12 best up-and-coming artists at SXSW” by Greg Kot at Chicago Tribune.
MARA CONNOR – WEST COAST TOUR DATES
7/25 – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA*
7/26 – Doug Fir – Portland, OR*
7/27 – Sam Bond’s Garage – Eugene, OR*
7/31 – Sofar Sounds – San Francisco, CA
8/1 – HopMonk – Sebastopol, CA*
8/2 – A Satellite of Love – San Luis Obispo, CA
8/3 – Soda Bar – San Diego, CA*
8/4 – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA*
*Supporting Dead Horses
# # #
MARA CONNOR
SHARES “WILDFIRE”
OUT NOW
ANNOUNCES NO FUN EP
OUT APRIL 3
ON SIDE HUSTLE RECORDS
“WILDFIRE” TRACK AND ACCOMPANYING VIDEO PREMIERED VIA
“Southern California singer-songwriter Mara Connor pays tribute to her roots with her delightfully bright debut single, ‘No Fun.’ It’s a promising sign for this newcomer, and all that retro flavor never stops this song from sounding like right now.”
One of the ’12 best up-and-coming bands and artists at SXSW’: “[Connor] demonstrated poise and a clear voice…”
No. 1 Favorite Song of The Year: “Equal parts girl-group pop and ’70s AM radio finery, her buttery voice somewhere between Allie Crow Buckley and Lana Del Rey.”
LA native Mara Connor shares a red-hot new single “Wildfire” along with a twisted 1960s-inspired music video. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Connor’s directorial debut is a romance-gone-wrong with a surprising co-star, featuring iconic vintage wardrobe.
“Wildfire” is out now on all DSPs, one of four sizzling tracks from her debut EP, No Fun, due out April 3 via Side Hustle Records, the brand new bicoastal label run by the music industry veterans at Big Hassle Media. An EP release party is announced for April 18 at Zebulon in Los Angeles, CA – event info can be found here.
American Songwriter, who debuted “Wildfire,” says, “Mara Connor Blossoms on New Single ‘Wildfire,'” adding, “Somewhere between a mod balladeer and an indie folk goddess…’Wildfire’ lets Connor shine brighter, revealing something sultry, something country, and something uniquely hers.”
The classic folk-rock song was recorded at WAX LTD (formerly LA’s historic TTG Studios, where legends like The Velvet Underground, Linda Ronstadt and Jimi Hendrix recorded). Mara enlisted the help of her friend Adrian Simon (son of Paul Simon & Edie Brickell) to produce. Drenched in the sound and spirit of Southern California, “Wildfire” features jangly 12-string electric guitar and giant “Wall of Sound” harmonies. Connor and Simon called on drummer friend Andrew Marshall (Billie Eilish’s drummer) and other LA musician friends to play on the track.
“Wildfire” was inspired by a windy night in Mara’s hometown of Los Angeles. The infamous Santa Ana winds (referred to as the “Devil Winds” in the song) were tearing up the city. Mara fell asleep listening to Jonathan Wilson’s “Gentle Spirit.” Connor recalls “As the record ended, I woke up, picked up my guitar and the song ‘Wildfire’ came to me, fully formed…I like to think that the winds brought it to me.”
Led by an all-female team, the retro-inspired “Wildfire” music video was co-directed by Mara and her filmmaker mom Kate Connor (Fort McCoy starring Eric Stoltz) and shot by Cristina Dunlap (Lizzo, Brandi Carlile). The video follows a fashionable (albeit deranged) young woman on a romantic escapade with her new beau, who is revealed to be a mannequin (a la Lars and the Real Girl in reverse).
Mara’s co-star proved to be a “diva” onset, as it took a team of four female crew members armed with special wrenches to adjust the mannequin’s every move. He fell apart in the swan boat, his lower half almost plunging to the bottom of the lake as Mara fought to keep him “together” until his handlers rushed to the rescue via pedal boat.
