Canadian artist John Conlin recently released his 80s-inspired single “It Doesn’t Matter”. Conlin moved to Los Angeles from his hometown, Toronto, to pursue music. His musical influence stems greatly from the massive pop overtaking of the early 2010s,
The artist recently talked to ai love music via email about the song’s meaning and what was it like to make it. He also talked about the music video and what it is all about. What kind of homage does the music video pay? Find out by reading on! Also, check out the song and let me know in the comments what is your favorite thing about the tune!
How did you get into music? What has that journey been like since then?
I’ve always had such a strong love for music. I began playing piano at a very young age (3 or 4 years old). I was always learning how to play all sorts of classic music and eventually when I was in my early teens, I just began noodling around on the keys and creating my own melodies.
I’d always get such a magical feeling that rushed over me whenever I felt like I was creating something new. As soon as I started creating these melodies, I’d start singing random gibberish to them and before I knew it, that gibberish got replaced by real words and lyrics. My writing process is still based on that today. I create melodies in my head and then sing them to myself over and over until I start to put together lyrics.
I spent years honing my craft and trying to discover my sound. I always loved pop music so naturally, I gravitated towards creating that. There’s this indescribable feeling of euphoria that I get whenever I hear a perfectly crafted pop song: the massively catchy chorus, the bassline, the glossy and shiny production. That’s what I strive for when I create today…that intense, surreal feeling.
Which artists and genres inspire your music?
I’m inspired by two distinct eras pop of music. The first one is the 80’s. There’s something so iconic about the synth sounds, the melodies, and the massive choruses that never fails to put me in the best mood possible. The other era I gravitate towards is the late 2000’s/early 2010s electropop renaissance. I’m obsessed with how big and shiny everything sounds and just how much dance music infiltrated the mainstream. Obviously, my favorite artists come from both eras.
I’m a pretty huge fan of Madonna, Prince, Lady Gaga, Queen, Rihanna, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Duran Duran. I’ve always loved artists that create big, maximal sounding music with massive hooks and these artists absolutely embody that.
How has 2022 been so far? Are there any goals you are working on for your music?
2022 has been incredible so far! I’m so happy that “It Doesn’t Matter” is released. It’s one of my favorite songs that I’ve written and it feels amazing to have it finally have it out and to have people saying how much it makes them just wanna get up and dance. I’m working on finishing up some more music! I spent a lot of time writing music during the pandemic and I almost have an entire album’s worth of music done. I can’t wait to put out each song and unveil more of my art.
Let’s talk about your newly released single “It Doesn’t Matter”. What is it about? What inspired you to write this track?
“It Doesn’t Matter” is all about throwing any worries or concerns you have with your loved one out the window and simply enjoying them right here, right now. It’s about having confidence and trust in each other and knowing that you’re both going to be okay at the end of the day because you love each other that deeply. Funny enough, I was kind of inspired by early 2010’s rom coms. You know how the guy always does something to break the girl’s trust about ¾ of the way through, but then they always get back together and everything is alright in the end…that’s the vibe I was trying to emulate with this track.
What was the production like? What was it like being in the studio, recording this track?
I co-produced this song with my producer, Olle Romo, over zoom. We started working together during the height of the pandemic. I’d bring in songs and then we’d bounce production ideas back and forth. It was so fun to surround my original demo to “It Doesn’t Matter” with massive synths, a kicking beat, that syncopated bassline, and tons and tons of vocal stacks. I love arranging and recording harmonies in the studio; it’s one of my favorite things to do as an artist. Having a dozen vocal layers just adds so much depth and emotion to the production and plays up the maximalist aesthetic that I always go for in my music.
When writing this song, what was the important element you wanted to highlight?
Lyrically, I wanted to highlight that feeling of adoration you have for someone that’s so strong that the rest of the world seems to fade into the background. “I’m looking for an escape from drama to your embrace, tomorrow let’s fight, but just for tonight, it doesn’t matter”. There’s such a whimsy, and almost innocence to having a love like that and I wanted to capture that with my lyrics.
Let’s talk about the music video? What is it about and what kind of message do you want to tell?
The video is an homage to the visual effects of the mid-2000s. I always loved listening to music on my computer while watching iTunes visualizer. I wanted the animation and effects from the video to reflect that and also act as a reflection of the song’s production. “It Doesn’t Matter” is such a big, “I love you so much I wanna scream it from the rooftops” type of song, so I wanted the visuals to mirror that. The different flashes of light line up with the beat and the pulsating synths and I’m super glad about how it turned out.
What do you want listeners to listen for in this track?
I just want people to listen and enjoy themselves. The world’s been a chaotic place the last few years, and this is such a carefree song that I hope people can just get up and dance to it! “It Doesn’t Matter” gives me a feeling of euphoria and I hope that it also does that to whoever listens.
Any future plans?
Yes! I’ve got tons of music in the pipeline that I cannot wait to share! I spent so much time during the pandemic working on my sound as an artist and I’ve definitely found it. I’m also planning on doing some shows soon! It’s kind of weird returning to outdoor life, but I’m super excited to get back out there and take on the world.
