Connor Fox – Album Release Show
The Hypochondriacs guitarist, Connor Fox will be fronting his own band at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre on February 29th, in support of his debut release, Music Room. A show that the young guitarist was quick to observe, ‘could only happen once every four years’.
Forming into words, some worthy points of praise to illuminate the unique talents of this young slinger can be a humbling exercise. In the search for the colorful verbiage that does him proper justice, the praise tends to careen off into embarrassingly gushy territory. However, make no mistake, it’s all true.
As a musician Fox comes armed with a lot of tools in his belt–yes, he has the ability to shred with the best of them, but also, when needed, he can maturely shift to playing in the moment, giving whatever is required of him. His seasoned tastes and sense of subtlety betray someone of only 23 years of age, but Connor comes across as wise, both in his demeanor and his guitar playing, which he has been doing since he was old enough to hold one. Stylistically, whether it’s capturing the fire and passion of a Stevie Ray Vaughn solo or the nuanced, creative impulses of Jerry Garcia, his two primary influences, Connor is a force.
Since 2019, Connor has been developing his chops as lead guitarist for one of the Maritimes favourite live bands, The Hypochondriacs.
This opportunity has not only given Connor the chance to hone his craft, but also play major stages as close to home as Fredericton’s Harvest Music Festival, and as fabled as Austin’s SXSW. It also allowed him to ride shotgun during their songwriting process. It’s safe to say that he took a lot of notes, because this fall marked the release of Connor’s solo debut—the album we celebrate on Feb 29th.
While remaining a member of The Hypochondriacs, but taking advantage of some downtime, Connor earnestly began working on the material that would make up Music Room; a set of songs that would represent his creativity as a songwriter up until the present, some of the material dating back to when he was first learning the instrument.
‘I really went into this with little, or no, expectations–I just wanted to get those songs out there, and get the ball rolling,’ added Connor.
Music Room is a sprawling 10 song effort, which throws light toward his wide range of influences and styles, but what has many people talking, is the strength of Connor’s vocals. He not only performs and produces the tracks that make up the album, he confidently delivers vocals to the effort as well.
