Seattle based pop singer-songwriter & producer CANNXN recently released the debut EP ‘Will I Always Feel This Way?’, which features three singles “Will I Always Feel This Way”, “Lonely In The Morning”, “Nightmare (Demo)”.
Written by CANNXN and produced, mixed, and mastered by CANNXN and Tyler Mays, the project serves as an outlet for the loneliness and uncertainty that comes with anxiety, and mixes CANNXN’s pop-punk influences with analog synth elements for a more modern sound.
CANNXN has kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution about her debut EP, along with getting to know more from the person behind the music. Check out what she said below.
Hey CANNXN, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by telling the readers a little bit about yourself?
CANNXN: My name is Megan Cannon, and I am a songwriter from the Seattle area. I’m 19 years old, a Gemini, and a lover of all things sparkly. I have too much creative energy and am constantly making new music and art whenever I can.
When did you first discover your passion for music?
CANNXN: I think I first really discovered my passion after I went to my first concert. In 2014, I went to go see Taylor Swift’s Red Tour live, and that really shifted my perspective. The way she built an entire live production around the album and lyrical content were really interesting to me, and since that show, I took a heavy interest in songwriting, and I think that is when I became truly passionate about music.
Have you always known that you wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?
CANNXN: Deep down, yes, I think it has just been a journey of finding the confidence to admit to myself and others that music is what I want to pursue. I think there’s a lot of judgement to straying the path of going to college right after high school (at least where I grew up), and it took me a while to come to terms with that the “typical” path wasn’t for me. The thought of pursuing anything else genuinely doesn’t feel right and has a claustrophobic feeling (which is what Will I Always Feel This Way? is about).
How would you describe your musical style to someone unfamiliar with your music?
CANNXN: I would say my music at its heart is pop, but it definitely has some heavy alternative influences. I grew up listening to a lot of pop-punk artists, and whether I intend to incorporate elements from that style or not, it definitely finds its way into my writing. I call glitter grunge sometimes because it’s definitely a mix of a lot of clashing elements at times and I think that’s a good way to describe it.
You have just released your debut EP ‘Will I Always Feel This Way?’. How did to create this EP come together?
CANNXN: I was going to cosmetology school for the past two years or so, and during the time I was about three-quarters of the way done I started getting really bad panic attacks because between work and school I felt like I had no time to work on music. I was never really passionate about doing hair, and I was just in a weird spot where I felt like everybody around me was doing what they loved and I was forever destined to settle. I didn’t really have any way of coping with that and it felt that no matter how hard I tried to explain it, nobody really understood how I felt, and I just wrote a bunch of music about the feeling to cope.
What are some of the main influences behind the songs included on the EP?
CANNXN: I listened to the Wrecks a lot! I love the way Nick Anderson goes about lyric writing and tells a story, and I think I took a lot of inspiration from that. Production-wise I really loved Deal Casino, Mothica, and PVRIS during this time. While they are all very different from what I make, I definitely took inspiration from the elements within the tracks, even if just guitar tone.
If listeners could take something away from this EP, what would you like it to be?
CANNXN: That the feeling of hopelessness fades with time. While I think it never really goes away, it’s important to look at the bigger picture and recognize that you’re trying your best, even if it’s only a little bit each day.
What does this EP personally mean to you?
CANNXN: I think for me it serves as a reminder that everything is temporary. The feelings I wrote about were some of the lowest places I’ve ever been mentally and it serves as a reminder that I can come back from that. Aside from the mental health journey aspect of it, I am also quite proud of the production work and I feel like it is the first time I have felt confident in my abilities as a producer.
What are some of the things you enjoy doing in your spare time?
CANNXN: As of lately, I LOVE making jewellery. I recently discovered how easy it is to make chokers and earrings and I have gone off the walls insane making things. I also am a big fan of customizing clothing lately too, so I’ve been buying a bunch of stuff from goodwill and drawing all over it with fabric pens, dying things, and sewing attachments and such. It’s been fun and makes for a nice lil break from producing.
If you could perform a duet with anyone on the planet, who would you choose & why?
CANNXN: Definitely John O’Callaghan from the Maine! I am in love with his voice and I think writing a more chilled back song (like their track Raining in Paris) would be super cool and is for sure a dream of mine. The Maine have been one of my favourite bands for so long it would really be a full-circle moment.
What three words best describe you?
CANNXN: Dramatic, creative, and passionate.
If you could possess one superpower, what would you choose & why?
CANNXN: I would choose teleportation. There are so many interesting places that I would love to visit, and I think if I could magically appear anywhere I wanted to, that would be SICK.
What advice would you offer to someone who was looking to pursue a career within the music industry?
CANNXN: Be genuine. At its heart, your music should be the purest representation of you, and what you are most proud of. There’s no point in having a music career if you’re disingenuous the whole time, and even if it does create more short-term success, you are more likely to burn out and not feel as fulfilled. Soul fulfilment should be the root of everything you do.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
CANNXN: Tell someone you love them!! Life is short and saying how you feel is important. Also, feel free to connect with me via @cannxnmusic everywhere. I love meeting new people.
You cna check out the full EP on Spotify below.
CANNXN: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 