Everything You Wanted to Know About +11 Hours Singer-Songwriter Conor Maynard
It's been more than a decade since Conor Maynard released his No. 1 debut album, Contrast, and with his big return in the form of +11 Hours, it feels like he never left.
The new self-released mini-album dropped on Friday, June 9, showcasing Conor at his most vulnerable and confessional, with both his songwriting and smooth vocals honed to perfection. It's his first full-length project of original music since Contrast, with all 10 tracks inspired by a single heartrending breakup. In fact, the title, +11 Hours, comes from the time difference between Conor in London and his ex in Sydney, Australia. Conor's epic comeback is just getting started, and we had the pleasure of hopping on the phone with him to learn all about what makes him tick. Keep reading to discover everything he shared with us as our latest Man Crush Monday.
(Photo credit: Lee Malone)
Name: Conor Paul Maynard
Hometown: Brighton, England
Birthday: November 21
1. One of the last songs Conor had stuck in his head was "Sundown" by Nic
"It's kind of new, but it's doing quite well on TikTok right now, and it's such a good song. He's a friend of mine as well, so it's like a double whammy of goodness."
-Conor Maynard
2. He always does his best to widen his vocabulary and not use the same words all the time, but he admits to using "basically" and "literally" quite a lot.
"American friends always mock me for how I'd say the word 'literally.'"
-Conor Maynard
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About Fuerza Regida Singer-Songwriter and Rapper Jesús Ortiz Paz
3. His biggest hero is his best friend, Alex.
"He's been my best friend since I was at school. I look up to him a lot for the way he's always been there for me, and also how good he is at helping me see reason and logic when I lose my way a bit."
-Conor Maynard
4. He couldn't live without snacking on Maoam candies.
"I don't think you guys have them in the states. They're a sweet called Maoam. It's kind of chewy, very similar to Hi-Chews. I would say Maoam just beats them slightly."
-Conor Maynard.
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About Colombian Pop Sensation Sebastián Yatra
5. It wasn't easy for him to choose, but his favorite song of all time is probably Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)."
6. He's the oldest child with a younger brother and sister.
"I definitely have oldest child syndrome. I think that shapes so much of my personality."
-Conor Maynard
7. If he could pick anyone to play him in a movie about his life, it'd have to be Tom Holland.
"He's actually a friend of mine, and I met him right before he absolutely went through the roof of fame. I think Tom could play me pretty well. We met right before he became Spider-Man. He's from Surrey, near Kingston. From where I live now, that's like a 15 or 20-minute drive. We were at the same club, and he was telling me he loved my songs and asked me what it was like to be famous. I was like, bro, you're about to find out. And he found out on an even crazier level! It was quite endearing to hear. I don't think he was aware of how successful he was about to be—even though everyone else seemed to know it."
-Conor Maynard
8. He's a gamer, and his favorite games always put a smile on his face.
"Specifically right now, I'm literally obsessed with the new Zelda game. I've been playing all day, every day. I was playing it right before this interview. And I'm actually super lucky with the timing, because I'm about to go on tour, so I'm going to be playing it while I'm traveling non-stop, and I've also done all my rehearsals, and I've got to let my voice be well -rested before I start doing the shows. I've just been sitting at home, and I've just been playing it non-stop, all day.
On top of the Zelda franchise, there are the Last of Us games. I think The Last of Us Part I is my favorite game of all time. Also, Rocket League is one of my favorite games. Those three always make me smile. Although, Rocket League will actually make me rage as well."
-Conor Maynard
Also read about: Everything You Wanted to Know About Colombian Pop Sensation Sebastián Yatra
9. One life lesson he wishes he could have learned earlier on is that he should take more control of his musical career.
"I remember when I first started as a musician. I was about 17, and in my mind, I viewed my label and management as bosses or superiors. I worked for them, and I had to make them happy. Then, as I got older, I came to understand that I was the artist. I was actually in charge of my career. It didn't matter to anyone else as much as it mattered to me. There were a lot of decisions that were overridden when I was younger because I didn't know better. I thought it was up to them. In hindsight, there are so many things I wish I had done differently, but I wasn't allowed to at the time (or thought I wasn't allowed to). Now, I know I could have just done it. It's kind of frustrating to look back on, but I've learned from that. Also, just being ready to be wrong. I'll make more decisions, but that doesn't mean I'm always going to be right, and I'm prepared for the possibility of being wrong."
-Conor Maynard
10. His big celebrity crush when he was younger was Megan Fox, but now he's a big fan of Ana de Armas.
11. There's a bit of a misconception that Conor takes himself seriously, when in reality, it's the opposite.
"One thing I struggled with in the earlier part of my career was people assuming I was going to take myself as this really serious pop star, when realistically, I just like to have a laugh most of the time, and I like to mess around. At school, I was definitely that mischievous kid, not trying to act that cool. My humor is probably one of the most integral parts of me, and that's one of the main things I try and put across in my content. I don't take myself seriously."
-Conor Maynard
Want to learn even more about the album? Click HERE to check out our interview with Conor on +11 Hours.