By: Sarah Akomanyi
Hailing from the town of Great Yarmouth in the UK, Connor Mullally-Knight (known as Mullally to listeners) picked up the guitar and started recording music with his three best friends all before he reached the age of 18. This is where his musical venture began. If Mullally was going to further purse his passion of music, he would have to study Artist Development at the Access to Music College, which is exactly what he did.
When it comes to education, there are many aspects that we take away and some that didn’t quite stick with us. If the important parts make a difference to your future in one way or another, it starts with you; “you got to focus on you,” Mullally said. Finishing his college courses, Mullally realized that being able to “spend time on yourself” was also important to his career. Self care is important, no matter who you are.
“If you aren’t getting it right, there’s a reason,” Mullally said. “Access to Music taught me to spend as much time as possible getting it right.”
Before attending college, Mullally joked “Ed Sheeran is very much to blame for my musical journey.” Feeling inspired by Sheeran as an individual and musician after watching YouTube videos of Sheeran creating “a “whole track from just his guitar and a loop pedal,” the idea of turning a dream into a reality had just begun for Mullally.
“I watched him and thought, ‘that looks like something I would love to do,'” Mullally said.
After years of perseverance, determination and the support of big names including Radio 1, 1Xtra, MTV, SBTV, Mullally added his name to the list of artists that have worked with renowned producers like DarkChild (Michael Jackson, Sam Smith) and Danny Parker (Shawn Mendes, Nick Jonas). Additionally, other producers that hold a special place in the heart of Mullally include Cool & Dre (DJ Khaled, Beyoncé, Jay Z) and Two Inch Punch (Sam Smith, Rag n Bone Man).
“I come from a very small town in a very small place and I never thought in a million years that Cool & Dre would not only become people I work with, but also people I consider friends,” Mullally said. “When the people applying the pressure are also supportive and friendly; the diamonds are especially beautiful.”
Getting to work with producers like Cool & Dre allowed Mullally to “be pushed and challenged to become better.” Following this, when Mullally first signed to Atlantic Records and recorded at Abbey Road, he described it as being “pretty mind-blowing.” Another memorable moment was when he played his last headline show, as he “didn’t need to sing any words because the crowd knew them all.” This must have been a proud moment.
“I definitely almost ever so slightly nearly cried at that,” Mullally said.
It is understandable that anyone who gets the privilege to work with some of the biggest names in the music industry, like Ariana Grande, Michael Jackson and Sam Smith would be eternally proud. When it comes to the artist themselves, the music they grew up listening to ended up playing a large part in the music they make now or just their overall stage presence.
“The Red Hot Chili Peppers 100% had a huge effect on my presence on stage,” Mullally expressed. “I think engagement and performance are two of the most vital skills to making a gig memorable for the audience.”
Other than the artists Mullally grew up listening to, the idea of forming the “deep feeling with music” is all he had ever wanted to achieve. He also wanted to “make a life that I would be proud to look back on. Either way, both reasons are pretty deeply rooted.”
“Something that will never leave me is the influence of soul music,” Mullally said. “I taught myself to sing by listening to Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Al Green [and more]. There’s something about the delivery of soul music and vocals that really connects with me and the way I express myself musically.”
Growing up listening to these legendary artists has allowed Mullally to see what it means to have both stage presence and a connection with his audience. Mullally headed out on a acoustic UK tour in April 2019 after the release of his latest single “Think About You” which came from “having gone through the emotional ups and downs of life at the time.” Getting to work with writer Josh Thompson on this track, Mullally found that Thompson had “a real knack for getting me to open up and write some really authentic material.”
“It was really more of a therapy session than a studio session,” Mullally explained.
If you get to see Mullally live, what you will witness is “soul soul soul.” Although he has shared stages with artists such as Jess Glyne and Ann Marie he “[misses]playing guitar and being able to look in the crowd’s eyes. Intimacy and freestyle; that’s what I’m going for.”
“I would love it if one day a young kid supported me on tour and thought I was as professional and talented as I thought those guys were,” Mullally said.
As new artists emerge onto the scene, it can be hard to keep up with what’s new. Mullally recommended his favorite artists currently: Jevon, Kojey Radical, Mahalia and Col3trane are the ones to watch, “the next generation are forming to be something special.” Knowing that music was the path that he wanted to pursue from a young age, music plays a special place in Mullally’s heart.
“Emotion is almost everything in music,” Mullally said. “It’s the reason why you can listen to someone from a different hemisphere sing in a totally different language and still understand the emotion they’re trying to present.”
The first show that Mullally ever played at was either his friend’s Tyla’s birthday party.
“Me and my band had never played, and we basically hijacked the whole party,” Mullally recalled. “It went down well, thankfully. The difference between those shows and when I play now is just confidence. You learn how to enjoy the nerves and use the anticipation.”
Although music is what he loves doing, when Mullally has time to spare, fishing and sports is what takes up the rest of his free time. He said he is a “country boy” at heart, “so being outside and being with nature is my thing.” Doing these activities “gives my head space to think, which in turn gives me room to become inspired.” Additionally, he loves sports for the same reasons, too.
Even though Mullally spends his free time fishing and playing sports, there will be “lots of music” to come over the months. His plan for the rest of this year is to “drop as much music as possible and get my name as far as I can.”
“Hopefully I can make a dent,” he said.
