CON THE ARTIST Drops Chaotic New Single “MONEY (on my mind)”
South African/Canadian multidisciplinary CON THE ARTIST bleeds creativity into anything he touches. From scoring films and producing records, to sound design, video direction, and recently a 34-piece orchestra in Greece, CON has his hands in every aspect of his art. With a bold approach and an avant-garde vision, his infectious upbeat bops are ready to set off into the stratosphere.
The brand new track, “MONEY (on my mind),” dives deep into the chaotic swirl of thoughts that hit when cash is tight – like when your brain starts buzzing and everything feels a bit unhinged. We’ve all been there, whether it was back in high school, during those broke college days, or just last week. That mental scramble when you’re wondering how you’re going to make ends meet, or if you can even cover the bills – it’s real, and it can drive you a little crazy.
In the music video, CON wanted to bring that internal chaos to life visually. The video is a bunch of dudes in red ski masks jumping around and fighting each other… They represent his brain cells. It’s the battle happening inside your head during those moments of mental mayhem. It was all filmed in CON’s kitchen and living room with some friends.
Here’s a cool tidbit: I started writing this track in LA back in 2022 as an old demo. It was recorded at Red Bull Studios, and the guitar you hear is actually Albert Hammond Jr.’s from The Strokes. So, the same guitar on this song was also used on some of The Strokes’ classic records…. That’s a fun nugget for me. – CON THE ARTIST
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Alright, I’m Con The Artist. Born in South Africa, bounced through London, Portugal, and Vancouver, and now I’m causing trouble in Toronto. The music? It’s a bit of alt, a bit of rock, and a whole lot of whatever life throws at me. I like to keep it unpredictable, like a late-night Tarantino film. Always pushing the boundaries, always chasing that thrill in the chaos.
Your latest track, “MONEY (on my mind),” touches on the anxiety and stress that comes with financial struggles. What inspired you to dive into this theme, and how does it resonate with your own experiences?
Honestly, it’s just the daily grind, right? Like we’re all caught in this never-ending game, chasing coins and grabbing whatever power-ups we can. You wake up, chase the money, burn through it, and do it all over again. It’s got that arcade feel… scrambling for tokens before time runs out. That’s why I threw the 8-bit arcade loop at the start of the track – because it’s the start of the game. And The high-pitched voices? They’re like the voices in your head, the anxieties, the ‘what-ifs,’ pushing you forward. The track itself is raw and gritty, ‘cause life’s never clean. It’s messy, and sometimes you’ve just got to wade through the chaos.
The music video for “MONEY (on my mind)” is visually chaotic and brings the mental mayhem to life. Can you share more about the creative process behind the video, and how you landed on the concept of using red ski-masked figures to represent the brain cells in turmoil?
The whole video was shot in my living room—proper DIY vibes. The red ski-masked figures are meant to be my brain cells, each one bouncing around like they’re trying to help you figure out how to make your next paycheck. It’s pure mental carnage. Funny story though… I’m new to the city and don’t know many people, so half the folks in the video were mates of mates. I put out a bat signal looking for extras and had said to my friend Vince, “all we need is dudes,” and he assumed that this meant I already had the girls covered. A couple of lads showed up because Vince told them there’d be loads of hot chicks at the shoot. So these guys arrive expecting a room full of possibilities, but instead, they walk into a room of sweaty men in tank tops and ski masks. They stuck around, though and we’re mates now. Absolute legends, really. Shoutout to Alex & Matthew.
You mentioned that the track started as an old demo recorded in LA back in 2022 and that the guitar you used is actually Albert Hammond Jr.’s from The Strokes. How did that collaboration come about, and how does it feel knowing that the guitar has been part of some iconic records?
I was working out of Red Bull Studios in LA, cause I had a spot there for a few weeks while I was in town. Albert Hammond Jr.’s guitar was hanging on the wall, signed and all. I couldn’t resist, so I played it on the track – badly. It was just for the demo and I intended to re-record it later. It wasn’t even in tune, and I was probably out of time too, since it was just a scratch demo. But I left it as is because, in some strange way I wanted The Strokes to be a part of my music journey. It just felt right to keep it raw and imperfect, like life usually is.
What was the most challenging part of bringing “MONEY (on my mind)” to life, both musically and visually? Did anything surprise you during the production process?
The hardest part was cramming the whole shoot into my living room… definitely chaotic, but it turned into a really fun night. I directed, edited, and colored the whole thing myself which can be rewarding but not without its challenges. It was a one-man shoot with a bunch of homies pitching in. Thank God for my manager Chad because he brought in some numbers. If he hadn’t the video would’ve had way fewer people and looked pretty sad. I’m still really impressed our living room turned into what you see in the video now. The whole thing cost me only $200… I spent it all on pizza and beer for the homies. On the music side, the trick was not over-polishing it. I wanted to keep that raw, chaotic vibe, so I had to let go of any urge to clean it up on the production side. Shoutout to Ryan Worsley for polishing that mess on the mix side.
As an artist who seems to constantly push boundaries, how do you keep your ideas fresh and avoid creative burnout?
I keep it fresh by always shaking things up—new places, new sounds, working with different people. Creativity’s like a muscle, you’ve gotta let it rest sometimes, and other times you push it to the edge. But honestly, it’s the fun that keeps me going. If it’s not fun, what’s the point?
Last but not least, what can fans expect from you in the future? Are there any exciting projects in the works that you can share with us?
I’m not gonna be one of those artists who says, “Big things coming,” but… big things are coming. Have you seen my live show? Some people are calling it an experience… their words, not mine. I’m going to double down on that and find ways to make it crazier.
I’ve got an EP called Bad Guy dropping in November, and 2025 is shaping up to be massive for Con The Artist. There’s a ton of music on the way, and some visual stories I’m dying to share. So yeah, stay tuned—it’s gonna be one hell of a ride!