Connor arrived on the scene with her first single “No Fun,” which was lauded by Rolling Stone (as a “Song You Need to Know“ and in their “This Week in Music” playlist along with Neil Young and St. Vincent) and named Buzzbands‘ “No. 1 Favorite Song of 2018.” Her follow-up single “Someone New,” a duet featuring Langhorne Slim, debuted via Consequence of Sound and was also named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now” (along with Mavis Staples and Lukas Nelson). She made her SXSW debut last year and was called one of the “12 best up-and-coming artists at SXSW” by Greg Kot at the Chicago Tribune.
WATCH & SHARE: Mara Connor – “Wildfire”
WATCH & SHARE: Mara Connor & Langhorne Slim – “Someone New”
WATCH & SHARE: Mara Connor – “No Fun”
MARA CONNOR 2020 TOUR DATES
4/18 – Zebulon (EP Release Show) – Los Angeles, CA
About Side Hustle Records:
Founded in 2019, Side Hustle Records is a digital label comprised of the music industry veterans at Big Hassle Media. Not tied to any one genre or style, but rather to musical artistry in all its forms, everyone at Side Hustle has set their sights on advancing artists’ careers in any way they can. Side Hustle Records is distributed exclusively by The Orchard. Look out for more exciting releases from Side Hustle in the coming months.
NO FUN TRACKLISTING
1. No Fun
2. Wildfire
3. Soldier Heart
4. Yellow Eyes (Rayland Baxter cover)
MARA CONNOR
SHARES NO FUN EP
OUT NOW
ON SIDE HUSTLE RECORDS
Artwork by Maddie Freeman
“Southern California singer-songwriter Mara Connor pays tribute to her roots with her delightfully bright debut single, ‘No Fun.’ It’s a promising sign for this newcomer, and all that retro flavor never stops this song from sounding like right now.”
One of the ’12 best up-and-coming bands and artists at SXSW’: “[Connor] demonstrated poise and a clear voice…”
No. 1 Favorite Song of The Year: “Equal parts girl-group pop and ’70s AM radio finery, her buttery voice somewhere between Allie Crow Buckley and Lana Del Rey.”
Photo credit: Bea Helman
WATCH & SHARE: Mara Connor – “Wildfire“
WATCH & SHARE: Mara Connor & Langhorne Slim – “Someone New“
WATCH & SHARE: Mara Connor – “No Fun“
LA-native Mara Connor shares her debut EP today via Side Hustle Records, who is celebrating their very first EP release today, too. Find the EP on the platform of your choice HERE.
Much of title track “No Fun” was recorded to tape in East Nashville at the Bomb Shelter with Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Margo Price) with additional recording at Hollywood’s TTG Studios (where legends like Neil Young and The Velvet Underground & Nico recorded) with her good friend Adrian Simon (son of Paul Simon & Edie Brickell) and drummer Andrew Marshall (Billie Eilish’s drummer). The EP’s title track was mixed by Noah Georgeson (The Strokes, Devendra Banhart) and the others were mixed by Sean O’Brien (The National). No Fun includes three original songs (“No Fun,” “Wildfire” and “Soldier Heart”) and one cover (Rayland Baxter’s “Yellow Eyes”). Connor’s LA roots shine through her songs, which are drenched in the sound and spirit of Southern California and harken back to a bygone era of music.
While this is Mara’s debut EP, she already made a splash with her first single (and comically droll companion video) “No Fun,” which was lauded by Rolling Stone (as a “Song You Need to Know” and playlisted with Neil Young and St. Vincent) and named Buzzbands’ No. 1 Favorite Song of The Year. Her follow-up duet with Langhorne Slim, “Someone New,” premiered via Consequence of Sound, and was named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now” (along with Lukas Nelson and Mavis Staples) and has 440k Spotify streams. Her third single “Wildfire” got a lot of love from American Songwriter, who deemed her an “indie folk goddess.” The twisted, ’60s-inspired “Wildfire” video now seems eerily prophetic (in it, Mara can be seen “socially distancing” while dating a mannequin, playing to an empty theater and losing her mind in self-isolation). She made her SXSW debut last year and was called one of the “12 Best Up-and-Coming Artists at SXSW” (along with Yola) by Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune.
