We all remember the days when we could go to the library, get lost in a book, and wander through shelves full of encyclopedias and dictionaries—pre-coronavirus, of course. But times have changed. Now, the phrase “public library commute” has a whole new meaning. Conrad Hsiang, known professionally as Public Library Commute (PLC), is a New Jersey native, mixing up alternative beats from his new home in Los Angeles. Getting lost in his bedroom pop is even more relaxing than diving into a good book, as if anyone reads anymore. And on that note, Conrad didn’t even read at the library. “I just did legos,” he says.
Beginning at the age of 16, young Conrad made music as a side hustle, which continued through his college career at Hamilton College in Upstate New York. “I was able to make the risky, but calculated decision to only do music after graduating,” he says optimistically. And it’s working out for him. He picked up and moved from the rainy and rural New York to sunny-so-cal, based in large part off of Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.a.a.d city. “Ever since listening to it, I’ve romanticized LA,” Conrad continues.
But he didn’t forget to mention his other major inspirations. Conrad pays homage to King Krule, who he learned some of his favorite guitar chords from. As of recently, PLC has been rocking out to John Mayer, despite not listening to him much growing up. “He makes undeniable pop music,” Conrad acclaims.
Just his voice and a guitar, Public Library Commute is a one man show, aided by his computer and a plethora of hip-hop backbeats. Self-identified as alternative R&B, he plays into the bedroom pop style we’re seeing all over music platforms nowadays. “I do make all my music in my bedroom, so it’s fitting in that sense,” he says. Conrad is looking forward to making an appearance on SHWHY’s youtube channel, BEDROOM POP, which films and features up-and-coming artists, and as the title suggests, their accompanying bedrooms.
So, how did Conrad come up with the name, Public Library Commute? In high school, Conrad worked at his local library, building legos with kids. But the funny part is that he picked the acronym PLC before attaching the words behind it, “They were just random letters I chose because I thought it sounded cool,” he said. His brother pointed out the ironic correlation, and from there, Public Library Commute was born.
With two albums out already, Conrad has a library of lyrical ballads reflecting meaningful, as well as silly, aspects of his life. His second album, Over Grey Skies, references the rainy day dreariness prevalent in upstate New York, turning this album into a coping mechanism. “Over grey skies, there’s always a blue sky,” he explains. On a lighter note, Sienna 1999 is an inside joke between Conrad and his high school friends, evoking memories of whipping in a minivan.
Conrad wasn’t always the guy singing and strumming his guitar; he actually started, and has continued, as a producer for other alternative artists. “I didn’t really start to sing until 2 or 3 years into producing,” he says. Mixing beats is what comes naturally to him, and it’s what landed him a spot on Surfaces’ tour last winter. Parading across the U.S in a tour bus, Conrad had the time of his life opening for over 17 shows around the country. And he had a solid group of guys to spend the long, idyll drives with. “Colin and Forest (of Surfaces) are the best people. They are super supportive of me,” he remarks.
As for his own work, PLC aspires to go on tour with a live band. In terms of collabs, he dreams of working with R&B artist, Omar Apollo, who he met briefly at a concert in New York a while back. “I think him and I would see eye-to-eye stylistically,” he continues. But he still hopes to produce more stellar beats with rising artist Hong Kong Boyfriend, a 2-single spectacular. Conrad commends the up-and-coming artist as “incredible” and can already tell he’ll be huge.
While he only put out two songs in 2020, Conrad has great expectations for 2021, which we all do, right? His new EP is signed, sealed, and almost delivered, with the appearance of singles, “Summertime” and “You Been On My Mind.” So we can expect to have copious amounts of new music for our bedroom jam sessions. “It’s going to be a fun year,” beams Conrad. And boy, are we ready.
Be sure to check out Public Library Commute on Spotify! And look out for updates on his new album via Instagram.
For more up-coming artists, check out Tom Verbane and Kole Asher.
