Hot Property: Connell Cruise
Connell Cruise has a smile to brighten even the darkest day, oozes buckets full of charm and is talented as hell. He is an accomplished musician and writes lyrics that are both enigmatic and catchy.
courtesy of www.connellcruise.com Born into an immensely musical family the Johannesburg native had been exposed to music from a very early age. His grandmother, who is a well- known performer in Spain, had him commence classical piano training on his fourth birthday. Years of practice and hard work would see Connell obtain a qualification from Trinity College, London. After a stint on Season 6 of Idols South Africa Connell was discovered locally by David Gresham Records. He released his South African debut in 2013 and received three SAMA nominations in 2014. It was also during the early stages of 2014 that his haunting cover of Avicii’s 'Wake Me Up' landed him the #1 spot on the SA iTunes charts. During a social media craze in April 2014 surrounding the iTunes release of his single 'Into the Wild' Connell caught the attention of global label Island Records, to which he is now signed. We had the opportunity to catch up with this prodigious musician and talk about everything from his music to his move to NYC. What was it like working alongside big names like John Ryan, Teddy Geiger and James Shelley? Did you ever feel overwhelmed by the whole experience? The guys were really great about making the writing process as fun and smooth as possible, they’ve got a world of experience that I’m only just staring to tap into. It was an awesome time. You were born into a very musical family. How instrumental do you feel this early exposure to music has been in your success as an artist? It’s absolutely essential. Music and the love of it is contagious but the journey has to start somewhere, my family started my journey. You now call New York City home. What did you have the greatest difficulty with leaving behind in South Africa? My family, and being able to see them every day. When listening to your music it becomes evident that you are a true romantic at heart. Do you find that girls are more interested in you now that you have achieved some sort of celebrity status? Haha, I couldn’t tell you. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt my chances though. Your cover of Avicii's 'Wake Me Up' is one of my all-time favorites and reached the #1 spot on the South African iTunes charts. Did you expect the song to do this well or did it come as a welcome surprise? It’s always a welcome surprise. We were all blown away by how everyone got behind the cover, that was an awesome moment. The manner in which you combine mind-blowing instrumental riffs with meaningfull lyrics is something of a phenomenon. Is there an extensive thought process that goes into every song or do you primarily rely on your heart and your gut to guide you? It starts with the heart, and instinct plays a big role for sure but the crafting aspect of turning an idea into a song that people would be able to listen to requires hours of back-and-forth editing and fine tuning. 'Into the Wild' has all the makings of a Proudly South African power-anthem with its African-inspired drumbeats and powerful background vocals. Is there a specific message you wanted to relay to listeners with this song? That’s so cool of you to say, thank you! I love the song, for me it’s about embracing the wild nature of life and how unpredictable it can be. Just make the most of it and enjoy every minute. You are stuck in an elevator for 8 hours. Who do you choose to share your space with? Anyone with food and a guitar is welcome, we’ll turn it into a party.