Sharing her thoughts on releasing an EP in the time of coronavirus, Connor says:
“No Fun turned out to be an apt title for this collection of songs, as they enter the world in the midst of a devastating global pandemic. I hope everyone reading this is somewhere safe with loved ones. These are dark and unsettling times. May music bring you a little comfort and respite from all the chaos and uncertainty. My song ‘Soldier Heart’ is about resilience…the chorus is a rallying cry of inner strength: ‘I don’t need to fall apart, I’m the owner of a soldier heart. Built for battle from the start, I’m the owner of a soldier heart.’ I dedicate this to all the warriors on the frontlines, medical professionals, grocery store clerks, postal workers and everyone risking their lives to keep us safe. You are heroes. Thank you.”
Photo credit: Bea Helman
NO FUN TRACKLISTING
1. No Fun
2. Wildfire
3. Soldier Heart
4. Yellow Eyes (Rayland Baxter cover)
###
MARA CONNOR ANNOUNCES
NO FUN EP VIRTUAL RELEASE SHOW (QUARANTINE EDITION)
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS SAM OUTLAW,
DESURE, CALE TYSON & MORE
TO BE STREAMED LIVE THIS SATURDAY, APRIL 25 AT 7PM PST
ON LOS ANGELES VENUE ZEBULON’S INSTAGRAM
Artwork by Maddie Freeman
“Southern California singer-songwriter Mara Connor pays tribute to her roots with her delightfully bright debut single, ‘No Fun.’ It’s a promising sign for this newcomer, and all that retro flavor never stops this song from sounding like right now.”
One of the ’12 best up-and-coming bands and artists at SXSW’: “[Connor] demonstrated poise and a clear voice…”
“Somewhere between a mod balladeer and an indie folk goddess…’Wildfire’ lets Connor shine brighter, revealing something sultry, something country, and something uniquely hers.”
LA-native Mara Connor was set to play SXSW and celebrate her new No Fun EP with a release show at beloved Los Angeles venue Zebulon. In light of the pandemic, the festival was cancelled and the release show postponed.
Instead, Mara and her booking team at Ground Control Touring will present a virtual release show “quarantine style” this Saturday, April 25, on Zebulon’s Instagram Live, featuring special guests Sam Outlaw, Desure, Cale Tyson, Ryan Pollie and more (friends of Mara’s joining from their respective bedrooms and basements across the country). The show is free, but donations are encouraged to Zebulon’s GoFundMe to support the venue and their staff in these trying times.
Details:
Sat. 4/25 at 7 PM PT on Zebulon’s Instagram Live @ZebulonLA
Mara Connor No Fun EP Release Show – Quarantine Edition
Donations to support Zebulon can be made via GoFundMe
Mara’s first single “No Fun” was lauded by Rolling Stone (as a “Song You Need to Know” and playlisted with Neil Young and St. Vincent) and named Buzzbands’ No. 1 Favorite Song of The Year. Her follow-up duet with Langhorne Slim, “Someone New,” premiered via Consequence of Sound, and was named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now” (along with Lukas Nelson and Mavis Staples) and has over 450k Spotify streams. Her third single “Wildfire” got love from American Songwriter, who deemed her an “indie folk goddess.” She made her SXSW debut last year and was called one of the “12 Best Up-and-Coming Artists at SXSW” (along with Yola) by Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune.
Photo credit: Bea Helman
WATCH & SHARE:
Mara Connor – “Wildfire“
Mara Connor & Langhorne Slim – “Someone New“
Mara Connor – “No Fun“
NO FUN TRACKLISTING
1. No Fun
2. Wildfire
3. Soldier Heart
4. Yellow Eyes (Rayland Baxter cover)
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Beatrice Helman
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Maddie Freeman
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