UK troubadour Connor Selby has a brand-new single out, ‘Someone’, available on Provogue Records alongside an accompanying lyric video.
Selby’s first new music since 2023’s self-titled album – a Mojo Album of the Year – that put his heartfelt and emotional songwriting at centre stage and saw him to perform at Wembley Stadium in support of The Who and at Hyde Park, sharing the stage with Pearl Jam, Stereophonics, plus performing at venues such as the London Palladium.
When you wear your heart on your sleeve and can only live by openness and honesty, you’ll likely get burned in relationships and life. Sometimes, Selby feels like an outsider, looking in on the world. “I’ve always felt that feeling of not necessarily being able to live up to people’s expectations,” he confessed. This has become a hurdle that he has had to overcome throughout his life.
“In terms of my music, it is a theme that’s been consistent in my songs, going back to my first album,” the multi-award-winning musician added. He burst into the wider world’s attention when he released his Provogue Records debut, Connor Selby, that’s already clocked up 2 million streams. It also received support from BBC Radio 2’s Cerys Matthews.
Authenticity and truth are woven throughout his music. As a child, he moved between the UK, US, and UAE before settling in his birthplace in Essex. He has always had a burning passion for the authentic rootsy music of the US – It was one of the few constants. This passion seeps into his very existence.
Authentic, roots-based voices have penetrated the mainstream in recent years. From the soulful yearns of early Leon Bridges to the groove of Gary Clark Jr. to the booming voice of Jacob Banks to the raw and haunting delivery of Ray LaMontagne to the earthy tones of Rag ‘n Bone Man, those voices cut through, and they stand out. They make you take notice because they don’t sound like everyone else.
Selby’s voice echoes these trailblazers, enveloping his music with emotional integrity. He delves deep into his soul, all the way down into his core and the feeling of belonging. “My songs are about my feelings of being in the world and not really feeling like I belong,” he explained.
The heart-fluttering groove of ‘Someone’ is a moment of sunshine through the dark clouds, and he sees Selby in full bandleader mode. You’re drawn in when he sings, “When there’s someone you can speak your mind without a care when there is someone that really cares about you.” Guitar solos dance, the Hammond organs swirl, and the horn section and backing vocalists wrap up the whole song in a stirring elegance that could have come from the Stax catalogue. The song captures the euphoric feeling of meeting someone who really understands you and ‘who accepts you for who you are.’ This is hugely important for Connor and his journey to finally find that, Someone, who gets him.
“‘Someone’ is about celebrating the joy of finding a genuine connection with a person who really understands you,” he said. “It’s about how love can help you weather the bad times in life and find peace and acceptance within yourself.”
His expressive playing led him to be featured alongside a host of superstars on Dire Straits legend Mark Knopfler’s 2024 charity single, ‘Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)’, featuring the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Slash, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Sam Fender, Tom Morello, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Nile Rogers, Roger Daltrey, and Ronnie Wood.
No stranger to touring, he has already clocked up thousands of miles across Europe and played the biggest stages in the UK, from supporting The Who at Wembley Stadium to a Hyde Park Festival alongside the likes of Pearl Jam and Stereophonics and opened for powerhouse singer Beth Hart at the iconic London Palladium along with other dates on her March 2024 UK tour. He was the only artist to support the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band on his April Trouble Is 25th Anniversary UK tour. He’s played shows with soul Icon P.P. Arnold at the world-famous Jazz Cafe and Betty LaVette at the prestigious Cadogan Hall, London, toured with Robert Cray and produced a standout performance at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
CONNOR SELBY UK TOUR DATES
24th April – Deer Barn, Burton
25th April – Going up the country Blues Club, North Wales – solo
26th April – The Star, Guildford
10th May – The Arc, Winchester
17th May – Basingstoke Blues Club, Basingstoke
6th June – Crazy Coqs, London
12th June – Forest Arts Centre, New Milton
13th June – The Bear Club, Luton
21st June – Holland International Blues Festival
25th June – Bourne To Blues, Kent
11th July – Burton Agnes Jazz and Blues Festival
20th July – Westival, Aldershot
27th July – Brezoi Open Air Festival, Romania
30th July – New Haven Club, Oxford
1st August – Northern Kin Festival
2nd August – Cousley Woodstock, Tunbridge Wells
20th August – Hangar Farm, Southhampton
21st August – Eel Pie Club, Twickenem
29th August – Blues in Hell, Norway
12th September – The Old Riverport Blues, St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Connor Selby Shows – Tickets are available from here.
