We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Henry LoConti a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Henry , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I have been fascinated with music ever since I was a little kid. No one in my family really played an instrument, but there was always music playing. Blasting, actually. This environment sparked my curiosity, so I got my first guitar at around 12 years old and became obsessed. Learning how to play the guitar then got me interested in singing, piano, bass, and drums. This opened up an entire world for me.

I came to be the player I am really just through studying my favorite tunes, discovering the avenues that create the sounds that I desire, and simply sitting down with the instrument I wanted to improve on. I never took formal lessons or went to school for this craft…just surrounded myself with blues, funk, jazz, rock, bluegrass, folk, and classical music. Learning how to play and write always felt like a very natural way to express internal feelings.

This whole pursuit is a challenge, which is one of the reasons why it’s so addictive always came with properly recording, booking gigs, executing gigs, earning money, and promotion. After starting our band “LoConti”, I quickly realized that good opportunities in this industry start with great music and meaningful communication. It makes sense since this pursuit is focused on the human spirit. Doing what feels right leads to great things in this industry. Not what feels immediately rewarding or comfortable…what feels right in your gut. That can especially be said for writing and production.

Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve had this fascination with music. It’s kind of funny because no one in my family really played an instrument, but there was always music playing in the background, sometimes blasting. It really piqued my curiosity. So, when I was around 12 years old, I got my hands on my first guitar, and it was like love at first strum. From there, I went down the rabbit hole, picking up singing, piano, bass, and drums. It was like a whole new world had opened up before me.

I came to be the player I am really just through studying my favorite tunes, discovering the avenues that create the sounds that I desire, and obsessively sitting down with the instrument I wanted to improve on. I didn’t go to music school. I just surrounded myself with a mix of blues, funk, jazz, rock, bluegrass, folk, and classical tunes. Learning to play and write songs felt like the most natural way to express what was going on inside.

Stuff like recording, booking gigs, performing, making some money, and promoting our band “LoConti” was also something I just had to dive into head first. I quickly figured out that making it in this industry starts with two things: creating great music and having meaningful conversations. It makes sense because, at its heart, music is all about the human spirit. To succeed, you’ve got to do what feels right deep down in your gut, not just what’s easy or immediately rewarding. This philosophy, especially when it comes to writing and production, has been my guiding light.

Henry , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

LoConti came together almost two years ago in Concord, Ohio. Our band lineup features Michael on drums, Eric on saxophone/keys, Trevor on guitar, Erin on vocals/percussion, Tyler on bass, and myself, Henry, on guitar and vocals. It’s interesting because we all came from diverse musical backgrounds, but somehow, our first few jam sessions just clicked.

We started off by playing at local bars, steadily working on our own original music along the way. The turning point was when we released our debut single, “Run Into You,” on November 9th, 2022. That track opened doors for us in the Cleveland music scene, earning recognition, growing our fan base, and landing us more gigs. We began getting opportunities to open for bigger touring acts and getting booked for private parties and events, which marked the point where we started making some real money.

The high point of our journey so far was the release of our debut full-length album, “Cherry Red,” on June 2nd, 2023. It was a new experience, taking us from December to April to record, produce, mix, and master, all while juggling a busy performance schedule. We did it at a home studio in Cleveland, thanks to our friend and engineer, Billy Carrick. This approach gave us the creative freedom we needed.

“Cherry Red” gave us a strong footing for the summer and finally provided our fans with a complete body of work outside of our live performances. It was incredibly gratifying to see the crowd’s response to these songs that used to just be in my notebook.

One thing I’m especially proud of with this band is our ability to adapt. We’ve faced numerous unexpected challenges along the way that could have easily discouraged us. I think our resilience comes from the long, spontaneous gigs we’ve done. Our typical bar gig lasts four hours, and we’ve even done some that stretched out to five. When you’re up there for that long, you learn to expect the unexpected, and sometimes, that’s when the real magic happens. Playing those kinds of gigs has definitely been a grounding experience, and it’s given us a deep respect for what we do.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Get out of the house and go check out the artists you like in person. It’ll be a good experience for everybody. You’ll get to see what they’re really all about, and they’ll get to show what they’re made of. It’s an incredible symbiotic relationship.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I guess the main driver is curiosity. I wonder what kind of music I’m capable of writing and how I can get it to translate both on stage and in the studio. So really it’s quite a struggle with myself. Also, I speak for the whole band when I say that we’re always trying to impress each other. Coming to a gig or rehearsal with something new for the band is a great feeling. I also recognize that the folks who listen to our music and come to our shows do so because they enjoy what this band is putting out. This desperately makes me want to give them more.

We’re planning on releasing new music in 2024.

Contact Info:

• Website: info@loconti.net
• Instagram: locontiofficial
• Youtube: @locontiofficial UCSdG5I_f2AchD8y6AYNKWYg

Image Credits
Photos taken by Erik Drost. Instagram: edrost88