Today we’d like to introduce you to Conal Rosanbalm.
Hi Conal, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began singing at a very young age and was involved in choir all the way through elementary school. I was always extremely interested and engaged in music as a fan and kept singing all the time but really started performing in college in Fort Collins. What began as backyard party sessions became singing and writing with a couple of bands called Torn MCL and The 11 Theory. The Fort Collins music scene was incredible in the early 2000’s and I’m proud to have been a part of it. I’m lucky enough to have played at some incredible venues like Mishawaka and the Aggie. We were rubbing shoulders with bands like George’s August Brew and the Bohdi Band. Once I moved to Denver I took a few years off but the desire to perform was always there. Occasionally I’d find myself at open mic nights hoping to sing, looking for someone who would be willing to play guitar with me. I even opted into more than one a cappella performance at them which was not ideal. Then, when I turned 30 in 2011 I made the hide decision to quit drinking for a good long while. Inside of that little vacuum I found myself in, I was craving some artistic output. Ultimately, I listened to myself and decided to learn guitar. I knew it would help me write and sing and hopefully perform. I utilized YouTube in order to teach myself to play. I then began writing much more original music, which was amazing. I began performing with my friend Andrew Thompson under the moniker Wichita Run. The band has had many different lineups but Wichita Run is alive and well and making a resurgence of late.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life has a way of creating challenges and my path has definitely included its fair share of them. I consider myself pretty lucky in general, and my story isn’t as full of heartbreak as some but that’s not to say I didn’t have to hurdle some obstacles. The greatest of which I believe has been my struggle with alcohol consumption. I feel like I have it mostly under control at this point, but one of the reasons I was able to learn to play guitar was that I quit drinking completely for a little over 3 years from 2011 to 2014. Lots of my lyrics written during that time echoed positivity and love because I was feeling so inspired as a sober person. It was during that time that I began dating the woman who has now been my wife for 10 years. I’m a lucky man to be able to say that and Jenni saves my life every day. Overall though, the things that have challenged me have really shaped who I am and made me stronger and I am grateful for that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ousia Labs / Wichita Run?
Ousia Labs is a manufacturing company that specializes in countertop sized liquid CO2 extraction equipment. They are the first of their kind and the company has pioneered this technology. I have represented this company as Director of Sales for over 4 years now and have supported myself with music while putting all resources back into the company in order to grow it. You can see what we have created on the website at OusiaLabs.com.
Wichita Run will be releasing new music soon as well, so please keep checking back on our socials for more info!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I have recently put together a new lineup of musicians who are now the new Wichita Run and as we ramp up booking, I’ll be heading back into the studio to record more songs for a hopeful release later this year. The new members are Chris Statter on lead guitar, Austin Latimer on bass guitar and Kelly Turner on drums. Once we get ready to record and put out the album, I’ll create a Go Fund Me page which I’ll promote through our instagram page – @wichitarun. For now the best thing to do is to give us a follow and stay tuned!!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @wichitarun
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/wichitarunmusic
- Other: Wichita Run on Spotify
