A new sound described as "Americana vanilla folk" can be heard on the streets of Auburn as John and the Conners enters the music scene.
Friends Travis Widner, vocals and lead guitar; Chris Williams, guitar and vocals; Tyler Wallace, drums; Andy Cox, banjo and tambourine; and Jordan Walker on bass guitar, have been playing together as a full unit for about a year.
The band has played at several venues in the Auburn area including The Irish Bred Pub, 17/16, The Olde Auburn Ale House, Max's in Phenix City and various fraternity houses.
"I consider Auburn our home," Williams said. "Ever since Travis and I did an open mic night here, they started giving us shows. We used to play a lot at the Bred Pub, and we've done a lot of shows out of town."
The band has even played at the Montgomery Zoo.
"It was one of the coolest things I've ever done," Williams said. "It was a blast."
The members pride themselves on creating original music with lyrics stemming from personal experiences.
"We've kind of nailed our sound down; all we really do is originals," Williams said. "We're not gonna be at Skybar playing 'Last Dance with Mary Jane' or 'Wagon Wheel.'"
The roots of John and the Conners were planted in San Francisco when Williams began writing songs. After leaving the Golden Gate City for the Plains, Williams paired up with Widner, and the duo began crafting lyrics.
"We wrote songs for about a year," Williams said. "Then we started doing shows and decided, "Why not make a band?'"
Soon after Williams and Widner collaborated, the two guitarists added Wallace and Walker to their musical duo. Then Cox joined the group to establish "the Conners sound."
"One day I decided to pick up a banjo, and it was then that we started making some really classic Conners songs," Cox said.
The Conners draw inspiration from other musicians. Artists that inspire the band include Ryan Adams, The Eagles, Wilco and The Avett Brothers.
"I guess as you grow up your music tastes change, and I feel like now we're more of a folk/alternative genre," Williams said.
Local radio stations, including WEGL, are beginning to play the Conners' melodies, and their album is expected to be released within the week.
"Our album is being made up in Nashville," Wallace said. "We just started fine tuning."
The band is excited about what the future may hold.
"We're gonna try and be out there playing every week this fall," Williams said. "This is what we want to do. I can't think of a better time than coming up here and playing music--that's what drives me."
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