The Truth Comes Out Eventually. Honestly is something that we should all aspire to live by. Authenticity is a word that's undervalued in today's fast-moving landscape and disposable culture, but authenticity and truth are interwoven, and if you have one, then the other naturally sidles up. There are a number of reasons Connor Selby has chosen this as his album title.

These two words have always been at the heart of the music of the young British troubadour Connor Selby. Having moved around as a child 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, the groove of Gary Clark Jr., the booming voice of Jacob Banks, the raw and haunting delivery of Ray LaMontagne or 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 an emotional integrity. He delves deep into his soul, all the way down into his core and the feeling of belonging. "The songs are about my feelings of being in the world, and not really feeling like I belong," he explains.


When you wear your heart on your sleeve and can only live by openness and honesty, you’ll likely get burnt in relationships, and life. Sometimes he 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 opens up. This has become a hurdle that he has had to overcome throughout his life.


This is reflected on the title track. “This song is about the feeling of not knowing or not being able to be the person that others expect of you, and the despair and confusion this brings trying to navigate a world where you feel like you’re playing to a different set of rules as everyone else,” he reveals.
There is a sense of hopelessness encapsulated in the song. The line ‘I was born with a broken heart’ suggests the protagonist feels they were born defected and eventually excluded, like a ‘stranger through and through’.
Selby almost stands alone in the world of contemporary music, outside the parameters of the genres he touches upon - no one is making the king of music he is, no one really sounds like he does. This all plays into his sense of identity and belonging.