Nora Conlon, a Rising Star From East Hampton, Releases First Single

Nora Conlon, a young musician who graduated from East Hampton High School, is making waves in the local music scene. At 20 years old, Conlon has already established a presence at various venues — including the summer release of her first single, “Cut It Out.”

Her melodies are unexpected and surprising. Conlon’s musical tastes are eclectic, influencing both her performances and her songwriting. Popular alternative rock progressions build momentum around a calm, syncopated rhythm — a feature she draws inspiration from as her favorite genre: Brazilian bossa nova. Think Hozier’s “Eden” meets “The Girl From Ipanema” by Stan Getz.

Conlon graduated from East Hampton High School in 2022. She began participating in open mic nights at local establishments like Springs Tavern and The Clubhouse in East Hampton, and eventually her summers were spent making regular appearances at Baron’s Cove in Sag Harbor for Sunday brunches, as well as opening for local bands at Montauk Yacht Club, The Stephen Talkhouse and The Green Room bar at Sag Harbor Cinema.

Conlon’s first appearance at the Talkhouse occurred during those formative high school years when she formed a group with Caly Stewart and Dorothea Sax to compete in the Battle of the Fantasy Girl Bands. Their rendition of Oasis’s “Don’t Look Back in Anger” secured them the win.

Her lyrics in “Cut It Out” reflect common experiences of relationships and breakups, themes she believes resonate with many listeners.

Her favorite line from the song, “I can’t shake these habits, they don’t define me, I’m realigning,” showcases her knack for crafting meaningful lyrics that fit her unique melodies.

Conlon’s musical journey began early in life. “I have always loved music since I was a little kid,” she reminisced. This early passion led her to explore various instruments and musical styles throughout her childhood and teenage years. She took piano and voice lessons with Amanda Jones at age 5 and later ventured into guitar lessons with Paul Chapin at Crossroads Music in Amagansett.

A pivotal moment came in sixth grade when her teacher, Angelina Modica, introduced ukuleles to the class.

“That just came a lot easier to me after the guitar lessons,” Conlon recalled. “And then from there, I picked up guitar again in the summer going into eighth grade, and then I haven’t really looked back.”

While cover songs have been her primary repertoire, Conlon has recently ventured into songwriting. Her musical style draws inspiration from artists like Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Mitzi, Adrianne Lenker, Hozier and Glen Hansard. She also acknowledges the support received from established local musicians such as Josh Brussell, Ray Red, Ralph Perricelli, Lynn Blue, Nancy Atlas and Annie Trezza.

Now studying at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Conlon is immersing herself in all aspects of the music industry. The curriculum extends beyond performance, covering areas such as journalism, production and business aspects of music.

“They kind of try to prime you for whatever path you want to go down in the current music industry,” she said.

The creation of “Cut It Out” was a breakthrough moment for Conlon. Born out of a songwriting class assignment, the single represents a significant step in her artistic development.

“It felt different from like all of the other songs I have actually written before,” Conlon reflects. “It’s like the first one that I feel really aligned with the sound that I have been shooting for.”

The recording process for “Cut It Out” was serendipitous and intense. While interning at her cousin’s studio, Frazier Sound Studios in Brooklyn, an unexpected opportunity arose.

“We didn’t have any clients that day,” she recalled. “So I was just chilling at the studio and he was like, ‘I don’t have anything going on either. So if you want, we can work on music together.’”

What followed was a whirlwind four-hour session where they transformed Conlon’s voice memo into a fully realized track.

“We were all very excited about the song,” Conlon said, still sounding a bit in awe of the experience. The release of “Cut It Out” has been met with enthusiasm from Conlon’s growing fan base since the song hit Apple in September. The song has garnered more than 900 streams across various platforms, a number that continues to grow steadily.

“I love looking at the map on here that’s showing where everyone’s listening. It’s just really cool to see where everyone’s listening,” Conlon said excitedly.

Looking ahead, Conlon is eager to build on this momentum. She’s currently studying abroad in Berlin, using the experience to explore different musical identities and work on her artist project.

“Now that I’ve started the thing and I have people following me on Spotify and everything, I want to keep putting stuff out and be consistent with it,” she said.

Upon her return to the East End in December, Conlon hopes to organize a homecoming show, possibly at The Stephen Talkhouse where she had a successful performance this past summer.

“I would love to come back there this winter,” she said, already thinking about the logistics. “It’d be kind of fun. I could even make it like a little belated release show, you know?”

With her first single out in the world, the future sounds limitless for Nora Conlon.

“Cut It Out” is available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, or any music streamer. For more on Nora Conlon, visit noraconlon.com or check out recorded performances at youtube.com/@noraconlon6163.